Valentine wine

With Valentine’s Day approaching, some heartening news no matter if you are a guy gifting your gal, a woman gifting her man, or you are just a wine drinker who doesn’t give a hoot about Valentine’s.

An extensive study—68,000 participant, 16 years—in Poland showed people who had diets rich in fruit and vegetables, as well as wine, chocolate, and beer, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties, were 20 percent less likely to die prematurely than those who ate red meat, sugary sodas, and processed foods.

Smokers who followed the anti-inflammatory diet experienced even greater benefits. They were 33 percent less likely to die than smokers who did not follow the diet over the 16 years of the study.

The study noted: “Adherence to a diet with high anti-inflammatory potential may reduce all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality and prolong survival time, especially among current and former smokers.”

These studies always note that the wine intake is two glasses or so of wine a day for men and one glass or so for women. There were no cautions about chocolate, however, which bodes well for your sweet gift on February 14.

Valentine’s tasting notes:

• Domaine Bousquet Tupungato Uco Valley Rosé 2018: Simple, fresh, festive, fun, fruit-forward easy drinking entry-level rosé. $10-13 Link to my review

• Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve Rosé 2017: Deliver delicious fruitiness with balancing acidity, making them splendid aperitif wines, versatile food pairing efforts. $11-14 Link to my review

• M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Pays D’Oc Rosé 2017: Very delicate, reserved expression of grenache rosé blend. $13-15 Link to my review

• Saved Magic Maker Rosé 2016: Fun, easy drinking, clean, every day wine. Smooth, delicious. $14-16 Link to my review

• Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut: Pleasant Alsatian bubbly, light body, brisk tartness. $17-20 Link to my review

• Bodegas Williams & Humbert Dry Sack Jerez-Xérès Sherry: Pairs with chocolate, nut-based desserts, sweet desserts. $16-22 Link to my review

• Duchman Family Winery Dry Rosé Oswald Vineyard 2017: Significant Texas rosé statement with both its color and rich, assertive flavors. $18-22 Link to my review

• Amista Vineyards Ilusión NV: delicious red dessert wine. Sweet, but my no means cloyingly sweet. $24-28 (375 ml) Link to my review

• Château Minuty Côtes de Provence Rosé et Or 2017: Delivers layers of fruit with finesse, excellent acidity and freshness. $29-40 Link to my review

• Champagne Henriot Rosé NV: Seriously delicious, elegant, and luxuriously sophisticated. $62-70 Link to my review

Last round: Honey, you drink too much wine. Your language is salty. You have questionable morals. You are everything I have ever wanted in a friend.