As a sommelier, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, What wine should I bring to date night? You want a wine that impresses, but isn’t overly opulent or flashy. You want a wine that flexes your taste and knowledge without making a big show of it. You want something smooth and suave, crowd pleasing but cool.
Bubbles are always my first bet. Good sparkling wines add levity and a sense of celebration to every occasion, be it a picnic or a late-night Netflix binge.
J Vineyards’ LOVE Brut Cuvee lands all of the above. Grapes were collected from cool-climate vineyards across California and brought to life in Healdsburg. The bubbles are expressive and exciting, loaded with notes of white peach, lemon zest, and lilies—everythingyou would expect from an all-bubble winery in California.
And, it’s all for a good cause. The wine is made in collaboration with grantLOVE, a Los Angeles-based platform that brings new voices and talent into the art world. Each label of LOVE wine will highlight work from one of the art scene’s rising stars. This round, that’s New York-based interdisciplinary artist Genevieve Gaignard, whose work has been shown at the Broad and LACMA.
Alexandra Grant, founder of grantLOVE, added, “The LOVE Wine project has been a dream of mine for many years – to find a woman-led vineyard to collaborate with artists who are interested in supporting the curiosity and creativity of others. Let’s raise a glass to that.” $50
Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.
