Here, Ray Isle, executive wine editor of Food & Wine, names his top picks for wines under $15 to celebrate Easter and Passover.

Passover Wines under $15
2011 Barkan Classic Chardonnay ($12.99)
Barkan, Israel's second largest winery, makes this Chardonnay in a lighter, more Chablis-like style. It's crisp and citrusy, making it an ideal accompaniment to lighter dishes like soups—like Passover matzo ball soup.

2012 Segal's Fusion ($14.99)
This Merlot-based blend from Israel is full of lively berry and currant notes.

Baron Herzog Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel California ($14.99)
A lot of people suggest Cabernet with chocolate but personally I think if you are serving a dry wines with chocolate, red Zinfandel is a better answer; its juicy dark fruit and plush texture work well with the bitter-sweetness of chocolate. This one is from a prominent kosher wine producer in California, Baron Herzog—it's great with kosher for Passover chocolate macaroons. 

Easter Wines under $15
NV Sciarpa Prosecco ($12.99)
Easter dinner is usually either ham or lamb (at least here in the US), and for my part, with ham—which is salty—I think an affordable sparkling wine is a great choice. Prosecco is hugely popular these days; there are a lot of good ones out there for under $15. One example is this wine from Sciarpa, which is crisp and citrusy, and awfully good for $13.

2011 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz ($11.99)
If you're headed towards Easter lamb on your menu, go for red—particularly Syrah (or Shiraz, as the Australians call it). The gaminess of lamb and the peppery richness of Syrah were made to go with one another. Yalumba, an Australian producer that's been making wine since 1849, makes this terrific Shiraz—really juicy and delicious, with lots of blackberry fruit—that's ideal.

Fonseca Fine Tawny Port ($14.99)
Finally, you need something sweet for the adults to go with all the candy the kids are eating, or else they'll never be able to keep up with them. My suggestion is tawny port—it has a nutty, candied citrus character, and is ideal for sipping after a big Easter dinner, with or without Peeps or Cadbury eggs. Serve it a little bit chilled.

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Chocolate and wine: Some say it's a pairing you should skip, but we'll admit, we love a chocolate wine when it's done right.

Pairing chocolate with wine is nothing new, but some wine makers have been pairing them in the bottle. The result, a rich, dessert-like beverage that, when done right, tastes similar to a smooth port – a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day.

Of course, wine geeks aren’t eager to push this vino.

“I think it's just as bad as wine coolers,” said Jonathan Cristaldi, a wine educator and consultant at The Noble Rot. “It creates more unfortunate associations for wine. Sweet and chocolate? Who needs this? Drink chocolate milk or Bailey's.”

Maybe wine snobs don't approve, but hey, some of them taste pretty good. For example, coming out of California is ChocolatRouge, a wine made with chocolate flavors sourced from cacao beans. There, the owners sampled chocolate from across the globe to pick the ones they thought paired best with their wine, and in the end, their Dark Red blend tastes like a slightly sweet velvety dessert wine rather than an overly cloying drink.

Trentadue’s Chocolate Amore is a delicious port that uses Merlot grapes to create the base, and then, includes a natural chocolate extract to finish the blend. Another port-based option to try is Joseph Filippi Winery’s chocolate-infused Fondante Ciello, which is produced in the Cucamonga Valley in California. Want something more exotic? Try Vinedo De Los Vientos Alcyone Tannat, an Uruguayan wine made from the tannat grape. It’s a perfect fill-in for dessert – it’s rich, smooth and like drinking the center of a molten chocolate cake.

There’s also chocolate wine that looks and tastes like chocolate milk. New Jersey-based Opici Wines produces their Cocoa di Vine, which when served chilled, tastes like a Nestle drink with a little buzz. Unlike its dark counterpart, this vino is made with the Pedro Ximenez grape, or Spanish sherry.

