It doesn’t matter if you are opposed, ambivalent or head-over-heels in love with the thought of Valentine’s Day, presenting someone you love with the perfect gift is one of life’s undeniably satisfying experience.

For the first dispatch of our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide, we are skipping the flower bouquets, teddy bears, and chocolates and laying the foundation for romantic Valentine’s Day gifts with lingering effects. Your Valentine’s Day gift of choice can literally be anything: From heart-shaped items to charming treats, the House & Garden SA Valentine’s Day Gift Guide aims to be as nuanced as the loved ones we are bestowing gifts upon.

A Romantic Bottle of Dornier 2018 Siren Syrah, R201

Chances are, you are having a dinner to celebrate the day of love. Regardless if you have made a booking for dinner at a restaurant or planning to celebrate at home, the best way to top off the meal is with a specially-selected bottle of wine. While wines can range in price and complexity it is important to understand your and your partner’s palette and budget for a more special than usual bottle of wine.

For Valentine’s Day, we are recommending Dornier’s Siren Syrah 2018. Follow the alluring call of the siren’s song towards warm notes of wild herbs, ripe fruits and violets that awaken and excite. At R201 a bottle, this is a small luxury that is sure to add a sensual layer of indulgence to your Valentine’s Day dinner plans.

red wine, stellenbosch, shiraz, syrah — Dornier 2018 Siren Syrah for R201. Image: Supplied.

Gucci Hearts Print Small Trinket Tray, R 5500

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to lean into the notion of small luxuries as well as leaning into some of the clichés that come with this annual celebration. Sometimes one does want to receive red roses, apply their most sensual red lipstick and step out for a romantic dinner in a dimly-lit restaurant. However, tastefully leaning into the clichés is a balancing act.

Give the gift of loving for those you cherish most with the Gucci Décor Heart Print Small Trinket Tray. Printed on Luxurious Italian Richard Ginori Porcelin, this piece is sure to bring joy to your loved ones and inject a playful sense of romance to any surface in your home. Use the tray as a home for your jewellery, keys, or as a decorative piece on your coffee table.

Gucci, trinket tray, jewellery tray — Gucci Hearts Print Small Trinket Tray, R 5500. Image via Gucci.

Byredo Mixed Emotions Eau de Parfum, R3150

As the adage goes, scent truly is our most strongest link to memory. Leverage Valentine’s Day to create new memories through a scent that steals the show. With Byredo’s Mixed Emotions Eau de Parfum, this genderless fragrance is intense and woody, ultimately evoking a true ‘scents of place’. Featuring notes of birch woods, violet leaves and ceylon black tea.

Byredo, luxury fragrance, luxury gifting — Byredo Mixed Emotions Eau de Parfum, R3150. Image: Supplied.

A Tiny Potted Citrus or Olive Tree

Small, fruitful trees are not only a unique Valentine’s Day gift, but they are rather chic too. Historically speaking, citrus trees and olive trees have been given as signs of peace, wealth and prosperity. Consider gifting an olive tree, also known as the “tree of life” to wish a year that is full of peace, joy and serenity. This is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for garden-lovers who love to see the fruits of their labours blossom over time. Take it a step further with presenting the tree with a stunning planter from brands like Poetry or give the tree a Mediterranean flair with a pot from Hadeda Tiles.