Nine days. That's all that separates you from the big test, the final exam of your relationship building. No, we're not talking about some Victoria's Secret fix-all. That doesn't speak to your inner sensitivity. Valentine's Day should be about the romance you feel inside about the person you love. Two answers occur to us (remember there are nine days left):

 

ANSWER ONE - THE PERFECT DINNER:

 

No one can hide behind the defense of "I can't cook." Haven't you been watching Rachael Ray? It's easy. And you can pull off an amazing meal in very little time. Here's how.

 

     Day before: Order flowers. (Hint: my wife really likes Swanson's Blossom Shop in Deerfield, but you could also head to Saville's in Evanston or Ashland Addison in the city.)

 

     Day of: The evening begins with a half bottle of Champagne, and our choice would be the Gruet from New Mexico ($9.95). It tastes almost as good as the real thing and costs half the price (remember all those January Visa bills?).

 

     Dinner course A: Don't over-do the appetizers; our pick would be a simple slice of fresh Red Hen French baguette with a delicate slice of Monet California chèvre (with edible flowers) toasted under the broiler for a minute or two. Three or four per person should be enough. Here's a pro's trick: the sharper the angle you use when you slice the baguette the tastier the bread. Promise. Over-the-top alternate cheese: the sexy Burrata cheese from Italy featured last week.

 

     Dinner course B: First course (optional) - ask your fresh seafood outlet to make up two of their finest crab cakes and to kick it through the uprights, pick up a small container of our fabulous dill sauce. Should only take 15 minutes to warm the crab.

 

     Dinner course C: Entrée. We all eat less red meat, but when it really counts there's nothing as sumptuous as a well-aged filet mignon. Here, the source counts. Grocery store beef doesn't quite do it - seek out the best local butcher. Select one large enough for two, but not huge. Rub in a generous portion of rough-cracked black pepper. Depending on your tolerance for pink, sear the steak in a well-heated and oiled pan on the top of the stove for not much more than 10 minutes a side. When it looks done, you're ready to sit down. The meat should rest only long enough on the plate to marry the flavors, but not long enough to cool down. Oh, the wine? Perfection: Stephen Vincent "Four Sisters" Pinot Noir 2006 from the Sonoma Coast. It's only $26.97! One of our all-time favorites!

 

RED HEN FRENCH BAGUETTE $1.75

MONET CHÉVRE, California $8.99 /3 ounces

BURRATA FRESH ITALIAN COW'S MILK CHEESE$10.97/12 ounces (regularly $12.99)

SCHAEFER'S SIGNATURE DILL SAUCE $3.99/package

STEPHEN VINCENT "FOUR SISTERS" PINOT NOIR 2006, Sonoma Coast, CAP $26.97 $323.64/case (Normally: $34.95)

 

ANSWER TWO - THE PERFECT PICK FOR BREW-LOVERS:

Not enough time for a gala dinner? Not as interested in edible flowers and Pinot Noir? We ran across an article recently that reminded us of a great Valentine's Day match: beer and chocolate. Seriously! While many of the wines we drink daily stumble when paired with chocolate, there are dozens of good, hearty brews that handle the rich flavors of a great dark chocolate and come out on top.

 

One such match/our favorite: New Belgium Brewing Company's "1554" (Colorado) and Bissinger's Signature Liqueur Truffles. Perfection. Trust us.

NEW BELGIUM BREWING "1554", Colorado $9.49/six pack BISSINGER'S SIGNATURE LIQUEUR TRUFFLES, $16.99/box of nine

Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier has been making fine French confections for more than 350 years. The Bissinger name has long been linked to premium delicacies, beginning in the 17th century Paris when Louis XIV named the Bissinger family Confiseur Imperial, or "Confectioners of the Empire," for excellence in the confectionery arts. Bissinger's chocolates were preferred by European nobility, and used as a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to his beloved Josephine upon his return from battle. With their secret recipes, the Bissinger family moved to the United States in 1845 and then to St. Louis, Missouri in 1927. The unparalleled, rich, artisanal traditions developed by the Bissinger family are continued by their chocolatiers today.
 

