Celebrate Valentine’s Day with something sweet, but not too sweet. Moscato D’Andrea is a sweet white wine with the taste of pears. Unlike Moscato D’Asti or Moscato Allegro, this wine is not bubbly or sparkly.

Moscato D’Asti is closer to champagne, sweet with a fair amount of sparkle. The best I’ve tried is Michele Chiarlo’s Nivole Moscato D’Asti, which is rather inexpensive compared to most bottles of Moscato D’Asti, which can go for $25-30. Moscato Allegro, which is a specialty of Martin & Weyrich, is bright, sweet, but not quite as bubbly. Of the three, this one is my favorite.

At the end of the spectrum is Moscato D’Andrea, which is a great choice if you find the others too sweet or too fizzy. D’Andrea is a little drier, but still has the fruity taste you would expect from a Moscato. 

All of these are available at the World Market for less than $15 a bottle. Any would be perfect for a romantic dinner, such as Valentine’s Day or an anniversary. Though slightly different, they are all dessert wines and should be served chilled in narrow glass. Enjoy a bottle with someone special, or save it all for yourself.

 Want to make a batch of tasty Sangria? Start with a bottle of Wild Bunch California Red Wine and add the following:

3/4 cup simple syrup, or to taste
(see below) 
1 orange, cut into wedges  
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
10 to 15 strawberries, halved or quartered if large

Place fruit in a large pitcher, pour wine and simple syrup over the fruit. Stir well, slightly crushing fruit. Fill glasses with ice. Pour wine over ice and spoon fruit on top.

Simple Syrup:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups water

To make Simple Syrup:
In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring. Boil until sugar dissolves. Let syrup cool and chill, covered. Simple Syrup will keep for 2 weeks. Chill, covered, until ready to use. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups syrup.

The Winter Winery is back for 2008! The first feature of the year is this tasty yet inexpensive red wine from Wild Bunch Wines. The combination of fruity notes from strawberry and raspberry and spicy notes of cinnamon, cloves, and anise give this wine a rich flavor and finish. Like many of my other features, this wine is screwtop, which is becoming more and more popular with vineyards.

Wild Bunch’s Red Wine is a combination of Zinfandel (69%), Syrah (25%), and Barbera (6%). The blend is quite sophisticated, but if it does not tickle your fancy this wine makes a great sangria!

To make an easy sangria, you can add a splash of orange juice and sliced lemons or strawberries. Another suggestion would be to make a simple syrup: equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan, heated until the sugar is completely dissolved and water thickens slightly, and cooled completely. Mix a small amount of simple syrup with the wine and fresh fruit of your choice. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Just as a note: Sangria is practically the only time it is acceptable to add ice to wine. I have had Sangria served to me in a variety of glassware: red wine glasses, white wine glasses, martini style glasses, big fishbowl glasses, highball, and more. I’m also guilty of using plastic drinking cups on vacation. Use whatever you prefer or have on hand, since we are already breaking the wine rules, what’s one more? Here, I’ve stolen James pilsner glass:

St. Julian Winery is by far my favorite vineyard. Located in Paw Paw Michigan, this is the closest I get to a locale winery. Most supermarkets carry their wines, but the varieties vary from store to store. Concord is available at most stores, and reasonably priced at about $7 a bottle.

Like the name suggestions, Concord has an intense grape flavor. Made from grapes grown in Southwestern Michigan, this wine is fruity, dense, and slightly sweet as would be expected. St. Julian classifies this as a red wine, though it could easily mimic a dessert wine.

What I enjoy most about this wine is the nostalgic taste of grape juice, with added sweetness. Think of this wine as sophisticated grape juice, with just a touch of sparkle. Its dark color suggests a red wine, but the fruity taste reminds me of sangria. My favorite sangria is actually based off of a grape-flavored wine, so this wine is a perfect fit.

St. Julian has many, many varieties of wine that are tasty and affordable. Check out their website for information on products and tours: St. Julian Winery.

I’m not sure what the appropriate wine glass is for a wine of this type, so I used my usual glass. This wine should be served chilled, and I would recommend a dessert wine glass or similar varieties. This would be a great wine to add fruit to, in the vein of sangria. Try a complimentary flavor such as apples, or a contrasting flavor such as lime.

The screw tops on these bottles can be difficult to loosen, sometimes I need to use a jar opener or even a knife. The screw tops do not suggest a low-quality wine, in fact, screw tops are becoming increasingly popular among mid-range wines.

 Moscato Allegro, similar to Moscato D’Asti, is a light dessert wine with a fruity finish. While very crisp and fresh, this wine does not have the bubbles of Moscato D’Asti. The fruity flavors are probably best with warm summer days, but is there really a bad time for dessert wine?

The bottle is fun and playful, though it may not store well in a typical wine rack. According to makers Martin & Weyrich, “the traditional, long and sleek ‘Renna Punto’ bottle is used only for the finest Moscato.” At under $12, this wine is a bargin. Most quality dessert wines will run over $20, but muscat wines tend to be more affordable.

This wine should be served cold, in a dessert glass or other narrow white wine glass. Although technically a dessert wine, it’s makers boast this is their “most versatile wine, Moscato Allegro is lovely on a hot day or a cold night. It is excellent as an aperitif, with a meal, with dessert, or all by itself.”