Bottle Rocket: Wines from Provence for Valentine’s Day

February is for lovers, which means most men with at least half a brain will be shopping for flowers. And chocolate. And something bubbly to sip. But you’re not most men. You’re better. Your chocolates will be handmade by a local artisan. And the flowers? Roses. Three dozen, all perfect. But you draw the line at Champagne. Too predictable. Too snooty. Too 2010. Instead, you’re going with something totally unexpected, something fresh and pink and perfect to sip while you’re cuddling with your woman by the fire. Of course, it has to be something French, because French men know about love. They know about women. And they know about shoes and lavender and bath soaps, which no man really understands.

That’s why, this year, you’re following their lead and picking up a bottle of rose’ from Provence, the most romantic region in France.Their light red color is the color of love. Look for a rose from Clos Cibonne or Domanine de la Sauveuse, two producers whose lovely, reasonably priced wines sparkle with hints of red berries and citrus—they’ll go perfectly with that bouillabase you have planned for dinner. Wines from Provence are bright and spicy and racy and just a little exotic, like the Old Spice man, only better.

Because when she’s swirling her glass, she’ll be thinking of you. And after a couple of glasses, she’s really going to like what she sees.

A version of this post appears in the February issue of 360 West Magazine.

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