The story of St. Valentine is actually quite touching. During the early days of Rome, men were forbidden from marriage as the Emperor at the time had observed that the best soldiers were the ones with nothing to lose; no wives and children at home to distract them while conquering the world, so it would seem. Valentine, then a priest, believed so deeply in love that he risked his life to marry these young lovers. Once he was discovered though, his fate was sealed and he was put to death. It is also said that he would deliver love letters on behalf of soldiers that were imprisoned while also penning a letter or two of his own to his young lover. One such note was found and it was signed, “from your Valentine,” starting the tradition of sending Valentine’s.

Now, if you are looking to bestow your dearly beloved with a bottle of wine, we highly recommend you look for something pink. Rosé is often dismissed as sweet and simple but the blush-coloured wines today is anything but. The French have been drinking dry rosé for as long as they have been growing grapes but it is only in the last decade or so that the trend has made its way to North America.

The beauty of rosé is that they can be feather light and delicate, perfectly suited to drink with an equally delicate protein like poached salmon or soft scrambled eggs—we are talking about Valentine’s Day and there’s really nothing sexier than breakfast in bed—or they can be bright, lively and totally quaffable all on their own or with a simple plate of cheese and charcuterie.

As the desire for rosé increases, Canadian winemakers are producing blush wine. Though this time of year is considered a bit of a shoulder season with respect to new releases of rosé, there are still plenty to choose from, and we have narrowed down the ones we’ve been crushing on lately.