It's not too soon to start thinking about Valentine's Day. There are at least two, and if you are lucky maybe more, pay days between now and that blessed day. So how about some budget ideas that won't require a bank loan for you and that special someone to have some romance on this special day?

* Buy a gift certificate at your favorite wine shop. Cost $10 to $30. Nothing says love more than giving a gift certificate. This is a great gift, since you know that you will probably be sharing it when the decision on what wine to buy, is finally made. The amount of the certificate can be $10 up to whatever you normally spend for a bottle of what you both like.

* Buy a really nice bottle of Cabernet. Cost will be $13 to $17 depending on your area. I would recommend looking around for J Lohr. I would recommend the J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon or J Lohr South Ridge Syrah. Expect to pay between $13 and $17 for this bottle. If you find a bottle of J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, but do not want to pay $13 to $17, check to see if the wine store has the sister label - 2006 Cypress Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 Cypress Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon goes for between $7 and $10 for a bottle, and is really excellent for this price range. Remember - Cabernet will go nicely with red meat AND also chocolate! Oh - did I mention that it goes well with chocolate?

* You might want to consider a wine club membership. Cost varies, but a budget club will be less than $30 a month. Most clubs have a three month minimum membership. The wine club I used to belong to cost around $28 a month included two bottles of a different varietal. Wines were from all over the globe. The price included shipping. Sometimes I got two reds, sometimes a red and a white. This was an excellent way to try differnt wines from around the globe. The other nice thing about a club membership is that you pay for the membership each month. So it is not like paying $90 right now for the membership. It is pay as you go. Your local wine shop might have a wine club. Ask them. Here is a GREAT idea. See if they will recommend two wines for you every month for $25 or $30. Negotiate with them to give you a 15% discount if you buy a case (12 bottles) on their recommendation.

* I could, and probably will someday soon, write many articles about sparkling wine. Right now, I would recommend a nice sparkling from Spain - Cristaline Method Tradicional. It is a Brut CAVA and it is in the $6.00 range. It is not a sweet sparkling. If your tastes run to the cold duck line of sparkling, don’t get this one. It tends to be a little drier with a light sweet taste. If you can not find that one, check out Korbel Rose' Sparkling. This one is from California and is excellent. It is distributed nationally. I bought a bottle on New Year's Eve and only paid $9.99 for the bottle.

Until next time, let me know what is on your mind, and how you are doing, O.K.? If you get the J Lohr, let me know what you think of it.

Oh - have you signed up for our Wine Newsletter?

Jim Fortune - the Bella Wine Guy