8 Romantic Wine Cocktails for Valentine’s Day (Perfectly Paired for Love)

Wine has always been associated with celebration, and since the Middle Ages, it’s been well paired with the feast of Saint Valentine. As the patron saint of love, Saint Valentine comes with the belief that enjoying wine on his feast day—February 14—can bring a little extra luck and happiness in love.

So here are eight marvelous wine cocktails to put that theory to the test. Because what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with your sweetie and a great good glass of wine?

1. Raspberry Rosé Martini

For those always on the hunt for a touch of elegance—especially when there's a Valentine to impress—the Raspberry Rosé Martini delivers. Tart, sweet, and perfectly crisp, it's a cocktail that knows how to flirt.

Ingredients:

·         4 oz. Rosé Wine

·         1 oz. Raspberry Liqueur

·         ½ oz. Lemon Juice

·         Splash of Grenadine

·         Gummy Candy Garnish

Instructions:

1. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a gummy candy, and voila, get ready for romance.

2. Hanky Panky

How can you go wrong with a Valentine's drink called Hanky Panky! Fashioned after a Manhattan, the addition of  Fernet-Franca (an Italian bitter) gives an extra zing.

Ingredients:

·         3 tablespoons Dry Gin

·         3 tablespoons Sweet Vermouth (I used Contratto Vermouth Rosso)

·         2 Dashes of Fernet-Branca

·         1 Dash of Fresh Orange Juice, optional

·         Orange peel for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add the gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with an orange twist.

3. Red wine hot chocolate

Who doesn't love chocolate on Valentine's Day? And it comes with a bonus of red wine. Perfect for those chilly Valentine's Days.

Ingredients:

Makes 10 servings

·         2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

·         1/4 cup cocoa powder

·         2 tablespoons brown sugar

·         5 cups whole milk (or whatever dairy-free alternative you prefer)

·         Pinch of salt

·         1 (750 ml) bottle of red wine

Or Single serving (just to indulge on a cold night!)

• ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 2½ teaspoons cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon brown sugar

• ½ cup whole milk (or whatever dairy-free alternative you prefer)

• Pinch of salt

• ¼ cup (about 2½ oz) red wine

Instructions:

1.      Combine the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, brown sugar, milk and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar and cocoa powder are completely combined. (Do not skimp on this step or the hot chocolate will be grainy.)

2.      Add the wine and cook for another minute or two until the mixture has come up to a very low simmer. You do not want it to boil.

3.      Remove from the heat and serve hot.

4. Hibiscus Sangria (Sangria de Jamaica)

Hibiscus (particularly dried) is the perfect addition to a red wine punch, in this case, Sangria. Descriptors used for wine, such as tart red fruits and berries (think cranberry), are also used in conjunction with Hibiscus.     Hibiscus has a touch of tannin, which makes a little less sweet, more complex punch. In any case, it's pretty and delicious and guaranteed to take your Valentine's Day celebration up a notch.

Ingredients

·         1 cup dried hibiscus flowers

·         ½ cup sugar

·         2 star anise and/or 1 cinnamon stick, optional

·         2 750-ml bottles red wine

·         1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

·         1 cup blanco Tequila

·         ½ cup triple sec, like Cointreau

Or a single serving measurement if you don't feel like a crowd:

• 1½ tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers

• 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon sugar (or just a heaping tablespoon)

• ¼ star anise or a small piece of cinnamon stick, optional

• 1½ cups (about 5 oz) red wine

• 1½ tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice

• 1½ tablespoons blanco Tequila

• 2½ teaspoons triple sec (like Cointreau)

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Note:  Use a red wine  such as Grenache, Gamay, or Pinot Noir for the punch

Instructions

1.      Rinse Hibiscus in large bowl of cold water to remove any grit. Transfer to saucepan with sugar and 5 cups water (and spices, if using). Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 2 hours. Strain and reserve flowers.

2.      In a large pitcher, stir together 2 cups hibiscus mixture, wine, orange juice, Tequila and triple sec.

3.      Serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish with reserved flowers and strips of orange zest.

5. Strawberry Bellini

I looooove a Bellini, and this one comes with a little twist. Skip the peaches and lean into a luscious strawberry purée instead. Make a batch, pour a glass for you and your Valentine, and imagine yourselves sipping Bellinis at Harry's Bar. After all, is there any place more romantic than Venice?

Ingredients:

• About 1¾ cups strawberries (hulled and sliced)

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 7 tablespoons Prosecco (just under ½ cup)

• 1 strawberry, for garnish

Instructions:

To make the strawberry purée

1. Add about 1¾ cups strawberries and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to a saucepan.

2. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved and the strawberries soften.

3. Blend the mixture until completely smooth.

4. Strain through a very fine sieve to remove the seeds, then set aside.

To make the cocktail

5. Add a generous 3 tablespoons (about ¼ cup minus 1 tablespoon) of strawberry purée to a champagne glass.

6. Carefully top up with about ¾ cup Prosecco.

7. Gently stir to combine and serve immediately.

6. Red Wine Milkshake Cocktail

What's better than a Red Wine Hot Chocolate? A Red Wine Milkshake Cocktail! Use a more fruity red wine, such as Grenache, for optimal flavor.

Ingredients for a single serving:

• 1/3 cup red wine

• 1 1/3 oz. vodka

• 1/2 quart vanilla ice cream

• Whipped cream, for garnish

• Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Blend ice cream, red wine, and vodka in blender.

2. Top off with whipped cream and garnish with cherry.

3. Serve in a coupe glass

7. Tiffany Mimosa Cocktail

 This drink is like a sensuous explosion in a glass! It's got fizz, it's got beautiful color, it's got tang, it's got sweet!   The addition of Curaçao makes it that much more special.   Perfect drink for lovers or a party!

Ingredients:

Serves 10

• 1 slice of lemon

• 2 tbsp. sugar

• 1/4 cup blue Curaçao

• 1 bottle champagne

• 2 cups of lemonade

Single Serving

• 1 slice of lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon blue Curaçao

• ¼ cup champagne

• 3 tablespoons of lemonade

Instructions:

1. Rim champagne flute with lemon.

2. Dip rim in sugar.

3. Divide Curaçao between flutes.

4. Add champagne.

5. Divide lemonade between flutes.

8. Giggle Juice

I love the name of this cocktail! It makes one, well, giggle. So serve up a batch or a glass and plan to laugh yourself silly.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

• Lemons for floating slices

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 bottle Moscato

• 3 cups pink lemonade

• 1 can lemon-lime soda

• 1 cup vodka

• 2 cups sliced strawberries

• Ice

Single Serving

• Single slice lemon

• ¾ teaspoon sugar

• 3 oz. Moscato

• 6 tablespoons pink lemonade

• 1 1/2 oz. lemon-lime soda

• 1 oz. vodka

• 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

• Ice

Instructions

1. Rim glass with lemon wedge.

2. Dip rim in sugar.

3. Combine all ingredients in pitcher and stir.

4. Serve over ice.