Choosing a wine for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be so different from any other special occasion. That said, sparkling wine or Champagne is the ultimate celebratory beverage, and the obvious choice for romantic endeavors. It’s a no-brainer — you can’t go wrong by picking a quality Champagne, no matter how you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day. You can drink it as an aperitif, with appetizers, through the meal, and in the hot tub afterward (beyond that you can let your creative juices run wild with the possibilities).

Ideally, I recommend you spend the extra dough and get a “real” Champagne, meaning the bubbles from France. Why? Because first of all your lover is worth it. Secondly, the fact that you’ve chosen the “real stuff” makes the motion that much more special. Finally, the majority of French Champagne you find will have the versatility mentioned above — in fact most Champagne labeled as Brut will have enough structure and acidity to drink right through a main course. Some of the brands you can trust include Bollinger, Deutz, Laurent-Perrier, Pommery, Heidsieck & Monopole, Gosset, Mumm, Billecart-Salmon, Roederer, Veuve-Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart, Leroy, and Bellefon. Understand that the aforementioned list is a small sample of what’s available, and I provide them with the assumption you rarely purchase Champagne, offering some trustworthy names you will likely see on a wine list or in a retail shop. If you are a more advanced imbiber of bubbles, you may want to check out the Champagne and Sparkling Wines for New Year’s article.

If you’re only into sparkling wine as a pre-emptive quaff to dinner, then you might rather prefer a Prosecco or a Moscato d’Asti, which are fizzy wines from Italy that have just the slightest hint of sweetness — just enough to whet your palate and get you in the mood for a romantic dinner.

Foregoing Champagne as your dinner pairing, you should choose a wine just as you would normally — pick a wine that will go with the meal and both you and your partner will enjoy. The only difference comes with the budget; if you are the type of person who weighs the price of a wine as much as the vintage (don’t be ashamed, I’m guilty), then throw that sensibility out the window on Valentine’s Day — it is an evening for splurging, not counting pennies. One night of breaking the budget won’t destroy you, so go ahead and pick that wine you always wanted to try but could never justify the expense. If your date knows you well enough, the surprise of your careless spending will heighten the romance, and you’ll be paid back in spades later in the evening.

Still looking for something that just screams Valentine’s Day? Short of being corny, you have two more options: choose a pink / rose wine, or find a wine that has something “lovely” on the label.

There are two types of pink wines — dry and off-dry (sweet). If you are a regular wine drinker and enjoy dry whites and reds, you’ll be pleased to find that dry rose can be not only a refreshing aperitif but also very adaptable to a number of dishes. Some of the best rose wines in the world come from Spain and Portugal, and are fairly inexpensive. There are also good choices from France, particularly Tavel and Bandol. Regardless of the region, be sure to get a fresher vintage — ideally, a wine labeled within the last two years. Like most white wines, rose wines tend to fade quickly, and are most enjoyable young.

If you or your date drinks wine only on occasion, or finds most wines are too dry or bitter, but you still want to have something pink, there is always white zinfandel. Personally, I’m not fond of white zins, but I will recommend Pink Truck, which is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Zinfandel. Though it definitely has a sweet component, it also has good structure — medium acidity and mild tannins — that allow it to match well with food. It is a perfect pink for people who are weaning off cola with their meals, and for those who think Yellowtail is the best wine ever. In other words, a step up from white zinning.

Finally, should your choice be to be clever, you can choose a wine that actually says love on the label. One of my favorites is the Beaujolais Cru Saint-Amour … which literally translates to “saint love”. Being a Beaujolais, it should match well with a variety of foods, so will make a safe choice. Additionally, there is a line of wines from Tortoise Creek that are labeled “Les Amoureux” (the lovers). There are whites and reds and you’ll know them by the cartoon drawing of two lovey dovey turtles, one holding a bottle of wine, the other a glass.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

OK, you’ve prepared a tray of baked ziti, have the nuclear-hot buffalo wings roasting in the oven, your secret-recipe chili simmering on the stove, and spread out the chips, dips, pre-cut veggie platter and getting ready to dole out the over-under squares in the final score pool. For beverages, you have the keg on ice and six choices of soda. What about the wine?

Huh? Who drinks wine during the Super Bowl?

Lots of people, if you’ll just give them the option. The trick is to provide the right wines for your crowd and your food spread — without killing your budget.

