Valentine's Day at Five Vines

Ah, Valentine’s Day. The holiday of love and romance. Boys and girls. Ladies and gentlemen. All celebrating love with the person who gives them a belly full of butterflies. Romances new and old get the gentle reminder on Valentine’s to do something kind for their paramour, and show them how special they really are. At Five Vines, we love love. But where did this cute holiday come from? Is it truly a Hallmark Holiday like those heartless cynics would make you believe? (You know who you are, you jags!) Well, maybe a little. However, Valentine’s Day is older than you may have originally thought. 

Saint Valentine(s)

Some of the oldest tales of the multiple Saint Valentines are those of bishops and priests whose names were Valentine holding secret Christian weddings against Roman law. Two even met with gruesome beheadings on February the 15th, if accounts are to be believed. Frankly, Valentine was an extremely popular Roman name and there are over 50 accounts of separate Valentines. This may have even led to a confusion with our celebration of Saint Valentine now. Our earliest records of Valentine’s Day as a romantic celebration comes from the works of romantic poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his peers, but it is debated WHICH Saint Valentine they were celebrating!  Either way the sending of Valentine’s letters and cards was the hip and happening fad in the 1400s. Our earliest known valentine was a beautiful poem sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his second wife. While he was in prison after the Battle of Agincourt...for 20 years. So, maybe a little Hallmark to the holiday isn’t so much of a bad thing! Despite the murky legends, downright depressing realities, and extremely loose links to the pagan festival of Lupercalia (Young women’s breasts got slapped with bloody goat skins by almost naked young men for fertility blessings. This does not exactly remind me of Valentine’s Day), it still remains a popular holiday for romance in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, and the United States. For the next few hundred years, new traditions began to emerge as people found new and fun ways to express the respect, admiration, appreciation, and that’s right, love that they had for one another. Yay!

Valentine’s Day at Five Vines, for you and for me!

What does that mean for us? Well we at Five Vines are excited to show how much we love and appreciate you all for over seven years of support and recognition. We couldn’t be happier to have you join us! Here are some of the ways we wanna show our love this Valentine’s:

  • Love is in the Wine Flight - $14 - Four tantalizing tasters picked lovingly just for you by Randy! 

    • 2017 Lichen Estate White Pinot Noir

      • Anderson Valley, CA. Lichen Estate’s White Pinot Noir has a gorgeous floral nose and a mouthful of gravelly minerality and stone fruit. Mouthwatering and savory, we are glad to have such a beautifully unique wine to start our flight right. 

    • 2014 Von Holt Chardonnay 

      • Sonoma Coast, CA. Von Holt Chardonnay is grown in those cooling coastal fogs, layering the flavors and textures of the wine. With a golden straw color and clean, balanced flavor, this gorgeous wine is the perfect white for those white winos.

    • 2017 Lichen Estate Moonglow Pinot Noir

      • Anderson Valley, CA. Lichen Estate’s Moonglow Pinot Noir is a plush, fruit forward pinot noir with a fantastic balancing acidity. An easy drinker and crowd pleaser, the Moonglow is a phenomenal red to pair with love this holiday.

    • 2012 Naui Gran Reserva Blend

      • Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico. 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Nebbiolo, 23% Syrah, 16% Merlot. Deep, dark, opaque sensual red to leave you wanting more. Rich plum and blackberry with a hint of cedar and spice, long smoke finish and a vanilla aroma. 

  • Seductive Snacks: Specials served only for Valentine’s Day. And remember, everything is made with our patented special ingredient: Love. 

    • Salmon Salad($14): For those who need something to go with their diet that actually tastes good, we are serving a Jerk Salmon Salad. A snazzy mixed spring greens, with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. All the berries! It is then tossed with julienned carrots, candied walnuts, blue cheese crumble, raspberry vinaigrette, and topped with a mango salsa.

    • Short Ribs ($17): Omar is up to his antics again and made a small plates portion of his Valentine’s Special Braised Short Ribs. A seductive slab of short rib on a heaping of garlic mashed potatoes, and drizzled over in Burgundy wine sauce. A dash of savory victuals to go with all the sweets. 

  • Super Sexy Chocolate Flight: Single Chocolate - $2.75 / Four Chocolates - $10.00 / Full Flight (5 Chocolates) - $12.75 

    • No Valentine’s Day is bearable without chocolate! A necessity of any romantic evening and Five Vines is more than happy to provide. Our outstanding chocolatier All-tru-ist has us stocked up with chocolatey goodness and we are excited to provide. All organic, dairy free, gluten free, and soy free, these chocolates are all made with locally fairtrade ingredients and their unique pure, raw honey ganache.

      • Pure: Decadent dark chocolate for the purist - a luscious balance of bitter and sweet. 

      • Coffee: Freshly ground coffee infuses a rich aroma that blends beautifully with dark chocolate.

      • Clove: Organic cloves bring warmth and comfort notes of camphor and pepper.

      • Lavender: The floral scent of organic lavender meadows float above the luscious backdrop of dark chocolate. 

      • Chili: Starts off smooth and gently heats up to leave a tingling sensation on the palate to finish. 

suzy fairchild