Valentine’s Day dining often includes a variety of aphrodisiac foods to stimulate romance! Can you suggest appropriate wine pairings for these aphrodisiac ingredients?

• Oysters - Champagne is a classic match, a crisp Blanc de Blanc is my favorite.
• Truffles - A Pinot Noir with a few years of age would compliment appropriately so that the earthiness of the wine can come thru the fruit.
• Figs - Sherry pairs nicely with figs, they complement each others’ flavors.
• Honey- For honey dipped strawberries or honey on graham crackers, a high acidity wine like Ice wine would pair perfectly. This type of wine is made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape. The frozen grapes are then pressed and result in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.
• Chocolate – A full bodied Syrah or Shiraz would stand up to the chocolate and not be overpowered.

We’ve heard that Champagne goes with everything. Is this true for dessert as well? What dessert wines would you recommend to complete a romantic meal?

If you’d like to end the meal with a sparkling wine I would suggest a Moscato d' Asti, a light and sweet dessert wine, and a great way to end a meal.

The menu at Surf & Sand features a number of locally-sourced and organic ingredients. Can you recommend any organic wines or producers using organic grapes?

Lolonis Winery http://www.lolonis.com has organic wines readily available. Their Petite Syrahs and Zinfandels are very tasty. Organic wineries seem to truly believe in sustainability and take great pride in their wines. These organic wineries put more time into their wines from time in the fields to the process itself, which usually equals a better tasting and higher quality wine.

What are “biodynamic” wines?

Biodynamics embodies the ideal of ever-increasing ecological self-sufficiency just as with modern agro-ecology, but includes ethical-spiritual considerations. This type of viticulture (grape growing) views the farm as a cohesive, interconnected living system. Biodynamic vineyards and wineries grow, harvest and handle their grapes according to these principles. Biodynamic vineyards also take into account how the vineyard is set up, what trellising system is used and what grapes to plant.

Napa Valley has long been the king of California’s wine regions, but there are a number of smaller regions in Northern California and along the Central Coast that have emerged as great appellations. What are some of your favorite up-and-coming California wine regions?

Santa Barbara area and the Sonoma coast appellation are producing some incredible wines driven by its vineyards. Their Pinot Noirs and Syrahs especially are really individualistic.