Owner Don Opici writes on the website that, “We tried several different chocolate formulas using a red wine base and didn’t find an appealing flavor profile. It wasn’t until we combined the chocolate with a white-wine base that the delicious aromas and flavors jumped out of the glass.”

Of course, you can always skip the bottled combinations of chocolate and wine and instead enjoy them separately. Cristaldi says that the combination generally doesn’t go well together because “the sweetness and bitterness and acid of chocolate tends to heighten the same characteristics in the wine.”

He isn’t alone in this assertion. At Lakewood Vineyards in New York’s Finger Lakes wine region, winemaker Chris Stamp said he has struggled to find the right pairings for the annual Seneca Wine Trail’s chocolate and wine event happening at around 30 wineries this coming weekend.

“It took me a lot of long and hard searching to find these, but I have been surprised a few times that some things can go together,” he said. “You want to use higher cocoa and less sweet chocolates, and try to pair with a fruit that has some acid.”

Juliette Pope, beverage director at Gramercy Tavern, shared her tips for pairing the two.

"If you have chocolate with berries or other fruit, go for a vintage port," she said .

She suggests trying Dow’s Vintage Port 2007, or, for a less expensive option, their ruby port. For a more exotic and expensive option, Recioto della Valpolicella is a good bet.

"If [you’re eating] chocolate with nuts and/or caramel and/or anything else in that vein, go Malvasia from Blandy’s or Leacock’s, or a sweeter style of Oloroso sherry," Pope added.

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Jim Galligan

The brews will get you in the mood, one way or another.

Legend has it that foods like oysters, chocolate and even watermelon have certain properties that ramp up our carnal desires and diminish our inhibitions.  Any cop or bartender can tell you that beer has a very similar effect on the libido, so you can imagine the kinds of sparks that fly when lubricants of the heart such as these are married in a glass.

Choco-love
Guys have been buying ladies Valentine’s Day chocolates for ages, and it’s for a very good reason. Chocolate contains tryptophan, a chemical that helps the brain make seratonin, which scientists believe is involved with sexual arousal.  It also contains the stimulant phenylethylamine, which showers our synapses when we fall in love.  Put these two together and you have a recipe for romance!

The Foothills Brewing Company cut right to the chase when coming up with a name for their cocoa-infused Imperial Stout - it’s called Sexual Chocolate, and it’s released at the brewery once a year, just in time for Valentine’s Day. This 9.75 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) cup of love boasts notes of semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malts and a little kick of coffee.  Too bad it’s tough to find outside of its native North Carolina.

For a chocolate-infused brew that’s easier to get your hands on (and smoother than Barry White), look no further than Southern Tier’s velvety Choklat Imperial Stout, or perhaps check out one of these other wonderful chocolate beers I sampled with my wife last year.

Steamy shellfish
It’s been said that the legendary lover Casanova ate 50 oysters a day to keep his libido primed for love.  Perhaps he was on to something, as oysters contain amino acids that lead to the production of testosterone in men and progesterone in women, two hormones that can lead to increased sexual activity. 

Flying Dog’s Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout (a name that begs for off-colored jokes) is a 5.5 percent ABV English Stout that’s brewed with oysters from the Rappahannock River, near the brewery in Frederick, Md.  This roasty treat offers tastes of dark chocolate, hints of coffee and a savory undercurrent, thanks to the oysters. While it may or may not get you in the mood for love, it will definitely help a good cause, as proceeds go to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, whose mission is to restore these magnificent mollusks back into the Chesapeake Bay.

Manly meats
Since the dawn of time, men have been eating the boy parts of butchered beasts in hopes of being imbued with the creature’s animalistic virility.  If you subscribe to such notions and want to have the prowess of a bull, then consider sipping on Wynkoop Brewing’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, brewed with 25 pounds of bull testicles per batch.

While it may sound a little gross, this 7 percent ABV bovine brew is a rich and roasty treat, boasting big notes of dry cocoa and espresso, not to mention a thick thread of umami. Wynkoop has recently announced that they will be making this novel brew year round, so you can have your lover calling you “el toro” whenever the desire arises.

