Wines for Love
Lack of human connection in 2020, (hudsult, skin or hug hunger as the Danes call it) has made many people more acutely aware of something they once took for granted. Perhaps we’ve been losing touch with each other for a while; sure, in some ways we’re more connected than ever, but in ways that matter, are we really? Zoom and Whatsapp fill a need, but imagining a world with nothing but screens is bleak. In 2021 I think we all we feel the power of connection, or its lack, more strongly than ever. If both suffering and moments of deep joy are equally the human condition, connection is what tempers life, for love and loss are intimately tied. We mourn because we loved. We don’t need pandemics to know we will lose many of those we love, but the dramatic tends to drill it home lest we forget. Even those not losing a loved one to the pandemic still lost a way of being, if only temporarily.
Perhaps the powers that be designed this cold, condensed month to remind us of what matters. It may not always seem like it, but there’s a lot of love in the world. Where we find suffering, we also find those who seek to alleviate it. On Valentine’s Day, or on any day, I hope you can hug the ones you love—sweetheart, dog, cat, chicken, goat, tree—and let them feel your heart. And we can always give our community a figurative hug.
Wine has long been the lover’s potion, eliciting amorous feelings from those who imbibe, as well as bringing people together. Below are a couple wines to fall in love with as we thread our way through the eternal present:
Amorino, Pecorino Superiore, 2018 (organic) - Made from 100% Pecorino in Italy’s Abruzzo where Pecorino flourishes, this is the off-the-beaten-path wine to pull out before dinner. Here the sweet-savory fruit is balanced by acidity and minerality for a complexity unusual in a wine this young. Look for aromas of anise, jasmine, and exotic fruits. On the palate there is noticeable terroir with a saline component, along with candied citrus, peach, pear, and dried herbs. Not surprisingly, Pecorino pairs well with sheep’s milk cheeses (pecora means “sheep”) like Pecorino Romano or Pecorino Sardo. The salty, tangy taste of the cheese finds its perfect partner in the bracing acidity and fleshy fruitiness of the wine. Add dried figs, dates, and nuts for a romantic, wintry cheeseboard.
Domaine Cheveaux, Saint-Amour, 2018 (sustainable) - Prepare to be bewitched with the soft fruit and floral notes of Gamay from this cru Beaujolais. Inhale aromas of raspberry, peony, iris, peach, kirsch, and spice. In Saint-Amour, the northern most appellation of the ten Beaujolais crus, there’s a saying among locals, On peut mourir d’amour, mais il faut ressuciter au Saint-Amour. Translation: “One may die of love, but return to life with Saint-Amour.” And perhaps that’s just what we all need, a return to love and life. Pair with roast chicken, tuna, smoked sausages, grilled mushrooms, eggplant, and hard or soft cheeses.
Kay Pfaltz