The reference here is not to love in the abstract but to lovemaking. The man praises the pleasure of the woman’s caress.1 The desires expressed by the woman in Song of Solomon 1:2–3 are now spoken by the young man. Like her appearance (Song of Solomon 4:1), the woman’s caresses are desirable, better than wine. Her body has been compared to a vineyard in blossom (Song of Solomon 1:6; Song of Solomon 2:13). We now discover that wine is not merely a random symbol for the sweetness of a kiss, but rather represents the product of vineyards that have been harvested at the right time when their fruit is no longer in blossom but fully ripe. Now, on their wedding day, the couple’s love is fully mature, like a fine wine, ready to be consummated.2
10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!