Problem solved with this pinot noir! That's because it smells and tastes like perfumed roses.

The nose and palate of this medium-bodied beauty is full of cherries and rose petals - sure to woo a date (and upgrade your own image). There's also a good amount of spice, just a hint of berry and plum flavors and light oak.

The only problem is that your date might think you're trying to get her/him drunk. The alcohol on this wine is really hot (meaning high: 15.1%). If that doesn't scare you or your date off (don't let it), you're in for quite a treat. Melville's estate pinot noir possesses that rarified quality that is a mark of the varietal's best: a seductive, romantic combination of aromas and flavors that are - whether subtle and refined or raw and raucous - hedonistic.

Or, to put it another way, expect to get lucky. It's a much more sure thing than planning a romantic vacation in Lompoc.

Cheers,
TSW

* - WoW's Splurge Wine designation is given to those bottles that cost more than our self-imposed $20 ceiling, but are just too good to not grab. Sometimes that's easier said than done, but almost all of us spring for a nice bottle once in a while. If you have something to celebrate, WoW's Splurge Wines are a great buy (and still a great value).

Lompoc, CA isn't known for its world-class wine. In fact, Lompoc (say Lohm-POKE) isn't really known for anything. Buelton, CA is its closest neighbor known for something, and that something is Split Pea Anderson's soup. If you've ever driven up or down Highway 101, you know what I'm talking about.

The cliché philosophy class question, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" was originally, "If a tree falls on Lompoc, does anyone care?"

All that, however, is beginning to change, and wineries like Melville - with wines like its 2001 Estate Pinot Noir - are leading the makeover.

From the newly-designated Santa Rita Hills appellation (right there in Lompoc) this red can do more for the area's image than Max Factor or marrying "up" or marrying Max Factor.

And even though it's a splurge wine*, it can be a real money saver. Want to treat your significant other to a romantic evening, but don't have enough cash for both flowers and a great bottle of wine?