If you and your beloved like Washington wine and chocolate, I suggest you go right now and check out the amazing Yakima Valley events for Valentine's, featuring wine and chocolate. Seriously, it's a fabulous list. You can "Celebrate Valentine's Day at Chandler Reach Winery" on Friday the twelfth. It's an incredible menu paired with wines. You need to make reservations, but I'm told there are still some openings. There are some nifty "Red Wine & Chocolate Hotel Packages," running right through the 15th, and an entire "Red Wine & Chocolate" celebration centered in Yakima Valley. For a lot of people Monday is a holiday, so the celebration extends over the three-day weekend. More than 52 Yakima wineries have created special wine and chocolate pairings, many of them featuring not only amazing red wines, but some fabulous chocolate desserts. There's a special $30.00 "pass," and some of the wineries do request reservations.

If you'd rather do something more intimate, you can easily create your own Washington red wine or sparkling wine and chocolate pairings. I suggest any of the Ste. Michelle sparkling wines, for fans of effervescence (remember to pick based on your beloved's preferences and yours for dry versus sweet). If you like the idea of reds with dark chocolate, and are worried about budget (you might want to include a romantic dinner, for instance, or cook one for the two of you), there's a wide variety of affordable Washington reds. Columbia Crest has a Two Vines Merlot, as well as a Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon. The Grand Estates tier from Columbia Crest is still under $10.00 a bottle, and the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon are both reliably good. The Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet is generally around $25.00 to $30.00, and worth it. The current vintage is 2006, but I note that Wine Spectator named the Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 as the #1 wine last year.

In terms of chocolate, there's always Godiva, the necessity of making chocolate that can be shaped means that Godiva might not be the best choice for wine pairing. If your SO is a chocolate fanatic, then I'd head right over to the Lindt section and look for Lindt Excellence A Touch of Sea Salt, or The Lindt Excellence Intense Dark 70% Cocoa 0r even the 85% Dark Chocolate. If you're lucky you can find these in the shape of individually wrapped squares. I suggest Ghiradelli squares, or bars, especially the Ghiradelli Intense Dark line. If your sweetie favors organic chocolates, then look for Dagoba, or Green and Blacks. You can find all of these at most chain drug stores, a lot of grocery stores, and co-ops. And if you're out of luck with premium branded chocolates locally, try a hand-made local chocolatier, or even Dove Semi-Sweet and Bitter Sweet Chocolate hearts. Pick up some strawberries for dipping, a special CD or some flowers, and you've got a lovely thoughtful gift. And remember, red wine and dark chocolate are good for you. Really!