4 Must-Try Valentine’s Day Dinners (for Wine Sweethearts)

Whether you’re cooking for guests, or spoiling yourself this Wednesday, Valentine’s Day is a for celebrating with great food & great wine. Let us make your life a little easier. We’ve scoured the internet for Valentine’s Dinner recipes that are sure to delight this week, and year-round.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

See recipe at Delish.

What better way to show your love than a romantic seafood recipe for two! The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. Garlic, red pepper, and lemon enhance the shrimp’s flavor, while parsley gives a bright finish to each bite.

Pair your Lemon Garlic Shrimp with an oaky Chardonnay for a can’t-go-wrong Valentine’s dinner. The lemon and green apple flavors of the fruit married with the toasty notes of the oak will make you look like a culinary genius!

We recommend: The Darling Organic Chardonnay, Clearview Reserve Chardonnay, Squawking Magpie Counting Crows Chardonnay

Jamie Oliver's Stilton & Pear Gnocchi

See recipe at Jamie Oliver.

This super easy recipe will dazzle the vegetarian in your life! Prepping a mid-week dinner can be hard enough, and a Wednesday Valentine’s Day means no complicated cooking. Gnocchi are deceptively simple, and blue cheese and pear is a match that goes back centuries…and for good reason, it’s delicious!

Impress your Valentine by pairing the pear in this recipe with a lovely Pinot Gris. The silky texture and pear flavor of the Pinot Gris will match with the creamy sauce. Every sip will leave them breathless!

We recommend: Ostler Lakeside Pinot Gris, Ceres Swansong Pinot Gris, alex.gold Pinot Gris

Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower-Pomegranate Salad

See recipe at Woman’s Day.

Romance can often be about finding the balance between decadence and thoughtfulness. Here we have a recipe that combines a classic beef tenderloin with a heart-healthy salad. The bonus? This menu scales up effortlessly for an impromptu Valentine’s dinner party! Classic wine pairings are classics for a good reason, and you can’t go wrong with a good red blend. The savoriness of the beef and the cauliflower, along with the bright fruit flavor of the pomegranate, will sing with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot-dominant blend.

We recommend: Clearview Old Olive Block Red Blend, Vidal El Legado Red Blend, Squawking Magpie SQM Big Red

Chicken, Shrimp & Chorizo Paella

See recipe at Better Homes & Gardens.

We Kiwis are big fans of single pan dishes, and the richness and complexity in each bite of paella is a sure crowd-pleaser.

Smoked paprika, chorizo, and chicken with a touch of decadent saffron…watch your valentine sigh in delight with every forkful. This recipe takes time to prepare, but it’s worth it! The complexity of flavors in this dish demands a wine that can hold its own, and there is no better match for this paella than a Sav Blanc. The Sav’s bright, green flavors and good acidity mean you’ll be able to taste the wine that is complimenting the flavor bomb with every bite of the paella!

We recommend: O:TU Blend 102 Sauvignon Blanc, The Darling Organic Sauvignon Blanc, MillsReef Reserve Sauvignon Blanc