A little bird told us this is Valentine’s Day Weekend for a lot of folks who decided not to celebrate on the 14th. So people who hate dealing with crowds and overburdened servers may have stayed out of restaurants and bars last night, but it is likely to be a pretty big weekend for anyplace with even a smidge of romance on the menu.

For us, it is just another Wine Friday … but that’s a good thing, since our bar is stocked! Our treat last night was a Rafferty’s Rules Angels’ Share Shiraz — a huge, fruit-bomb of a wine with a not-huge price tag that is delicious for sipping on its own. And, we like the name.

In case you wanted to know: “The ‘angels’ share’ is the portion lost to evaporation during barrel maturation,” according to the bottle’s label; Angel’s Share (we think they meant ‘angel’ to be plural possessive, but this is the name) is also the name of a sweet little bar in Manhattan’s East Village that Hot Plates once squandered a frustrated hour trying to find. File under “worth a trip.” We imagine it was hard to get in there last night.

But, alas, we are not professionals when it comes to wine. We are just talking, making conversation with you. There are people out there who will tell you what to pay attention to on the grape front this week, and here is what those folks say:

Dottie and John of The Wall Street Journal. Specialty wine shops, or “regional enotecas,” are cropping up here and there. North Carolina, Santa Cruz, Calif., New York, Colorado … these are some of the places where you can find wine shops devoted to the local swill; it is increasingly more drinkable swill, if you believe what you read.

Dallas Morning News. Wine is OK for 5-year-olds, some foodies say. Wait, before you Google Child Protective Services, read the article, which is about the semi-controversial practice of pouring young kids a small glass of wine at mealtime. Up high in the article it does say that “the American Academy of Pediatrics warns that giving children any amount of alcohol is a poor parenting choice, pointing out that the substance is a neurological toxin.” But parents who think small sips are OK might point out that diet Coke or other sugary, chemical-laden drinks are just as bad or worse for a child than something as natural as wine.

Los Angeles Times. It’s not cool to chug wine, sommelier says. This is a strange one, we think. It is sort of a lecture-essay from the wine director of the restaurant Wilshire, admonishing those who rush through a bottle of wine to slow down and enjoy. It did make Hot Plates get a little philosophical despite ourselves, so we say it’s worth a read: How long to wait between sips? How long to hold a mouthful before swallowing? If one throws a hastily emptied bottle of wine into the recycle bin, will anybody hear it? What does time really mean, anyway?

New York Times. The town of Tavel in France is “the cradle of French rose.” It is a teeny town close to Provence, and it’s where the most wonderful pink stuff comes from. This is a travel piece, and we wouldn’t ordinarily include it in Hot Plates, but we are fools for this elegant wine — plus, that whole pink-and-red color scheme has been in vogue the past few days.

Dallas Morning News. Try this fairly cheap Napa Valley Cabernet. If Rebecca Murphy likes this Twenty Bench stuff, we’ll try it — plus we are still not sure we believe there are no good Cabs under $50. What have you got to lose besides a twenty-spot?

Los Angeles Times. Drink this Bordeaux when you want a good bottle of wine to go with steak, says S. Irene Virbila. It’s not a splurge or a steal, and it’s a good pick for dinner with the wine snobs.

L.A. Times. Get a wine aerator, which is “a nifty item for wine lovers and gadget hounds.” Pour the wine through the device and enjoy a better-tasting bottle without waiting for it to “open” or decanting.