Forget flowers and chocolate, this February is all about cozying up with hot romance novels and cool wines! But these aren’t your ordinary true love romance novels. These are the love stories people dare not talk about. From murderous siblings to the science of love, these books will have you questioning the true definition of love. For these reads, we chose wines that reflect the makers’ passion for the craft. Sip, read, love!

Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez
Paladin Wines Sparkling Raboso Fiore

Just hours after marrying the beautiful Angela Vicario, Bayardo San Roman returned his bride in disgrace to her parents. Her distraught family forced her to name her first lover; and her twin brothers announced their intention to murder Santiago Nasar for dishonoring their sister. Yet if everyone knew the murder was going to happen, why did no one intervene to stop it? Twenty-seven years later, a man returns to the town determined to get to the bottom of the story. As you descend into the Chronicles of a Death Foretold, sip on this refreshing and sassy sparkler, with irresistible notes of red cherries and violets. 

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
Skinner Vineyards Native Red 2019

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse… While you enjoy this chilling game of cat-and-mouse, savor this flirty, mouthwatering red wine that boasts crunchy and vivacious notes of cranberry, sweet plum, and hints of passionfruit. 

Love Is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
Stolpman Vineyards Love You Bunches Red 2022

Mix tapes: We all have our favorites. Stick one into a deck, press play, and you’re instantly transported to another time in your life. For Rob Sheffield, that time was one of miraculous love and unbearable grief. A time that spanned seven years, it started when he met the girl of his dreams, and ended when he watched her die in his arms. Using the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes, Rob shows that the power of music to build a bridge between people is stronger than death. With a song in your head and this delicious red wine in a glass, you’ll have no choice but to think of the love of your life. Bursting with energy, this Sangiovese is bright and zippy with notes of crunchy red berries, ruby grapefruit, and tangerine flowers.

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
Maison Noir Love Drunk Rose 2022

Amy, a semicloseted queer baker and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, has spent a lifetime putting other people’s needs before her own. Until, that is, she’s fired from her job at a Christian bakery and turns her one-off gig subbing in for a bridesmaid into a full-time business. Between her new gig and meeting Charley, the attractive engineer who’s just moved to Tulsa, suddenly Amy’s found something—and someone—she actually wants. Nothing says drunk on love quite like being part of a wedding and sipping on this intoxicating rose. Much like new love, this wine clouds the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, and the lips to pucker with provocative notes of wild strawberry, watermelon rind and a hint of kiwi.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project. But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you. Discover true love while enjoying this rich whiskey with notes of honeyed spice, cinnamon, piney anise, orange peel, baked apples, and vanilla.