In the '60s, when folk singers were the rage, one of the most popular groups was a trio called the Limeliters. Among their songs that continually entertained audiences was "Have Some Madeira, M'Dear," by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. We've taken the liberty of reprinting a portion of the lyrics here:

"Have some Madeira, m'dear?

I have a small cask of it here ...

and once it's been opened, it won't keep,

Finish it up; it will help you to ... sleep.

Have some Madeira, m'dear?

It's ever so much nicer than beer!

Now if it were gin you'd do wrong to say 'yes'

the evil gin does is hard to assess ...

and, besides, it's inclined to affect my prowess ...

Have some Madeira, m'dear?"

The premise of the tune was that an elderly, presumably lecherous, gentleman was trying to seduce a young woman, and Madeira was the aphrodisiac he used to try to accomplish his objective.

'A jug of wine and thou'

It certainly wasn't the first time that wine was referred to in a romantic way or as an aphrodisiac in song or literature. The Roman poet Ovid talked of signals exchanged between secret lovers across a dinner table and of messages written with a finger in spilled wine. He imagined a lover carefully mixing wine for his girlfriend and selecting the tastiest morsels from a serving dish for her to enjoy. There is the famous line from the "Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam:" "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou."

Warnings also have been offered: English writer Norman Douglas wrote, "Wine is a precarious aphrodisiac, and its fumes have blighted many a mating."

What is an aphrodisiac? Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary defines it as an agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire; something that excites.

The word comes from the Greek word aphrodisakos which is from aphrodisia (sexual pleasure), all of which derive from Aphrodite, the ancient goddess of love, beauty and sexuality.

"Similar concepts and terms exist in all cultures from the most ancient to the most modern," said Burke Owens, associate director of wine for Copia. Owens is lecturing on "Wine as an Aphrodisiac" twice daily at Copia during the entire month of February.

Pheromones

Owens said pheromones, chemical messengers in our bodies, are the most recent aphrodisiac discovery. "Pheromones' duty is to respond to certain odor stimuli and pass that information on to the brain. Neurons in the nasal cavity detect pheromones, which then send them on to our instinctual brain which houses our aggression, sex and survival drives. Certain foods, beverages as well as people have high quantities of pheromones," he continued.

That brought him to a discussion of just what is classified as an aphrodisiac. "Aromas and flavors can be a turn-on, but so can visuals," he said. "Rare and exotic food and wines have traditionally been seen as powerful in both flavor and virility."

He cited wild truffles as an example. "Shave a truffle on top of food and the aromas come out," he said. "The rarity makes them a turn-on for some." Oysters have long been thought to be an aphrodisiac, and Owens said that Casanova, the legendary Italian who wrote in his memoirs of romantic adventures with 122 women, is said to have consumed two dozen oysters each day.

Such foods as sea urchins -- also known as uni -- and fois gras ("It's sort of like eating butter," he said) are among aphrodisiac foods, along with "stinky" cheeses, which he said are "washed rind" style cheeses, such as Pont l'Eveque or Livarot from France, Taleggio from Italy and Red Hawk from Cow Girl Creamery in Marin County. "Believe it or not, it's a turn-on for some people."

These foods are more common now, but "in olden days, when varied foodstuffs were harder to come by, only the rich and powerful could eat well," he said. "As a result many unusual foods came to be known as aphrodisiacs, and only recently have these claims begun to be looked at more carefully."

Wine is inspiring

Turning to wine, Owens said with a grin, "The right amount of wine can get you inspired," then showed a photo of Romane-Conti, one of the most expensive French Burgundies to be found, and added, "It so rare, and there's so little made, and that can make it a turn-on."

Another presumed aphrodisiac is sparkling wine or Champagne, and Owens said that sabering, the act of shearing the top off a bottle -- including foil, cage and cork -- with a sharp saber or sword is quite impressive. "But it's a bad idea on the first date," he joked. "You pick up the sword and the date goes running."

Then, of course, there's chocolate -- ahhh, yes, chocolate. As guests entered the room prior to Owens' presentation, they were offered a glass containing a bit of Taylor Fladgate Port and a small piece of dark chocolate. Owens had them try the Port, then take another sip and pop the chocolate into their mouths, and one could almost hear the ooohs and aaahs from the group.

