It’s nearly here, February 14th, the day of Saint Valentine. A time to spend with our special someone, to enjoy a romantic meal with delicious food and that all-important accompaniment – the perfect bottle of wine. Of course, with restaurants and bars closed, the popular Valentine’s day sophisticated meal out is not possible. Luckily, Patricia Marques is here to guide us.
Having moved from Portugal to Brussels in 1990, since 2007 Patricia and her company, The Sol Ar Wine, have been sourcing the very best wines from Portuguese wineries and bringing them to restaurants, wine shops and wine bars in Belgium. Patricia sees the unique flavours and quality products Portugal has to offer and is helping them to get achieve the exposure they deserve through her successful business. She sources wines from many different regions throughout the country, importing a variety of beverages to suit every taste and preference. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Patricia has put together five delightful Valentine’s suggestions for treating our loved ones (and ourselves) to the finest wining and dining from the comfort of our own home. Beautifully packaged and delivered to your door, these are Patricia’s recommendations.
1. Menu for two people
In Solar Wine’s ‘menu for two people’, as well as a mouth-watering three-course meal, you will receive a bottle of Sparkling Rosé Marquês de Borba 2016. Intensely fruity with the aroma of berries, cassis and jam, and pleasantly soft tannins, this sparkling wine is perfect for your Valentine’s toast.
The menu for two people also includes an additional bottle, white or red depending on your preference. Choose from the Herdade São Miguel Alicante Bouschet Rouge 2015, a remarkably fresh red wine with excellent structure and balance and a complex finish, or the Quinta de Santiago Alvarinho Blanc 2019, a white wine with a complex aroma of citrus, lychee and orange blossom notes.
2. Chili Amor
At the centre of the Chili Amor collection, which includes Laurent Gerbaud’s divine Sweet Chilli chocolate as well as romantic decorations and two elegant flute glasses, is a bottle of Jardim de Granite Touriga Nacional Rouge 2017. A red wine made from grapes from the Dão region, Touriga Nacional, this wine has a lot of colour and a complex aroma. With floral tones, red fruits of the forest, it is fresh with firm tannins, a delicious accompaniment to Valentine’s Day.
3. Just the two of us
Just the two of us includes, along with a taster of Laurent Gerbaud’s superb chocolates, two elegant flute glasses and Valentine’s decorations, a bottle of Quinta de Santiago – Alvarinho. Quinta de Santiago is located in the northwest of Portugal, in the demarcated region of Vinho Verde in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. As featured in the ‘menu for two people’, the Quinta de Santiago – Alvarinho is the perfect addition to this selection of Valentine’s delights.
4. Madame
In the ‘Madame’ selection, a bottle of Quinta da Lapa – Nana blanc accompanies the chocolate delights of Laurent Gerbaud, along with two elegant flute glasses and precious decorations to create the special Valentine’s ambience. The extraordinary location and unique “terroir’ of the wines of Quinta da Lapa shows through their outstanding freshness and ageing potential. The Nana blanc is fresh and fruity, with aromas of citrus and tropical fruits which leave a pleasant and persistent aftertaste.
5. Sweet Morning
The ‘Sweet Morning’ collection is a delicious assortment of Laurent Gerbaud biscuit and chocolate, with two elegant flutes and Valentine’s decorations. A bottle of Sparkling Quinta da Lapa Blanc Brut completes the selection, a dry but fruity wine. Made with traditional Portuguese grape varieties, it is an elegant drink with fine bubbles. Taste the complex aromas of honeysuckle and fresh biscuit, an intense, rich and well balanced flavour with a very pleasant aftertaste.
