The Perfect Wine for Every Type of Valentine’s Day Celebration

If you blinked, you probably missed ringing in 2017, and we’re already almost to every lovebird’s favorite holiday. Yep, we’re talking Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re in love with love or just love being single, you can’t miss the red hearts lining the grocery store aisles and the chocolate dessert recipes flooding your social media feeds. So chances are, solo or cuffed, you’re going to celebrate — and there’s really nothing that makes an occasion like wine. We caught up with Katie Owen, Wine Director at Winc, to get the lowdown on the perfect wine to match each V-Day commemoration. Read on, sip on, love on.

If You’re Celebrating by… Flying Solo This Year

2016 Loves Me Not Malvasia Bianca ($17): No date? No problem. We’ve all been there (and happily!). If you’re reserving your night for a Netflix romcom and some loving self-care, the perfect accompaniment might just be this Malvasia Bianca. Katie describes it as having a “totally quaffable, goes-down-easy style that we all love, and the floral aromatics will make it feel like you’ve got a dozen roses standing by.”

… Pretending the Holiday Doesn’t Exist

2015 To Be Honest Red Blend ($17): Sometimes love sucks, and it feels easiest to just shut your eyes until all the heart emoji go away again until next February. But Kate has a better idea: “Turn up YouTube, watch some Matt Bellassai, and have a good laugh while drinking Matt’s newest wine project, the 2015 To Be Honest Red Blend. There’s only one condition — in pure Bellassai fashion, you have to finish the whole bottle.” Twist our arms, Kate. Twist our arms.

… Throwing the BEST Galentines Day Party With Your Besties

2015 Big Beat Red Blend ($17): No doubt, one of the best ways to spend Valentine’s Day is with your gals. (I mean, it’s really one of the best ways to spend any day.) Kate suggests you get the music cranking early in the pregame hour with 2015’s Big Beat Red Blend. An easy-drinking red that comes with its own Spotify playlist, it’s basically a party in a bottle.

… Enjoying the V. Early Days of Dating

2015 Porter & Plot Dolcetto ($27): “The light red trend is so hot right now and great for a blossoming new relationship,” Kate shares. “Try a Pinot Noir, a lighter style of Grenache, or even the lighter Italian grape Dolcetto,” she suggests, highlighting this particular rec, a 2015 Dolcetto from Santa Barbara County.

… Being Together ‘Til Death Do You Part

2013 Dime Red Blend ($25): If you’ve tied the knot (or are making plans to), it’s safe to say your relationship has some solid history and a promising future. As you celebrate your commitment to each other, Kate recommends topping off your dinner out or home-cooked meal with a more refined red, such as a Bordeaux blend or Cabernet Sauvignon. “Something like the 2013 Dime Red Blend, with a little more age, will be the perfect accompaniment to a romantic meal.”

And for Any Reason or No Reason at All

2016 Finke’s Widow Sparkling Chardonnay ($17): Champagne and other sparkling wines are ALWAYS a good idea — in any environment or at any stage of a relationship. “Whether it’s a fun and celebratory bottle of 2016 Finke’s Widow Sparkling Chardonnay, or you’re looking to impress with a more top-end Champagne like the NV Petit Le Brun Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, bubbly is never the wrong choice,” says Kate.

Tweet us your own V-Day bottle picks @BritandCo!

(Photos via Winc)