Andre Simon, a French born wine connoisseur, once said “Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” I tend to agree and strive toward this civility every single day- I think everyone should.

My fiancé and I hosted a family skating party this past weekend and most of our lovely guests brought bottles of luscious red wine, perfect hostess gifts for any time of year, but especially during the holidays. Slowly, we are making our way through the many bottles, making an occasion of each meal.

Currently we are on a Folonari Valpolicella Classico, a light bodied and fruity Italian red. This wine is extra dry and does not linger in your mouth meaning the wine has a short, sharp finish. Give it a sniff and you will get a whiff of light cherry, sweet dried fruit and berries. The bottle itself exudes elegance with a strong silhouette, black label and a gold seal. There is not a lower case letter to be found on this bottle giving off a sense of class, strength & poise with a slight air of masculinity, despite the wine itself being so light and crisp.

A Valpolicella is a good wine to serve to those just entering the world of red. It is actually one of my fiancé’s favourite wines and has taken to coming home and pouring this Foloari as opposed to opening a beer or making a rye and ginger. This is a wine that your man will be comfortable drinking in front of his buddies and not just on date night…at home…in the dark.

This wine is great for sipping on the couch while the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful. This wine will also make your late night pizza or juicy homemade burger feel like an elegant occasion- Who knew that a late night Dominos could be so very civilized?

This Folonari Valpolicella Classico is available at the LCBO for $20.95.

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