5 Valentine’s Day Wines Under $15

February 8, 2012 | by Rian Ashlei

Whether you’re buying wines to woo your sweetheart for a sexy night at home or drinking yourself out of a lovesick Valentine’s Day, these delicious wine choices for $15 or less won’t break the budget; I can’t speak for the bed.

Joseph Drouhin’s LaForet Bourgogne is a “Best Buy” for me in Burgundy land at only $14.99 a bottle.  It’s the perfect Pinot Noir for “non red wine drinkers” because it washes lightly and comfortably over the palette without a lot of fussy tannins.  This wine is extremely easy to pair with fowl, such as duck or chicken.  It also goes great with soft cheeses.

If you are of the belief that denying the palette of a truly tannic and weighty red wine is blaspheme in its worst manifestations, go for the mighty Malbec grape.  At $12.99, Tapiz’ 2010 Malbec is a dream for the red wine lover with dark and earthy fruit aromas filling up the nose and the body.  It’ll be perfect for a mean grilled steak or a naughty lover.

If whites are your preference, you won’t have to abandon the complexity of a red wine with this $11.99 Spanish blend.  RUA 2010 consists of three grapes indigenous to Spain and delivers a dynamic nose.  It’s slightly off dry so it will add creaminess to the palette making it perfect alone as an aperitif or with shellfish and salad dishes.

At a slightly more expensive $14.99, Valley Floor Chardonnay 2009 is an excellent example of California’s ability to compete with the tropically delicious Chardonnay grapes of Burgundy.  Silky and crisp, it is a fine under $15 example of why Chardonnay is believed to yield the world’s best white wines.   Pair this with salmon or shrimp scampi or anything as equally delicious and has a pulse.

But since this is all about sexiness, I could not leave out Domaine Du Vieux Chene Syrah 2010.  At the super sexy price of $9.99, this French Rhone wine is priced far below it’s worth, just so you can enjoy.  So show some appreciation, learn to say the name in your best, sophisticated French voice and of course not above a whisper, and this sexy, luscious red will score you big points with your Valentine.  This wine goes well with spice, spicy meats, spicy pizzas or spicy lovers.

You can find these 5 featured wines and more at Ansley Wine.