Are you tired of the same old Valentine's Day box of chocolates and dozen long-stemmed red roses and dinners out that make you feel like a gold-fish in a gold-fish bowl. This year do something different, something unique that tells the person you love that you care, and that you took the time to think of something different this year.



A bottle of Vouvray is much more clever than roses and is a better present than chocolates Even better still do not just get one bottle, give a half case. This gift says I love you and intend to be here for you as we grow older together. Chocolates last at most an hour, flowers if you lucky last a week, and clothes and jewellery are something not really shared by the two of you together.

This Valentines Day, give a bottle of sweet Vouvray a Loire Valley white wine with a reputation for extraordinary longevity, finesse and a delightful versatility. Any way you taste it, Vouvray is a great white loaded with layers and flavours. Vouvray wines range from dry and tart to medium sweet, and even a sparkling version. The sweet versions are generally superior to the dry ones.

Vouvrays are produced in a little town in the picturesque castle country of France's Loire Valley called Vouvray and its here that the world's best Chenin Blanc wines are made. The Chenin Blanc grapes are also known locally as Pineau de la Loire.

Vouvray makes a terrific food wine to complement chicken, veal, pork and fish. A blast of acidity delivered with each sip makes sparkling Vouvray an excellent bubbly to accompany rich foods such as sauteed seafood and food with cream sauces.

Vouvray has developed a deserved reputation for being extraordinary wines of longevity, finesse and surprising but delightful versatility. It's often made dry with a bit of sweetness, or can even be medium sweet, but that's tempered by its tingly acidity that dances across your palate, kind of like lemon and honey together.

Vouvray are among the most age able white wines, getting lush and mellower over time. The best of these wines can be put away to cellar for ten, twenty even 30 or more years. Open one this Valentine's Day and lay the rest down opening one together every five years on Valentine's Day. It is much more likely you will enjoy another bottle of Vouvray in 5 years together when the novelty boxer shorts from previous Valentine's Days no longer make it out of the chest-of drawers or sadly do not fit anymore.

If your budget can not stretch to a half a case do not fret. Buy one very special bottle of Vouvray instead. Go out and buy a bottle of sweet Vouvray made in the year of our better half's birth available because sweet Vouvrays age indefinitely.

The best vintages have heralded from 2005, 2002, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1976, 1971, 1969, 1959, 1949, 1947, 1945 and 1921. The 2005 vintage is one of the greatest vintages. There were no spring frosts to damage the flowers, and a long dry autumn with sunny days and cool nights followed.

This is not the easy option as it will take some legwork and research because unfortunately, aged Vouvrays are not well understood by many people still in the mindset that you do not age white wines being totally ignorant of the aging characteristic of Vouvray and many other Loire Valley white wines. Still, with a little luck in fine wine shops or on-line, you will be able to find some older Vouvrays of the right year.

A great aged Vouvray - 20 years old or more - is an experience every wine drinker should have at least once in their lifetime. This Valentine's Day do something a bit different and share a bottle of aged Vouvray and plan to repeat the occasion every 5 years with that special person in your life.