A date on the calendar is approaching to commemorate the universal day of love, friendship and brotherhood and we love that. We get romantic, perhaps wanting to uncork a special bottle of wine, toast love or friendship and enjoy. But, have you ever wondered where this love day comes from?
Although from a religious point of view it is a festival of Christian origin that dates back to Ancient Rome, and over the years it has come to be considered a date -for some- with a certain commercial character, it is undoubtedly an opportunity to show our love and appreciation to others, regardless of relationships, religions, origins, legends or the multiple contemporary and historical readings that are made of this anniversary.
The origin of love
Of the first legends of the origin of this day, we go to the era before Christ, the most popular being the one known about the priest Valentin who began to secretly and clandestinely marry couples when Emperor Claudius II "The Gothic" he prohibited them with the justification that many soldiers performed less well in battle and did not want to join the army because of their attachment to their women. When the emperor discovered that the priest was arranging such marriages, he ordered that he be beheaded on February 14. Later, with the rise of Christianity, in the year 494 AD, the priest was declared a Saint, establishing Valentine's Day as February 14.
Of the other origins with which this date is also associated, we highlight another - more literary - that comes from the modern Valentine with the 14th century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer who in his poem 'Parlement of Foules', includes a series of dedicated verses to romantic love. For some it is considered the first work that refers to Valentine's Day as a date linked to lovers.
"Because it was Valentine's Day, when each bird comes to choose its partner," wrote the poet.
In Spain, Valentine's Day became popular in the recent 20th century with the now defunct Galerías Preciados department store chain, now El Corte Inglés, which began to carry out campaigns to encourage the purchase of gifts. Regardless of all these origins and motivations, many of us are moved by February 14 to celebrate something special.
Our love legend
To celebrate this day, at Bodegas Vega de Yuco we have prepared a very special proposal with our most romantic wines, Lanzarote wines, with a legend to fall in love with or reaffirm that love this coming February 14.
Princesa Gara, is -without a doubt- ours more romantic wine, which contains a beautiful Canarian fable of love between our Princess Gara and young Jonay. It represents the forbidden love between two people, the Princess of Water, Gara de La Gomera, and the prince of the Island of Fire, Jonay of Tenerife.
For this February 14, Gara also encompasses the concept of elegant, deep wine, with body and volume of great complexity that you are looking for. A round wine of limited production, unique and different to uncork on this Valentine's Day.
February 14 in Lanzarote
If in these days before Valentine you are in Lanzarote and visit our bodega At Masdache (Tías), we will also help you with some “extra” ideas so that you can surprise that special person. The entire Gara line (dry white Volcanic Malvasia, aged on its lees; the sophisticated pink Black Listán variety and new Race dyed Also from Listán Negro aged for six months in French oak barrels), it is accompanied by a promotion: special prices in the store and a box of four exclusive handmade chocolates (from the Candy store The crown), made to pair these wines. In addition to this, if you visit us, we will give you a greeting card with a message to personalize your Valentine's gift. We know that wine and chocolate can arouse passions and what better way to do it on this special date.
Gives our wine tourism experience
Another idea that we give you is to give for Valentine's Day, a gift voucher with a guided tour to our winery and wine tasting. The reservations and the voucher can be purchased through this link.
Wine numbered date to remember
To make this Valentine's Day more personal and unique, we have also reserved 99 bottles of Gara Tinto out of the 2,200 numbered bottles of this special edition in our winery, so that you can uncork this wine with your date, in this case the year you will always want to remember. Available from 1920 to 2019. You can check availability and make the Reserve your bottle numbered year, through email bodega@vegadeyuco.es or our contact form. If you make your purchase through our Online store, We can only send you the numbered bottle that you request, if purchases are made with shipping from the Canary Islands. You must specify the year of the numbered bottle in the "order notes" section and if it is available, we will send it to you.
We hope we have helped you with these ideas and have a passionate February 14th.
Happy Valentines!