BISSINGER'S SIGNATURE LIQUEUR TRUFFLES, $16.99/box of nine

Enjoy four courses of exciting French food at Kiki's Bistro and eight wines, four French, four Californian, hosted by Craig Goldwyn, internet manager of Schaefers.com.

 

Each course will be accompanied by a pair of similar wines, one from France and one from California, all for the benefit of The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. Kiki's has made numerous Top 10 Restaurants lists in Chicago.

 

Goldwyn, in addition to his work for Schaefer's, has been the wine columnist for the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and AOL, as well as an instructor at Cornell University. He is also the author of AmazingRibs.com. You will be able to order the wines from us at a discount, with a portion of the sales going to The Chicago Lighthouse.

02/28 THU 6:30 p.m. at Kiki's Bistro, 900 N. Franklin St., Chicago. Call 312-335-5454 for reservations. Tickets are $75. Street parking is available and Kiki's is a short walk from the Chicago Avenue Brown Line.

Everything from Europe's going up. Now or tomorrow, it's going to happen. Smart buyers will buy in wines now that were brought into the US last Fall. One of my all-time favorites, a steal, is the Venta La Ossa 2005, from La Mancha. One hundred per-cent Tempranillo, this red exudes ripe, berry scents and enough spicy oak to jump out of the glass. But be warned, this can't last! Another of Jorge Ordonez's triumphs, this one's got everything you need to keep you warm this winter. Go green with this red, turn down the thermostat and dial up the flavor with the red any hibernating bear would love! (And dream of the Bears getting into the Super Bowl again next year while you're at it.)
 

VENTA LA OSSA TEMPRANILLO 2005, La Mancha/Spain, CAP $15.97, $191.64/case (Normally: $19.95)

Join us in our classroom on Thursday, February 7th for an introductory class on the Wines of Chile. This country has been blessed with a superb climate that features abundant sunshine mixed with cool breezes from the Pacific that create ideal ripening conditions. We will taste a total of ten wines, from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons and red blends. Former Schaefer's employee, Tom Hyland, who has been teaching wine classes to the public for more than fifteen years, will teach the class. He has visited Chile on several occasions and has written several articles on the subject. Class size will be limited, so to ensure your seat in class, please enroll right away.  We hope to see you on the evening of February 7th for a viticultural journey to Chile!

 

02/7 THU ~ 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., $35 per person. To sign up, phone Tom Hyland at 773-293-6790 or by email. Please do not contact Schaefer's.

Join us for our next Third Thursday Wine Class on Thursday, February 21st, when our own Brian Flannery will confront the topic: Syrah to Shiraz: Petit and Beyond. The goal is to find the best examples of Syrah from around the globe, from the big producers and the boutique. There will be ten wines to study, along with some snacks from our food department. Reservations in advance are required because space is limited. Guaranteed informative and fun. Worth your valuable time!
 

02/21 THU - 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., $20 for CAP members (and you will become a CAP member). Contact Schaefer's at 847-677-WINE (9463) or by email to sign up.

"Cheese is the soul of the soil. It is the purest and most romantic link between humans and the earth." -- PIERRE ANDROUET, FAMED FRENCH CHEESEMONGER

 

We will be featuring triple crème cheese and chocolate on Saturday, February 9. This will be a very sweet tasting, and, as always, free of charge. Our liquid offerings will naturally include the best of the best in Valentine's Day potions, starting with a delightful bubbly. Stop in and enjoy!
 

02/02 SAT 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

That's all for this week. If we may be of any further service, please stop by our store at 9965 Gross Point Road in Skokie (for directions, click here), visit our website at http://www.schaefers.com, give us a call at 847-677-WINE (9463), 800-833-WINE (9463), or click here to contact us.