Tender Moments

Romantic soul that I am, the thought of sparkling rosé wine on Valentine's Day appealed to me and when I found it slightly more than half its original price in one of my local supermarkets, how could I resist it?
It also found favour at home. But that was on Valentine's Day. The price incentive has continued at the supermarket and we have had little hesitation in changing our taste from a glass of our usual Pinot Grigio with our evening meal.
So it's been nothing but bubbly almost for a month now. Okay, Spanish Freixenet is a cava, and not usually to our taste.  But the vintage rosada is something special.
And we have a soft spot for it— many years ago we bought a Spanish car directly from the importer, and had it delivered to us as we stepped off a plane at Gatwick.
And there on the back seat was a bottle of Freixenet as a  gift.  We cherished that bottle for a long time, and eventually found a suitable occasion to open and enjoy.
Since then, this particular Spanish bubbly has always found favour at home. Not quite the same as the French equivalent, maybe. But still very welcome and always satisfying and we think a cut above the run-of-the-mill supermarket cava.
So we have been celebrating Valentine's Day each day for 24 days now.  Quite what we will do when the supermarket price offer eventually comes to an end, I am not sure. Pinot will not have the same attraction, and a glass of lager will certainly be no substitute.
My wife suggests that the bubbly lasts longer than a normal bottle of wine: perhaps that's because our champagne flutes do not hold quite as much; maybe we respect the flavour more, and savour it rather than drink it back quickly.
Whatever . . . we have been very happy to continue the evening ritual while the price is right.

And probably my wife has not been so pampered for Valentine's Day continuing for more than three weeks!