The Best Romantic Wines in 2024

• BUBBLES •

1. Champagne Taittinger Nocturne Sec

Origin: Reims, France
Varietals: 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier
Price: $89.00
ABV: 12.5%

The Champagne Taittinger Nocturne spends four years on the lees before being disgorged. It is a blend of over thirty-five different crus from different harvests. The sugar dosage of 18 g per liter and combined with the slow cellar aging it produces a round, mellow, smooth champagne to enjoy with dessert or end the evening in a bubbly manner — therefore its evocative name Nocturne.

This distinctively sweet sec champagne has a pale yellow color. On the nose, the aromas are of white flowers, yellow peach and dried apricots. The palate is smooth and creamy yet very crisp and gives way to flavors of raisins and fruit in syrup. This mature, rich and round wine culminates in a long, smooth finish.

> For more information, visit Champagne Taittinger official website.

2. Bottega Rosé Gold, Prosecco

Origin: Lombardy, Italy
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: $40.00
ABV: 11.5%

Artistry, energy and ingenuity abound in this enticing sparkling rosé from Sandro Bottega. The metallic bottle protects the wine from light, preserving the wine’s clean and refreshing aromas. Bottega was founded nearly 40 years ago by master distiller Aldo Bottega, Sandro’s father. The company is located in Castello Roganzuolo, about 30 miles from Venice, Italy.

The grapes are handpicked and pressed immediately, with 12 hours of skin contact to create a beautiful pink color. The Charmat method is used, with fermentation in stainless steel tanks and a secondary fermentation in sealed tanks for 40 days.

The wine displays a soft salmon pink with fine effervescence. Flower blossoms, strawberries and raspberries appear on the nose and the palate shows ripe red berries, floral notes and a well-balanced, fine finish.

> For more information, visit the Bottega official website.

3. 2018 Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée

Origin: Green Valley, California, USA
Varietals: 72% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay
Price: $51.99 for 750 ml.
ABV: 13.5%

This is one of California’s best-known sparkling wines because it is so often the choice for celebrating life’s most romantic moments. A pale, blushing pink bubbly with a fine and steady stream of pinpoint-sized bubbles, it easily puts the punctuation on weddings, engagement parties and anniversary celebrations. And it is, of course, an annual favorite Valentine’s Day wine. A sparkling wine that consistently delivers year after year, it offers a gentle medley of red fruit and stone fruit flavors with just enough lime citrus to give it freshness.

> For more information, visit Iron Horse official website.

4. Champagne Collet Brut Rosé

Origin: Aÿ, France
Varietals: 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
Price: $61.99
ABV: 12.5%

For some occasions, nothing but pink Champagne will do. True, vibrant pink in hue, Champagne Collet’s Brut Rosé is the quintessential Valentine’s Day wine. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, an anniversary or just a Tuesday night together, if you enjoy the “pop” of a cork on a bottle of pink bubbles, this wine is going to take you to your happy place.

A sparkling wine with positively frothy effervescence, it offers aromas of rose petals and vanilla. It bursts in the mouth with red fruit flavors and a sweet breakfast pastry note that lingers on the finish. (If Brut is more your style and you’re thirsty for Champagne, you may also want to check out our review of Champagne Collet’s Vintage Brut in GAYOT’s list of the Best Champagnes for Under $100.)

> For more information, visit Champagne Collet official website.

• RED & ROSÉS •

5. Sullivan Rutherford Estate, 2019 Coeur de Vigne, Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin: Rutherford, Napa Valley, California
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Price: $115.99
ABV: 14.8%

Translating to “Heart of the Vine,” the 2019 Coeur de Vigne is the ideal wine to celebrate love. This wine represents a reimagined classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that offers a deep garnet color and aromas that express the characteristics that make Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon so iconic: rich aromas of blackberry and blueberry that meld with hints of graphite, lavender and thyme.

The palate is dense to the core, coating and juicy with lots of cocoa dusted coffee beans flirt with baking spices. The long finish highlights undertones of toasted new oak, suggesting the wine will develop beautifully over time.

> For more information, visit the Sullivan Rutherford Estate official website.

6. To Kalon Vineyard Co., Eliza’s Cuvée 2019 | Napa Valley, CA

Origin: Oakville, Napa Valley
Varietals: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Cabernet Franc
Price: $200.00
ABV: 15%

H.W. Crabb came to California looking for gold but stayed to become one of the pioneers of Napa Valley winemaking. He named his estate To Kalon Vineyard, Greek for “Highest Beauty,” because of the lush bounty it provided. Soon, his wines became renowned around the world. Over the last 150 years, the vineyard has shown consistent fine quality.

Today, To Kalon Vineyard Company is dedicated to crafting unique expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from this storied place. “Eliza’s” Cuvée is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, two varietals that best showcase the strength and spirit of this historic site at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. The wine is named after Eliza Yount, one of Napa’s best-known early pioneers, widow to the founder of nearby Yountville, and one-time owner of a quiet corner of To Kalon, on Walnut Lane, that is now home to their coveted planting of Cabernet Franc.