Mighty melon
One aphrodisiac many folks are unfamiliar with is watermelon.  Watermelon contains citrulline, a phytonutrient that can start a chemical chain reaction in the body that relaxes the blood vessels, which boosts the erectile function in the unfairer sex. Basically,  it’s nature’s own Viagra.

21^st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon comes to mind here, a 4.9 percent wheat beer brewed with flaccidity-fixing fruit. Unfortunately it’s a summer seasonal brew, released from April through September, which means it might be tough to find.  But that’s OK;this nifty recipe from Food.com will show you how to make your own watermelon-infused brews any time of the year.  While I’m not a big fan of beer cocktails, this one is tasty and refreshing, and can be made whenever your little buddy needs a boost.

Seductive saffron
Saffron comes from the crocus flower, which is full of a chemical called crocin.  Studies have shown that crocin increases sexual desire and the frequency of arousal, at least in rodents. 

The Turks of old used to mix saffron into opium to create an irresistible love potion.  More recently, Dogfish Head has used it as an ingredient in Midas Touch, a recreation of an ancient Turkish ale dating from the time of King Midas (those Turks just loved adding saffron to their inebriants!).  This 9 percent ABV sweet ale is made with saffron, honey and Muscat grapes, which makes for a fairly complex brew with notes of tart fruits, herbs and honey all swirling together to romance your taste buds and warm your palate. 

Any one of these beers is a delightful treat to share with your love this February 14, but be warned:  Whoopi Goldberg was born almost exactly nine months after Valentine’s Day. Take care that the amorous ingredients in these crafty brews don’t lead you to make a little too much “whoopi” of your own!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.  

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Whether you are hosting a large New Year’s Eve soiree or having and intimate gathering, show off your sweet bartender moves with these easy-to-mix holiday drinks. Mixologist Jason Littrell of the famed Death & Co. bar in New York City shares some drink recipes that are sure to be hit.

This is a more sophisticated version of bourbon and ginger ale, because of the ginger syrup and lime juice. Jason makes his own ginger syrup, but you can buy it at a store like Whole Foods.

Horse's Neck

• .75 parts fresh lime juice
• .75 parts ginger syrup
• 2 parts bourbon
• Top with soda

Build the cocktail in a Collins glass, top with soda and lavish orange garnish

Celebratory Sipper

• 2 parts vodka
• 3 parts pomegranate juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• Splash of soda water

Build ingredients in a Collins glass over ice and garnish with lemon peel. Stir well!

Bianco Mulled Wine (punch)
This is a very traditional winter cocktail that goes back centuries. You can make this on a stove, or you can also make this in a crockpot. The advantage of the crockpot is it heats all the way around. 

Normally this drink is made with red wine but Jason prefers it with white wine because it looks better in a colored glass. Go for a nice dry white wine.

• 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 5 cardamom pods
• 3 black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (750-ml) bottle sauvignon blanc
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1 small orange, thinly sliced
• 1 small lemon, thinly sliced

Wrap cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie with string. Bring sugar and water to a near boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add spice bag, wine, vanilla bean and fruit. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Strain it. Ladle from crock pot in to tea cups.

Toasted Seelbach

• 7 dashes of Angostura (or other aromatic bitters)
• 7 dashes of Peychaud's bitters
• .5 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Whiskey
• Ruffino Prosecco

 Stir and strain into Champagne flute, top with Ruffino Prosecco. You can find these bitters in a specialty store. 

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Skip the Champagne and raise a glass of beer this New Year's Eve!

While Champagne is the traditional adult beverage to have in your glass on New Year’s Eve, a poll conducted by Wakefield Research found that 60 percent of American men between the ages of 21 and 40 would prefer to celebrate with beer over Champagne. I’m guessing the other 40 percent didn’t want to get yelled at by their wives for being knuckle-dragging barbarians. 

