Wine help to use in Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon for Valentine's Dinner.

Mainecook61 - not only do I like your style, we must be cosmically related... :)

This is an "oops!" story...I once -- honest, accidentally!!-- pulled a lovely Penfolds shiraz out of the pantry just looking for "any old bottle" and made the BEST JC BB ever. Unfortunately, this wasn't any any old Penfolds (typically a reasonable price point) but one of their RWT. That's right, I used a $100 bottle of wine in beef stew. But, it really was an AMAZING BB! (served alongside a $25 bottle of Penfolds ... somehow it balanced everything). Since this was for an "event" -- in this case Mothers' Day -- everyone enjoyed not only a lovely meal but a good laugh! Ultimately, a good reminder on the importance of good pantry organization ...

I want to put in a plug for Jacques Pepin's recipe. It is so very delicious!

mainecook has the answer for you. Hearty Burgundy is fine.Paul Masson or Gallo Hearty Burgundy is fine. That's what i typically use and I have made Julia's recipe for yrs. I don't drink it but it's great for cooking. (Def not pinot noir or chianti; not hearty enough.)

A Chateneuf-du-Pape would be fantastic with this dish!

We recently made that very recipe with an inexpensive Beaujolais, certainly under $10. You don't need anything fancy since the finer qualities of any wine you use will cook away.

When Julia wrote that recipe, Americans did not drink much wine. I remember reading that she wrote it with Gallo's Hearty Burgundy in mind because it was a decent and readily available red, which it was, for the times. I've made that recipe many times (even with Hearty Burgundy back in the day) and have never used an expensive red. If it tastes like you'd drink it, go for it. BTW if the BB sits in the frig for a day after you make it, it will be even more delicious.

I have made the Julia Child beef bourguignon, and while it's good, I actually think the best version of this classic dish is Oui, Chef's version: http://www.ouichefnetwork.com/oui_chef/2010/03/beef-bourguignon.html. The one draw back is that it uses 2 bottle of wine instead of the 1 called for in the Child recipe. But that extra bottle makes it oh so delicious! The recipe is (in my opinion) easier to follow, easier to make ahead of time, and much more delicious. I have used merlot for the recipe and it turned out great. Whatever you end up doing, enjoy both the meal and the occasion!

If you can drink it you can cook with it!

Burgundy is the defacto choice. You can find CA made ones for the cheap.