Wining and Dining

The Culinary Art of Romance

Cochran: When it comes to romance and wine, there are two things that spring to mind: Champagne and silky and seductive reds. Champagne signals "special" like no other wine, and popping the cork is pretty dramatic, too. Champagne's texture, epitomized in its lively, elegant bubbles, is itself exciting and awakens the senses.

Silky reds — fruity, easy-drinking reds with soft tannins (plant compounds responsible for the chalky sensation you may feel on your teeth and gums after drinking a particularly full-bodied wine) — are also home runs for romance. Pinot noir boasts all of the "silky red" characteristics you want in a romance wine. It's never been easier to find a good bottle of pinot. Terrific alternatives include aged Bordeaux and mature Brunello di Montalcino from Italy's sunny Tuscany. And while these Italian charmers start off with fairly hefty tannins, they're softened over years in a cellar (yours or your favorite wine merchant's) into elegant things bursting with layered flavors sure to draw sighs of delight from your sweetie.

Kleiman: Don't you think the most romantic meals are those that are spontaneous and fun? Sometimes it's best to just head to your favorite mid-priced restaurant, then order one favorite menu item and one you've always wondered about but never ordered. For the wine? Order from the top end that you normally would never let yourself taste. So maybe your meal is pizza or roast chicken and a fine Barolo or Super Tuscan.

If you choose to eat at home, choose recipes which you've made before and which you love, but don't make often. If you've been denying yourself pasta, make your favorite pasta dish. Splurge for a bottle of wine that you've always wanted to taste but were afraid you didn't have the palate to appreciate.

Cochran: The only way to top a regular bottle of Champagne when it comes to romance is to spring for a prestige cuvée, something very rare and very expensive like Louis Roederer's Cristal and Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon. Or sample a delicious rose Champagne.

For a wild card romantic notion, choose a red, fizzing, sweet Brachetto d'Acqui from Italy's northwestern Piedmont. It drinks like a grown-up Shirley Temple and is the perfect wine for quaffing with berry-laced chocolate desserts.

Kleiman: Indulge yourself. If you've been eating low-fat, have a lovely cheese or rich dessert. The key is to make sure you deliver on your expectations. Relax, laugh and enjoy.

Indulge in Seasonal Bounty

Kleiman: Few foods are as fun to eat as a whole artichoke with a dip.

Cochran: When it comes to an artichoke, let the dipping sauce that accompanies the delicacy lead your wine selection; be sure to choose a wine that's high in acidity in order to stand up to this rather ascetic vegetable.

I'm a fan of a simple lemon butter for dipping artichoke leaves, which seems tailor-made for one of my all-time favorite wines, Chablis. Chardonnay from the Chablis region in northeastern France conveniently boasts both citrus and butter notes and backs it all up with an impressive backbone of acidity, thanks to the cool growing climate. Other good bets for artichokes include sauvignon blanc and Chinon, a light-bodied red made from herbal-tasting cabernet franc in France's Loire Valley.

Kleiman: A rack of lamb is perfect for spring and is simple to cook. One easy recipe is to salt and pepper the meat, then sear it in a pan. Let it cool enough to handle, then slather with good Dijon mustard.Mix your favorite unseasoned bread crumbs with a generous amount of pesto sauce, then pile the pesto bread crumbs onto the rack of lamb. Roast at 400 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 130-140 degrees for medium rare and 140-150 for medium. Don't forget to let the rack rest about eight minutes before you cut it into chops. Resting allows the juices to flow back into the meat and not out onto your cutting board. Drizzle the cut chops with a bit of pesto sauce.

Cochran: Herbed-Dijon lamb is a shoe-in for cabernet sauvignon-based blends from Bordeaux, where a good amount of herbal-tasting cabernet franc is included in the blend. For a fun alternative, try a varietal cabernet franc from California. There are some terrific ones made in the Santa Cruz Mountains; I recommend Burrell School Vineyards' award-winning version.

Besides these, Italian reds are known for their subtle herbal notes as well as their high acidity, which will work well with Dijon mustard, also quite ascetic. Try a Chianti Classico, a Super Tuscan or a Nero d'Avola from newly hip Sicily in the south.

Published Apr 1, 2008 8:00 AM