With big parties of people that may have diverse tastes, I like to go with reliable, popular standbys that meld well with a variety of foods, such as Pinot Grigio or Soave. There are plenty of solid, if unspectacular selections that come in wallet-forgiving 1.5-liter bottles. One 1.5 of Pinot Grigio or Soave is a must — the wine will go with nearly anything you’re serving, and be acceptable for drinking on its own. If you’re serving some particularly spicy dishes, you may also want to offer a bottle of German Riesling. Riesling is another food-friendly wine that matches with nearly everything, and its slight touch of perceived sweetness will provide a fine foil for hotter foods (i.e., buffalo wings, hot poppers, etc.).

In addition to the whites, you should also consider a dry rose, as most will go very nicely with myriad appetizers, from pigs in blankets to pate. The key, however, is to get a “fresh” vintage, especially in the under-ten-buck range. Fresh means the vintage on the label is from only a year or two ago. Look in the wine shop’s “Spain” or “Portugal” aisle for the best values.

For reds, it’s probably a good idea to pick up at least one bottle of inexpensive Pinot Noir, for no other reason than the fact that most pedestrian wine drinkers think it is the “best” wine to drink. If you have more savvy wine geeks, then by all means find a red to match with whatever you’re serving as a main course. For example, if you’re doing the baked ziti thing, Chianti is a no-brainer. If you’re doing some kind of chicken dish, go with a Cru Beaujolais or a lighter Merlot. Also, Cotes-du-Rhone (France) is an affordable, reliable red that matches with a variety foods and is pleasing to most palates.

Considering that football tends to draw crowds with a higher-than-normal testosterone level, you may want to also have on hand a bottle of the biggest, baddest red wine you can squeeze into your budget, such as a jammy Zinfandel or a palate-shattering Shiraz. There are some remarkably affordable wines that fit this profile; for example, anything from Ravenswood will fit the bill — after all, their motto is “no wimpy wines”. Rosemount and Penfolds also offer big, fruit-forward reds in the $10-20 range, as does anything from the Australian Wine Collection (you’ll see an identifying circular sticker on the bottle neck). In addition, you’ll probably score a hit without damaging your budget by choosing almost any red wine from importer Peter Click’s portfolio (look at the fine print on the back label to find a foreign wine’s importer).

If you think your party invites will appreciate it, go the distance and pick up a bottle or two of sparkling wine to celebrate the winning team. A good Cava (Juve y Camps is a reliable brand) or Prosecco will only run you about ten to twelve bucks, as will a sparkling wine from Domaine Ste. Michelle.

Keep the game plan simple — easygoing, food-friendly bottles with a few surprise, big-play reds mixed in — and you’re sure to score with your Super Bowl guests.

You have two issues when matching wine with the traditional turkey dinner — first, a wine that will go with turkey, and second, a wine that will have a chance to stand up to all the trimmings and various side dishes. Needless to say, this is not an easy task.

Ideally, it would be nice to find one bottle to match with everything. In reality, that’s next to impossible. Of course, much depends on what all the side dishes are — and it seems that every family has a different assortment of “traditional” sides.

Generally speaking, it’s safe to assume that you’ll have roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. The turkey and cranberry sauce are fairly consistent across the nation, but the stuffing is where things start to get wild. Many families go with a very simple recipe — made from stale bread, onions, and herbs — while others serve stuffing anointed with sausage, cranberries, oysters, apples, bacon, chestnuts, raisins … the possibilities are seemingly endless.

That said, trying to come up with a list of perfect wines that will match with everything will not be done here. However, I can assure you that every wine suggested here will definitely go with the absolute basics — roast turkey, simple stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and some might even meld with the cranberry sauce. That’s because every one of these wines was tested — and tasted — with turkey roasted with a mild hint of rosemary and thyme (and other herbs commonly used with poultry), Stove Top turkey stuffing (unadulterated, right out of the box), cranberry sauce (Ocean Spray, from the can), baked potato, baked sweet potato (not candied), and creamed pearl onions (just butter and cream, nothing else). This “standard” meal offered a simple laboratory for the wines, and if a wine worked with this “Thanksgiving lab”, it should work well enough for your variation on Turkey Day. Enough gibble-gobble, let’s get on with the wines …

1. Mas Carlot Marsanne Roussanne
Yes, I’m sure there are people out there a little upset that the first-recommended wine is French. Well, get used to it — there happen to be a number of French wines on this list. Don’t worry, there are also several American choices, for those who want to keep the patriotic spirit of Thanksgiving (though, it’s doubtful the pilgrims or the American indians had any American wines on the table back in 1621 … in fact, chances are that any wine at that first meal would have been French).

