Four fizzy Valentine’s Day wines to fall in love with

I am assuming that you have decided to seduce your Valentine at home, with a perfectly cooked three-course meal. When it comes to the accompanying wine, you may face a dilemma. If you plan on enjoying glass or two of sparkling before dinner, a white wine with your starter, followed by a red with your main course, and possibly even a sweet wine with your dessert, you will have to open three, possibly four different bottles of wine. Perfect if a gang of you are celebrating Galantine’s Day, but too much wine for two. Obviously, it would be much easier and less expensive if you could limit yourself to just one wine with a romantic element.

The answer is simple: the two most flexible, food-friendly wines of all are rosé and sparkling wines. Combine them and you have a drink that covers aperitif, starter, white meats and dessert. So, here are four sparkling rosés to help you win over your Valentine.

Good Champagne is great for any celebration and a rosé adds a touch of romance. If you can’t find the Philipponnat rosé featured here, look out for Piper-Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot or Moët & Chandon Impérial rosé. Spain produces some great sparkling wines, including rosé. Corpinnat is a group of quality-minded producers who were unhappy with the regulations covering Cava. Their wines are made solely from organic grapes and subject to much stricter controls. The Santa Tresa featured here is an organic sparkling wine from Sicily. It is made from the local Frappato grape variety. The Kylie Frizzante Rosé needs no introduction.

Kylie Minogue Rosé Vino Frizzante Rosé

10.5%, €14.25

Light, floral and refreshing with clean summer fruits and a rounded finish.

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From Dunnes Stores; Molloys Liquor Stores; Joyce’s, Galway; winesoftheworld.ie

Santa Tresa Il Frappato Spumante Brut Rosé NV, Organic

12.5%, €24.45

From Sicily, a delightful sparkling wine with fresh strawberry and red cherry fruits, finishing long and dry.

From O’Briens

Llopart Corpinnat Brut Rosé 2022, Spain

11.5%, €40-€42

Very seductive, delicate fresh raspberry fruits, with a crisp dry finish.

From Pinto, D9; Mortons, Galway; Brindle, D8; The Corkscrew, D2; Avoca, Malahide

Philipponnet Royale Réserve Brut Champagne

12%, €85-€90

A very fine, a very delicate rosé with mouth-watering summer fruits – raspberry and strawberry, an appealing creaminess and a lip-smacking dry finish. Perfect with seafood, including smoked salmon, white meats and berry fruit desserts.

From Mortons, D6; Green Man Wines, D6W; Gibneys, Malahide; The Corkscrew, D2: Alain & Christine’s, Kenmare; Mitchell & Son, Glasthule and CHQ, D1