This dark red wine has an intense bouquet of crushed blueberries, floral and herbal notes, and cedar box. The palate offers a medium to full-bodied richness with layers of dark berries, cassis and plum. Silky tannins round out the long, flavorful finish.

> For more information, visit To Kalon Vineyard Co. official website.

7. Gamble Family Vineyards, Paramount 2018

Origin: Napa Valley, California, USA
Varietal: 33% Cabernet Franc, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Price:  $95.00
ABV:  14.1%

Founded in 2005 by third-generation Napa farmer, Tom Gamble, Gamble Family Vineyards farms approximately 175 acres of prime estate vineyards from Napa Valley’s most respected AVAs – Oakville, Yountville, Mount Veeder and Rutherford. Tom Gamble’s mission is to carry on the heritage of quality farming that his ancestors sowed when they came to Napa as farmers and ranchers in 1916.

This ruby red Bordeaux blend offers aromas of ripe red berries, roses, baking spice and coffee. The palate reveals red and black fruit flavors, sweet oak, cacao and a touch of vanilla. It is well-balanced, smooth and has a long-lasting finish.

> For more information, visit Gamble Family Vineyards official website.

8. Green and Red, Zinfandel 2018, Tip Top Vineyard

Origin: Napa Valley, California, USA
Varietal: 100% Zinfandel
Price: $46.00
ABV: 15.4%

Green & Red Vineyards, named for its red iron soils veined with green serpentine, is located in the steep hills on the east side of Napa Valley. The planting was started in 1972 on ground originally in vineyards in the 1890’s. The vineyards are a small percentage of the 200-acre property, which ranges in elevation from 900 to 2,000 feet.

The Tip Top zinfandel comes from their uppermost mountain vineyard grown at 2000 feet above the Pacific. The vineyard is terraced and faces northeast. The soils are rust red and rocky loam.

The wine shows a deep crimson color and delivers aromas of dark cherry and raspberry. The palate reveals red ripe fruit, spices and licorice, elegant tannins and a lingering, layered finish.

> For more information, visit Green and Red Vineyards official website.

9. 2019 Robert Mondavi Reserve Pinot Noir

Origin: Carneros, California, USA
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: $25.99
ABV: 14.9%

This Pinot Noir makes our list for its compelling combination of masculine and feminine notes. Its aromas are fruity and floral with notes of cherries, red currants and violets. Its flavors are voluptuous and sexy. Up front, you’re treated to bright and intense red fruits, but as the wine reaches the back of the palate, more masculine notes of mocha and spice take over. The effect is an exciting, full palate experience, and it is one that should please both lovers of fruitier reds and those who like a red with muscle.

> For more information, visit Robert Mondavi official website.

10. 2022 Domaine de Cala Classic Rosé

Origin: Provence, France
Varietals: 41% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 6% Rolle, 1% Grenache Blanc, 1% Carignan, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $19.99
ABV: 12.5%

France is filled with wineries whose history spans centuries. Domaine de Cala is not one of them. In fact, it is one of the youngest in the history of Provence. Yet, it is a winery that has already earned distinction. It is a recent venture for veteran restaurateur and celebrity chef Joachim Splichal — and the wines are of a quality you would expect from such an esteemed member of the food community. The Rosé offers a pale, almost golden hue. Its flavors are equally reserved. A dry, delicate and floral wine, its mineral finish makes you long for another sip.

> For more information, visit Domaine de Cala official website.

• WHITES •

11. 2022 Grosset Springvale Riesling

Origin: Clare Valley, Australia
Varietals: 100% Riesling
Price: $50
ABV: 13%

If ever there was a wine to make a case for Australian Riesling as a romantic occasion wine, this is it. The Springvale Riesling has long had a reputation as a good wine, but in 2019, all the elements came together to make this a special occasion wine at an affordable price. It begins with an aroma as intriguing as a freshly cut bouquet of roses. Although its flavors are bright and dominated by citrus, it somehow manages to maintain a soft, almost silky texture.

> For more information, visit Grosset official website.

12. 2019 Inniskillin Gold Vidal Icewine

Origin: Niagara Peninsula, Canada
Varietals: Vidal
Price: $70 for 375 ml.
ABV: 9.5%

Whether you’re looking to end a romantic evening on a sweet note or you and your love simply want to center an evening around a sweet wine, this well-balanced Icewine will help you seal the deal. It is made from grapes harvested frozen on the vine. They’re picked in the cold, crisp heart of the Canadian winter, but the result is a weighty, honeyed nectar that will warm your heart.

The wine offers a nice balance of lemon and tangerine acidity and sweet apricot, white peach and dried mango flavors. Although it is considered a dessert wine, it also makes a very nice choice with cheeses and other picnic foods, or try it with a light supper, perhaps seafood, and enjoy each other for dessert.

> For more information, visit Inniskillin official website.