If you'd rather celebrate with a well-crafted brew, what beer should you drink? In the helpful holiday tradition, I’ve created this handy guide for what to drink depending on who you are and what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve.

You are:

Trying to show your non-geek friends just how fancy beer can be. Going for a beer that resembles Champagne in both form and flavor is a smart move here.  You won’t miss with a bottle of DueS Brut Des Flandres, an 11.5 percent ABV Belgian Ale that’s effervescent, fruity and dry.  As a bonus, it also comes in a fancy corked bottle that some people might mistake for traditional New Year’s bubbly.

Alone with your cats. You’re a cat fancier with a thirst for the finer things in life, so as the clock strikes 12, hoist a glass of Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty to your feline friends, all of whom you have cleverly named after your favorite astrophysicists.  This 5.5 percent ABV American IPA will claw playfully at your tongue with a citrusy wallop of hops, and what are hops if not simply catnip for humans?

Trying to impress your beer geek friends.  As midnight draws near, you’ll want to break out the Westvleteren 12 you stood in the rain to get your hands on.  This ultra-rare 11 percent ABV Belgian Quad is regarded by some as being the best beer on the planet and is sure to impress even the most jaded beer geek. Figuring everyone gets a 2-ounce pour (hey, make it three – it’s the holidays!) two 330ml bottles should cover up to eight friends.  And really, do you know more people than that who are truly worthy of a taste?

Chilling with your bros, bro.  As the evening wears on and the Keystone Light flows (and the Ping-Pong balls fly) into the red Solo cups, you’re going to want to draw your ultimate bros near and treat them to the swaggiest suds they’ve ever had.  Chimay Grande Réserve (the one in the blue bottle) is a 9 percent ABV Belgian Strong Ale that will blow your bros’ minds with its layers of dark fruits and rich malts, not to mention its righteous corked top. Not only is this fine Belgian brew sold just about everywhere, it’s a great value for what you get.

Working on New Year’s Day. Surviving work on New Year’s Day depends on making smart choices on New Year’s Eve.  If you’re going to have a beer, it’s best to go with something flavorful and low in alcohol, like Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, a 4.5 percent ABV Saison that’s grassy, fruity, a little funky and has just a hint of sourness in the finish.  It should allow you to enjoy your celebration like a grown up while leaving you capable of dealing with the general public the next morning (many of whom have made poorer choices than yourself the night before and will be crankier than normal).

Afraid of a marriage proposal. While you’ve been searching for Mr. Right, you’ve been dating Mr. Right Now, and he’s been dropping unsettling hints that “something big” is going to happen on New Year’s Eve. Best not to take any chances – you gotta get a bit unhinged so he won’t take it the wrong way when you throw up on the ring. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is a great choice here – it packs a hearty 10 percent ABV that’s very well hidden within an ambrosia of earthy fruits and dark caramel flavor notes.  Many people have found themselves unintentionally woozy after consorting with this crafty monk, so you’re groom-to-never-be will understand when you’re in no shape to make important life choices come midnight.

A doomsday cultist.  It’s understandable that you’re unprepared for New Year’s Eve, because you didn’t make any plans past 12/21/12.  Luckily for you, you’ve stocked up on canned goods, including canned beers.  Why not break out the finest of the bunch, a tallboy of Heady Topper, an amazing Double IPA that wonderfully balances a gush of citrusy hops with a huge malt backbone. 

Middle-aged with small children.  In other words, you’re me.  In that case, you’re probably going to hunker down at home with Ryan Seacrest and lift a tulip full of Troegs Mad Elf as the ball drops. This 11 percent ABV ale is brewed with cherries and honey and is by far my favorite taste of the season.  Enjoying one as 2012 expires is a great way to put a button on the holidays. After that, you’re immediately going to bed, because staying up past midnight doesn’t stop the kids from waking you up at 7:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day looking for a bowlful of Cheerios.  No rest for the weary!

