Top 10 Wines for Valentine's Day

The wine industry is extremely fond of romantic cliché. You can find a bottle of wine in any price range with messages of love and romance on the label. But with a little know-how, you can combine a winery’s goal of sending subliminal sensuality with scientifically documented information on aphrodisiacs.

That's right, there are certain qualities pinpointed in wines that translate to aphrodisiac power. The most obvious is the power of alcohol to lower inhibition (particularly successful with bubbly). But, as the great bard Shakespeare warned, too much of this good thing will inhibit performance. So, I recommend simply sharing a glass or two of the right wine with the one you love. The wines on our Valentine list include bottlings with several sexy attributes. According to the late Dr. Max Lake, whites with bread dough, brie cheese and sweaty, earth aromas offer pheromonal qualities. (Pheromones are those natural signals of attraction sent to the brain.) Reds with scents of truffles, leather, cedar, espresso and the muskier side of berries are considered equally pheromonal. Other qualities of wines that spark sensuality include an oily or creamy mouth feel and a long, musky finish. But what best marks a wine your perfect Valentine's choice is quality for the price, great balance and flavors that both you and the one you love will both enjoy.

by Amy Reiley