Owens recommended that people try different types of chocolate with different wine varietals but offered this warning: "The wine should be equal to or sweeter than the chocolate, because if the chocolate is sweeter than the wine, it brings out bitterness or astringency in the wine."

Note of wine as an aphrodisiac dates back to ancient history. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, agriculture and fertility of nature -- also known by his Roman name, Bacchus -- has been called the god of wine, intoxication and creative ecstasy, and is said to have invented wine on Mount Nyssa and spread the art of tending grapes around the world. Owens displayed a painting of Dionysus, showing him clothed in what appeared to be a cluster of grapes.

Valentine's Day origins

During his presentation, Owens talked about the origins of Valentine's Day. "It contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions," he said. "The Catholic Church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine. Romans celebrated the pagan Lupercalia festival on Feb. 15 for purification and fertility rites. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D."

Many stories have arisen regarding the origin of the holiday, and most center around a priest named Valentine who lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius II of Rome. It seems that Claudius' army was running short of recruits and the emperor believed that men didn't want to leave their families and sweethearts to serve as soldiers in foreign lands.

Thinking that single men would be more likely to join his forces, Claudius banned marriages. Valentine didn't agree with this and he secretly performed marriages, but eventually he was caught, condemned to death and was beheaded on Feb. 14, somewhere around the year 269 or 270.

Romantic element

There are many stories of the origin of Valentine's Day as a romantic occasion. One has Valentine falling in love with the jailer's daughter and he sent her messages signed "From Your Valentine."

Owens said that during the Middle Ages in France and England, Feb. 14 was considered the beginning of mating season for birds. In 1415, the oldest-known Valentine poem was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was in prison.

Valentine's Day was popularly celebrated in Great Britain by the 17th century, he said, and by the 18th century, friends and lovers exchanged small tokens of affection and handwritten notes. Printing technology allowed cards to be exchanged by the end of the 18th century, and cheaper postage rates contributed to their popularity.

"Today, Valentine's Day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year," he said. "Women purchase 85 percent of all valentines."

That figure seems to be consistent with wine purchases by women. Various research studies have estimated that women buy between 55 percent and 65 percent of all wine in the United States and consume as much as 60 percent.

Owens posed some rhetorical questions for his audience about choosing wine for Valentine's Day: "Do you remember the real St. Valentine and his martyrdom with a deep, dark red or a pure, saintly white? How about a bubbly to tantalize the heart? Will wine be used to get in the mood for love? Or has Cupid not been kind, so the only thing you'll be pouring this year will be Š tears?"

He offered hints on sensuous food and wine matches that would make excellent Valentine's Day dinners, the type to create a romantic mood.

Pairing hints

Champagne and sparkling wines can go with oysters, smoked salmon, Asian food and potato chips -- that's right, potato chips. "Try it," he told the audience.

Try ros bubbly with richer foods like pork and lamb.

Chardonnay will pair nicely with poultry, crab, shrimp, lobster, seafood or a souffle.

Pinot noir can be matched with roast poultry, game, duck, pork, salmon or tuna.

Cabernet sauvignon goes with lamb, grilled meats, roast beef, filet mignon and hearty stews.

Zinfandel or syrah work well with well-flavored, spicy dishes and heavier red meats, barbecue, stews, casseroles, steak and pasta dishes.

No such thing

Do aphrodisiacs really exist?

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there are no such things as aphrodisiacs; that it is all in the mind," Owens said. "Similar organizations around the world have fallen suit."

An article in the FDA's consumer magazine in 1996 said, "the reputed sexual effects of so-called aphrodisiacs are based in folklore, not fact."

Hopefully, the FDA is referring only to the vast array of over-the-counter products that call themselves aphrodisiacs, and not to wine, chocolate and other sensuous delights mentioned in this article.

But if not, then perhaps Shakespeare gets the last word: All this talk about aphrodisiacs is "Much Ado About Nothing."

"Wine as an Aphrodisiac" is offered daily at Copia at 11:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. throughout February. Admission to Copia is free during the month.