In the end, it doesn’t matter which beer you drink on New Years Eve, just as long as it’s something a little special that you really enjoy.  In my opinion, about any craft beer is a better way to ring in 2013 than hoisting a fancy flute of sparkling French wine.

Tell us, what will you be drinking on New Year’s Eve?

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.  

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With Valentine's Day fast approaching, head Thirsty Girl Leslie Sbrocco treats Kathie Lee and Hoda to retro-chic drinks ideas packed with romance. From the classic glamour of a sparkling cocktail to hearty red wines to pair with chocolate fondue, these ideas will take you from cocktail hour through dinner to end-of-the-night gift giving in style. 

Cocktails to kick off the evening
Cava Twist
This is my modern take on the classic champagne cocktail, which pairs bubbly with brandy and sugar. Instead, I use rose cava from Spain and infuse it with a dash of lightly sweet, elegant Chamomile liqueur:  

• Villarnau Brut Rose Cava, Spain $16 
  Deep garnet in color, this is a beautiful bubbly over which to gaze at your lover. Scents of red berries are followed with a crisp, dry finish in a wine that goes from the beginning of the meal to the end of dessert. 
• Montanaro Liquore di Grappa alla Camomilla, Italy $60  
  This unique spirit is made with grappa infused with chamomile flowers. Honey and floral aromas jump from the glass while a hint of sweetness rounds out the finish. This luscious drink is calming and curative and can be served alone, over ice, or with a dash of tonic or sparkling wine.  

Ruby G&T (gin & tonic)
Taking one of the standards of the cocktail world, the gin and tonic, I've turned it into a Valentine’s night sip. Use top quality tonic and gin then add pomegranate seeds frozen in ice cube trays to add the ruby color:

• Bloom London Dry Gin, $30
  Made by the first female master gin distiller in the world, triple distilled Bloom is an aromatic and refreshingly smooth gin. Using chamomile, honeysuckle and pomelo as botanicals, this gin captures the essence of nature in a bottle. 
• Q tonic, $8 for (4-pack)
  This artisan tonic is made from hand-picked quinine from the Peruvian Andes and is sweetened with organic agave making it less caloric and sweet-tasting than other tonics.

Moving from drinks to dinner is easy if you head back to the 70’s and warm up with fondue.

Fondue brings back memories for many of us of Friday nights at home dipping frozen fruit draped in chocolate. Well folks, fondue is back. I recommend a dark chocolate called BRIX, made to pair with wine. Instead of using only sweet bites to dip in chocolate, add savory tidbits to your offering. Skewer sliced figs and bacon chunks then pair with dry-styled red wine. 

• 2008 Numanthia "Termes" Toro, Spain $30
  A sexy Spaniard is always a Valentine's night treat. The region of Toro is home to some of the oldest grape vines in the world and Christopher Columbus is said to have brought wine from this area when traveling to America. Numanthia is a leader from Toro and their intensely seductive red made from Tinta de Toro grapes is ideal with foods from steak to chocolate. 
• 2009 Clos de los Siete Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $18
  Cupid would enjoy sipping this sultry red. Wines made from Malbec are perfect paired with dark chocolate, and this complex version is an affordable luxury. 

End the night with a little vino and gift giving. These fun, holiday-appropriate wines are affordable allowing you or your mate to spend more money on flowers, lingerie, chocolates or other gifts…whatever your heart desires.

• 2009 Simply Naked Chardonnay, California $10
  Go ahead, get naked. This zesty, snappy white with the hot name refers to the wine being made without using oak barrels. If you think you don't like Chardonnay, give this one a try. 
• 2010 Red Knot Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia $13
  Their motto is “Get Knotty” and that goes without saying on Valentine’s day. Spicy, smooth Shiraz from one of Aussie’s top regions, McLaren Vale, makes for a lovely wine to sip or give as a gift. By the way, the knot refers to the knots in the wood of the local gum (eucalyptus) trees.  

Leslie Sbrocco is the author of "The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide" and founder of ThirstyGirl.com. 

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