What wine(s) to drink for Valentine’s Day? Bubbly? Sure. A great bottle that pairs with your meal? Of course. But what about dessert?

   A tawny Port goes well with nearly any dessert featuring nuts or chocolate. (Please don’t buy into the hype about dry red wine and chocolate.) Or, if you prefer a cheese course, tawny is good with aged cheeses like cheddar.

   Tawny Ports are aged in wood casks, a process that oxidizes the wines and gives them their brownish, tawny color. The 10 Year Old (or 20, 30 and so on) is an approximation of the average age of the wines in the blend.

   Aged tawnies can be expensive, but this Kirkland bottling from Costco is a steal at $17. It’s nutty and luscious, with flavors of dried fig, hazelnut, toffee and a hint of orange peel. It could have just a touch more freshness, but that’s a small quibble.

   You probably won’t want to drink the whole bottle – it’s a fortified wine with 20 percent alcohol, after all – but tawnies keep well for a week or so after being opened. Note that if you store it in the refrigerator, it will get a bit cloudy but that doesn’t affect the flavor.