There’s a black leather Betsey Johnson moto jacket hanging in my closet. It’s a smidge too tight, and the leather has seen better days. But I cannot, will not, flat-out refuse to hand it over to Goodwill. The reason: the jacket was a Valentine’s Day gift from 25 years ago.
It wasn’t from my husband (we didn’t know each other then), nor was it from an ex. The giver was me. I was single at the time, and while not quite ecstatic about my solo state, I decided go shopping that Valentine’s Day. While 99.9 percent of the U.S. population sat in pairs swilling cheap sparkling wine at the neighborhood Romantic Restaurant, I was falling crazy in love with a minimalist but cool leather jacket that purred, “I’m single. Got a problem with that?”
Which brings us–at warp speed–to today. Two days shy of V-Day. I dedicate this post to all the single chicas out there. And hey, why not single chicos, too. This Valentine’s Day, it does not take two to tango. It just takes you, a splash of sparkling wine, some caviar, and a little help from the delectable Dita Von Teese (ah, now I have the guys’ attention!).
Start your sublime solo celebration with some bubbles. Here are some recommendations to get you on the road to blissful:
Salton Intenso Sparkling Brut. Did you know Brazil produces some kick-ass sparkling wines? This is one of them. This dry white sparkler is made from a blend of Chardonnay (70%) and Riesling (30%) grapes. You’ll get beautiful yellow apple aromas with pear and pineapple on the finish. Best of all, it sells for about $15.
Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava. Cava is Spain’s signature sparkling wine, and this one retails for about $10. And I commend the folks at Freixenet for coming up with a Valentine’s cocktail recipe that’s fitting for today’s post. It’s called..wait for it…the Heartbreaker. Put a hibiscus flower in a wine glass, add two teaspoons of hibiscus syrup, and fill the glass with some chilled Freixenet Cordon Negro. Watch the flower bloom (oooooh, pretty!). Sip daintily. Repeat.
Champagne Taittinger Brut La Francaise NV. Why not have French Champagne on your Sublime Single Valentine’s Day? You deserve it. Made from 40% Chardonnay grapes, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, Taittinger Brut La Francaise displays mouthwatering traces of honey and peach, with vanilla, white flower and fresh white peaches on the nose. Suggested retail price is $59.99.
And speaking of Champagne, Taittinger teamed up with “burlesque super heroine” Dita Von Teese to launch her new book, Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour (Dita Von Teese with Rose Apodaca, Dey St., 2015). This bible of self-love is 400 sumptuous pages of exercise, skin care, makeup and hair styling tips from the muchacha who brought back the Naked-in-a-Martini-Glass form of self-esteem building. Me, I’d rather buy a leather jacket. But who am I to judge anyone for inspiring us all to shimmy into a gargantuan cocktail glass au naturel and revel in the decadence of it all. And a big, bodacious ¡ándale pues! to Rose Apodaca, the accomplished journalist and East L.A. denizen who wrote the book with Ms. Von Teese.
What’s a little self-love without some caviar? To round out your Sensational Solo Valentine’s Day extravaganza, I hereby empower you to order yourself some Khavyar, a new caviar brand that professes to take the snobbery out of this dreamy delicacy. For anywhere from $12 to $99 an ounce, you can indulge in local varieties. If you wake up feeling particularly royal (happens to me all the time!), treat yourself to an imported variety, which will cost $50 to $150 an ounce. As I said earlier, don’t ask why – you are worth it. In all, Khavyar offers 15 different caviar varieties from around the world. Um, yes please!
Et voila. You can see that you don’t need anyone to tell you what you can and cannot do when it comes to celebrating el día de San Valentín. Love is far too complex; it’s not something that follows rules or conventions. The most important rule of all is to love yourself before you love someone else. Amen, and salud, to that.
El full disclosure: I received samples of the Salton and Taittinger wines, as well as a copy of the book for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Señorita Vino, love the jacket and the post. This year I’m single and started my plan for the weekend, bought myself a book of poetry and some dark chocolate. I just needed a bubbly selection and your suggestion of the Freixenet fit the budget.