This is a relatively unusual blend, especially if you’re used to varietal wines such as Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. However, these two Rhone Valley grapes work well in unison to match with nearly everything on the table, offering a citrusy, spicy flavor, good acidity, and ample body to stand up to the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, onions, and even the cranberry sauce.

2. Ponzi Pinot Gris
This is the first recommendation of several American wines, and like the Mas Carlot, it matches perfectly with just about everything on the table, and has the flexibility to go with many variations of stuffing. Crisp and clean, with good ripe fruit — apple, white peach, and a touch of limey citrus. This particular Pinot Gris is from Oregon, specifically the Willamette Valley (pronounced to rhyme with dammit, as in “Willamette, dammit!”), and if you can’t find this particular brand, I highly recommend Pinot Gris from either Oregon or the Alsace region in France as outstanding choices for Thanksgiving.

3. Atwater Estate Riesling
Another American wine, this one from New York State. A touch of perceived sweetness adds a surprising zing, waking up both the turkey and stuffing. That same sweetness stands up perfectly to the cranberry sauce — no small feat. This is not only a fine match for Turkey Day, but is also a particularly good choice for the very casual wine drinkers — i.e., the ones who are graduating from white zin and Yellowtail. Supplier: Atwater Estate

4. Hedges Cellars CMS White
Yet another American wine, this is another unusual blend, made from 54% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Chardonnay, and 2% Marsanne. Interestingly, a wine made only from any one of these varietals would likely be a good candidate for turkey, so mixing them all together also seems to work nicely. The nose is slightly closed at first, but eventually opens up to emit ripe pear, white peach, and a hint of spice. The palate is very similar — lots of ripe peach, some pear — and has a decent level of acidity. It matches best with the white and dark meat turkey, is hit and miss with the rest.

5. Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp, clean fruit with good mouthfeel, this is a Sauvignon Blanc that is mostly devoid of the “gooseberry” / “cat pee” aromas that turn so many people off, while still holding to typical Sauvignon Blanc character. Its citrusy flavor matches quite nicely with the white meat, and has enough acidity to hold its own against most of the accompanying foods.

6. Cru Beaujolais – your pick
OK, in this case we have two recommendations — La Roilette Fleurie and Georges Duboeuf Chenas — as their similar flavor profiles were equally complementary to nearly everything on the table. In fact you’ll probably be safe in going with any of a number of Cru Beaujolais bottles. Although every Cru has a distinct character, all are share certain elements in common that make them perfect for the Thanksgiving feast: bright cherry flavors, mild tannins, ample acidity, and the ability to meld well with foods — rarely will a Beaujolais overpower a dish.

7. Ballentine Chenin Blanc
Despite its youth (2004 vintage), it has a slightly oxidized, cooked pear thing going on, which is remarkably reminiscent of a Vernaccia di San Gimignano. It works very well with the white meat, creamed onions, and sweet potato, and hold up well enough against the cranberry sauce. If you can’t find this at a local retailer, it is available for online order from MyWinesDirect.

8. Domaine des Echards Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune
Fresh, bright cherry and cranberry aromas and flavors and smooth texture match well with the turkey and stuffing, and, not surprisingly, goes well with the cranberry sauce. Like Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir is often an ideal match for turkey, and though this particular bottle is under twenty bucks, I suggest that — if you can afford to do so — you spend on the upper end ($40 ++) for a Premier Cru or higher level red Burgundy. It will be well worth the ducats, should match perfectly with the bird, and might even be life-changing. And after all, it’s a holiday, and you’re with the people you love most … what other excuse is there to spend big bucks on a wine?

9. Merryvale Sauvignon Blanc “Starmont”
This one’s a crowd pleaser, with bright ripe white citrus, melon, and spice flavors on the palate, all held together with ample acidity, with none of the typical grassy / gooseberry character. Notes of apple and spice make it taste more like a Chardonnay than a Sauvignon Blanc, and help it to match with more complex stuffing recipes.

10. Dezzani Dolcetto d’Alba
Light- to medium-bodied, very fresh and bright. The aromas and flavors are dominated by black cherry, but also include a hint of mint and rosemary, melding marvelously with the herb-roasted turkey and stuffing. Who knew an Italian wine from Piedmont would be so good with the bird?

So there you have it — ten wines to try with Thanksgiving dinner. You can download and print a handy shopping list here, which includes a simple listing of all of the above wines, as well as a few other suggestions that didn’t quite make the cut.