Gifts: Valentine’s Day Love Potion No. Wine

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With Love is from the family who invented Swanson TV dinners in the 1950s to cater to America’s decidedly informal style of dining. Now Napa Valley’s Swanson Vineyards is uncorking the highbrow art of wine-drinking.

A bottle of red from the kitschy Modern House Wines series, designed in partnership with Andy Spade, is one charming can’t-go-wrong gift that it would be wise to stash by the caseload ($25 per bottle or $270 per case at swansonvineyards.com). The statement graphics are a time-saving present in themselves: no wrapping required. Ten phrases are available, including “Lucky Night” for those bold enough to break that one out on the most romantic day of the year. Each bottle contains a fruity 2007 bordeaux with notes of ripe black cherry and raspberry.

To make your gift that much more memorable, why not slip in an invitation for a weekend getaway to wine country? Swanson Vineyards’ new Sip Shoppe in Rutherford is “a candy store for adults,” according to chic creative director Alexis Swanson Traina. It boasts red carnival-striped walls, fun foodie gifts and whimsical pairings like pinot grigio in a glass pixie cup with a caviar-topped potato chip. During February, reserved tastings in the elegant Swanson Salon ($60 per person) will be accompanied by a complimentary bottle of With Love, plus the vineyard’s signature Merlot-soaked Clarke’s Bark toffee bar — a collaboration with Vosges Haut Chocolat. For reservations: (707) 754-4018 or online at swansonvineyards.com.

--Ingrid Schmidt

We’re giving you Valentine’s Day inspirations all week. Saturday: Head over heels

[UPDATED at 1:45PM 02/11/2011: A previous version of the post incorrectly stated that a case of red wine by the Modern House Wines series was $300.]