It’s Valentine’s Day. A day when every couple is looking for ways to begin, consolidate, strengthen, or even save their relationship. They are looking for the secret weapon that will allow them to build upon their connection or reawaken the fires that no longer burn quite so brightly.
Don’t underestimate the aphrodisiacal power of wine when searching for something special that can turn an ordinary evening into a romantic dinner or a tete-a-tete into Cupid’s embrace.
It’s not just the libido that’s at stake here. The correct pairing of a dish with wine can inspire aromatic and gustatory pleasure. The pairing should please the eye and the palate to create that special mood where relaxation is combined with sweet tension and pleasure. At this moment, the libido, in an almost soulful way, will thus be able to express itself in refined gestures and words.
Shrimp – freshly blanched, served with Aurora sauce, and anointed with just a touch of lemon and Tabasco sauce to stimulate the palate. This is a simple recipe that calls for very fresh ingredients. It’s well known that a bubbly wine is seductive by its very nature. And if it’s the right wine – it will do wonders.
Of course, it must be sparkling according to the classic method and preferably from an aromatic and sensual Pinot Noir like Champagne or Cremant de Bourgogne
Wine possesses certain chemical properties that have a stimulating effect on our body. In particular, red wine contains an antioxidant called resveratrol, which, along with the alcohol, increases blood flow and thus has a positive effect on the libido.
This drink been considered a true catalyst for our passions since ancient times. Modern neuroscience even confirms the ancient view that wine has a stimulating effect on the libido. Alcohol stimulates the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that, among other things, regulates the sex drive.
The very smell (of the body, food, perfume, or wine) has been shown to trigger a sexual response. Even a small sip of wine intensifies and prolongs erections in men, while at the same time, as the Romans suspected, it can strongly impact sexual arousal in women. Of course, discretion in wine drinking during a romantic courtship is an absolute must. It must be used in moderation so that pure feelings, a brilliant mind and an attentive and caring imagination have room to shine.
Beef tenderloin served with pink Himalayan salt in pink pepper sauce will enliven the atmosphere. Prepare the sauce using a cube of high-quality butter and add it to previously fried meat on a plate sprinkled with salt. To top it off, serve it with an intense and persistent Barbera or an intoxicating Gigondas. Enjoy their warm embrace as their soft tannins, fragrant dried herbs, and spicy and leathery notes awaken your appetites.
Surprisingly, it is the brain that creates the taste of wine (and food).
This approach to understanding the sensory experience of wine is based on discoveries from neuroscience, biomechanics, human physiology and traditional enology.
Gordon M. Shepherd has shown that wine engages the brain more than any other human behavior or activity when sensing and experiencing – or, more precisely, creating aromas and flavors. Challenging the notion that the sense of smell has diminished during human evolution, Shepherd argues that this sense, which is a major component of taste, is much more powerful and essential than previously thought.
When we drink and eat, the brain conceptualizes smells as spatial patterns and constructs taste perception based on the senses.
It is quite likely that wine’s properties as an aphrodisiac can be found in its power to create powerful images in our minds. In that case, it’s up to you to spice up your date!
It’s worth remembering not to overdo it: wine stimulates desire but can impede action.
Consider the sweet, silky, generous, and compelling dessert wine Porto Tawny or a fizzy Pedro Ximenez with Sherry: its warm color and intense and aromatic sweetness go perfectly with chocolate mousse. A seductive dessert with a velvety texture. Serve it to each other – it may encourage the search for other things that enliven the senses.
The seductive power of wine has been known for thousands of years. Poets and philosophers of all eras have often praised it.
At a Greek symposium, wine was carefully served according to the instructions of the host. Any seduction among the participants was based on the degree of self-control the drinker displayed while under the influence of liquor. The restraint and self-control were sexy and appealing – a lesson for many of us.
– Ovid: “Wine gives courage and makes men more inclined to passion.”
– Horace: “Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul”.
– Pablo Neruda – Chilean poet, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971 – championed:
“Wine moves the spring, joy grows like a plant, walls fall like great rocks, abysses close, a song is born. O you, jug of wine, in the desert with the woman I love, said the old poet. May the jug of wine and its kiss give us the kiss of love. My beloved, suddenly your hip is the curve of a glass filled to the brim, your breasts are bunches, your hair the light of alcohol, your nipples – grapes. Your navel – a seal imprinted on the belly of the barrel, and your love – a cascade of wine, a brightness that falls on my sense, the earthy grandeur of life. But not only love, a burning kiss, a kindled heart, the wine of life – you are also community, transparency, abundant flowers.
Seduction brings to mind Casanova, who famously served his amorous conquests oysters. The selenium and zinc found within them arouses the libido, and the shape of oysters adds yet a further visual impact.
To accompany the oysters, serve a sunny, fruity wine with a slightly bitter aftertaste, something quite fresh with floral notes.
Consider a juicy Chardonnay from Burgundy or a white Tuscan wine from the Sangiovese varietal.
Wine supports a delightful and mutual seduction, as long as you know how to create the right atmosphere: candles, a lovely table, and soft lights.
And let’s not forget the right dishes. Choose just a few but they should preferably feature special ingredients and a few aphrodisiacs for a finale with fireworks. The result will be guaranteed if you know how to enhance the flavors of your dishes by combining them with the right wines.
And, of course, we should not underestimate the way the wines must be served. We strongly recommend that they are served with elegance, and when pouring them, be ready to explain their origin, if only by citing the anecdotes cited above or the many legends from the world of wine and passion.
Consider a glass of sparkling wine: how many images does it evoke in our minds?
In our imagination, we inevitably associate champagne with moments of celebration, or with heated “behind the scenes” action. However, it has also been used as a tool of seduction, par excellence, in many historical films, such as Casablanca or Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It features also in the many James Bond movies, in which the famous secret agent wisely relies on French sparkling wine to seduce girls of all nationalities in a variety of situations.
Red wine is a much more effective erotic stimulant than white wine.
It is said that the beautiful Cleopatra aroused the passion of her lovers by serving them a red wine, sweet with notes of raisin, called “Vinum Acquense.” Perhaps the ancestor of today’s Brachetto, the wine’s fiery colors and sweet softness created a seemingly irresistible blend for even the most jaded lovers.
Of course, it’s not just a matter of color, but also of smells, tastes and gestures.
As with many other erotic strategies, it is important to choose the right dosage. Food and wine were prerequisites for a sensual atmosphere, but there is a tipping point that, when reached, subverts the whole endeavor. Shakespeare in Macbeth famously echoed what Rabelais said about alcohol in the bedroom: “Lust, sir, provokes and does not provoke; it produces desire, but takes away action.”
Consider Tiramisù – from tira mi sù ‘make me feel better’, literally ‘lift me up’ – so why not change the original recipe into an aphrodisiac – with pistachios ! Simply add pistachios to the mascarpone cream: just chop finely until you have a soft paste.
Top it off with a sweet white wine made from dried grapes, and enchanced with the aroma of fresh ripe fruit or in the style of Sauternes with noble rot.
