Wine Talk by Robert Whitley

These are the times that try men's souls. Truly, for Valentine's Day is upon us and there is a general call to arms. Only a fool — or a newbie in the ways of love — would show up without a bottle of something!

Ah, but what something? That is the question. There are only two good options, which I will spell out for the Budweiser crowd. One is something bubbly, and it better not be beer. The other is something sweet, all the more impressive if accompanied by a box of chocolates.

That's the easy part. Making sense of the vast array of sparkling and sweet wines available at the corner wine shop is another matter. You get to pick your own poison, but you shouldn't be handed a blindfold and a cigarette and shoved down the Champagne aisle on your own. Any mistakes you make are likely to be very expensive!

No need for that; sparkling wines come in a range of styles and prices. A word of caution on the bubbly, however, since a number of voices will advocate serving Champagne with chocolate. This is seldom a glorious match, for it is nearly impossible to find a Champagne or sparkling wine that is sweet enough to cope with the intensity of a decadent chocolate truffle.

That's when a truly sweet wine, such as Port, might come in handy. There are some fairly sweet sparkling styles, such as Italy's famed Asti Spumante or demi-sec Champagnges from France, but these tend to work better with cookies and pastries than rich chocolates, which overwhelm most sparkling wines. The exception might be Brachetto d'Acqui from northern Italy's Piedmont region.

Without further ado, my Valentine's Day wine suggestions. You need not settle for these alone. A good wine merchant who might not have the specific wine recommended would likely be able to produce a comparable substitute, and in matters of love, a spirit of adventure can often turn to your advantage.

SPARKLING WINES

Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy ($24) — This frothy, semisweet red wine from northern Italy has become one of my Valentine's Day favorites because it is that rare bubbly that can stand up to chocolate, though bittersweet and dark chocolates work best. The aroma of freshly crushed red raspberries dominates the nose and palate, and there is plenty of acid backbone to balance the finish. It's versatile, too. I sometimes serve Rosa Regale as an aperitif with salty or spicy appetizers. You should serve it well-chilled. Rating: 92.

Moet & Chandon NV Nectar Imperial, Champagne, France ($43) — There are any number of beautiful demi-sec Champagnes, but Moet's Nectar Imperial is undoubtedly the easiest to find because of Moet's broad distribution throughout the United States. I like the Nectar Imperial because it is sweet enough to accompany many desserts or fruit-driven dishes, but not so sweet that it's cloying as a stand-alone cocktail. It's floral on the nose with subtle aromas of peach and pear. And tenacious shoppers can probably find it for much less than the suggested retail price. Rating: 91.

Gloria Ferrer 2002 Royal Cuvee, Carneros ($35) — In recent years, Gloria Ferrer has done its best to emulate the great house of Champagne, aging its top wines (this would include the $50 Carneros Cuvee, too) on the yeast lees seven to nine years to enhance complexity and impart the toastiness of Champagne that is often a missing component of New World sparkling wines. The meticulous practice of aging a sparkling wine to maturity prior to disgorgement has worked miracles at Gloria Ferrer, and the proof is in the bottle.

The '02 Royal Cuvee was recently voted Wine of the Year at the Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition in San Diego. I've seen it for sale for as little as $19.99, a steal on anyone's budget. Rating: 93.

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger 2004 Le Reve Blanc de Blancs, Carneros ($85) — Owned by the famed Champagne house of Taittinger, Domaine Carneros is every bit as meticulous and committed to excellence. Le Reve is Domaine Carneros' version of a French tetes de cuvee, and a stunning wine it is. It is certainly among the finest sparkling wines ever produced in California, and consistently stands tall in blind tastings where I match it up with top-shelf Champagnes. This vintage exhibits aromas of peach and pear, with a hint of roasted nuts and lemon curd. The toasty element is a result of six years' aging on the lees prior to being disgorged. While this vintage is 100 percent Chardonnay, in some years a bit of Pinot Blanc makes the cut and is added to the cuvee. Rating: 95 point.

PORTS

Call me old-fashioned, but to me a Port must be from Portugal. Domestic "Ports" can often be good, but they seldom possess the structure and complexity of top quality Ports produced in the Douro Valley of Portugal. Compound that with the fact that any domestic Port I might suggest would likely not be available in 95 percent of the country, I believe I will stick with Ports from Portugal, thank you!

Ports are a good bet for Valentine's Day because they are sinfully compatible with chocolates and most any other sweet that will be served that day.

Smith Woodhouse Lodge Reserve Porto, Portugal ($18) — This is a connoisseur's vintage character ruby Port, for Smith Woodhouse is boutique in size and not as easy to source as similar ruby Ports, such as Fonseca Bin 27. It offers ripe, jammy fruit on the palate with vibrant red and black fruit aromas and subtle nuances of spice and wood. At the price, it's one the finest Ports of its kind on the market. Rating: 89.

Dow's Trademark Finest Reserve Porto, Portugal ($16) — Dow's Trademark vintage character ruby Port is the steal of the genre. It offers more subtlety and finesse than power, which is why it is my preferred ruby when curled up by the fire on a blustery winter night. The aromas trend to strawberry and rhubarb, and it has rather firm tannins for a vintage character Port, leading to a spicy, dry finish. Rating: 88.

Graham's 20 Years Tawny Port, Portugal ($100) — Big spenders you're gonna love this, because it's surely one $100 bottle that won't disappoint. This is my favorite Tawny Port because of its complexity and length. And the 20-year-old (also comes in 10-, 30- and 40-year-old iterations) strikes the perfect balance between lovely aromas of primary fruit and seductive flavors of maturity, with aromas of spice, roasted nuts and candied fruit. Rating: 97.

ALTERNATIVES

America's two most important dessert wines, to my mind, both come from the Napa Valley and are modeled after the great Sauternes of France's Bordeaux region. Far Niente's Dolce and Beringer's Nightingale are both blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that have been infected with the botrytis mold. Dolce's botrytis is natural while Beringer's is induced. Both processes work.

The effect of the botrytis is to concentrate the sugars and flavors of the grape as the outside skin shrivels and water evaporates. The result, when handled skillfully, is a white dessert wine of outrageous flavor and complexity, with nuances of honey, pear, fig and spice. These wines are thoroughly decadent and will age forever. The current release of Dolce ($80, 97 points) is 2005, the current release of Nightingale ($40, 95 points) is 2006.

There are no finer Sauternes-style wines in America, period.

To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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