What’s more romantic than Champagne? Pink Champagne or sparkling wine. I’ve been pitched all sorts of wines to recommend for Valentine Day celebrations, but most of the wines are still wines. None of those will do. For me, it’s bubbles or nothing. And they should be pink. The traditional choice is Champagne, and my go-to wine is the Billecart-Salmon NV Rosé, with its delicate bubbles and salmon pink hue. This is a brut sparkler, very dry, with a subdued floral and fruity aroma, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. At around $75 it is a splurge – but believe it or not, it’s available on Amazon.com I’m a big fan of California sparkling wine, and some of the best bubbly is produced by Domaine Carneros. This house is in the Carneros region of Napa, which is a fantastic region for growing sparkling wine grapes. For Valentine’s…
A DIY Perfume Kit
Perfume is one of the most popular gifts for Valentine’s Day. Did you get a bottle? Did you like it? I’ve tried that before – picking out what I thought was a nice men’s scent. That didn’t go over so well. Just because I like a scent in the bottle doesn’t mean it will smell good on you.
Now there’s a way to give the gift of fragrance that your recipient will like – because he or she creates it. Instead of shopping for a fragrance at the mall, you can blend a perfume with your valentine and have a sweet smelling reminder of the day.
Sue Phillips says people are looking for an experience as a gift, especially when it comes to fragrance. A perfume industry veteran, Sue launched a business called Scenterprises, creatiing fragrant adventures for events, parties and now for individuals at home. “I see that there’s more interest now than ever before in creating custom fragrance.” Read more