Wine and
Chocolate Pairing
As with food, when pairing wines with chocolate, match
lighter-flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines, and more
intense-flavored chocolates with more full-bodied wines. "Lighter"
chocolate doesn’t refer to white and milk versus dark chocolate, but
the overall flavor of the piece. Dark chocolates with delicate
ganaches, for example, can be lighter in flavor than white or milk
chocolate filled with intense caramel or with spicy or nut centers.
When pairing wine with chocolate, you can seek wines that have the
same flavor notes as the chocolate (nutty, cherry, mint); or look
for contrasts. As with food and wine matches, only you are the
arbiter of what works best: There are no absolutes. Some people
enjoy a fruity Cabernet or Zinfandel with chocolate, others find
them too dry; some love matching Bourbon with chocolate, others find
spirits too harsh. Most experts would recommend sticking with
fortified wines because the sweetness and structure of the wines
match well with chocolate.
The fun part of building a lists is that pairing decisions don’t
have to be made in a day, in fact, they can’t be. There’s too much
to taste; and over time, one’s own preferences will evolve as well.
It’s important to recall that any wine variety—Cabernet Sauvignon,
for example—offers a broad spectrum of choices, from light-bodied
wines to heavy hitters. Leave the big, structured wines for food
pairings (or to enjoy alone), and look for the lighter-bodied and
fruitier wines that complement the fruitiness that is natural to
most chocolate. Or, if you know your chocolate has a dark roast or
naturally smoky flavors, think "smoky" and you might head for a
single malt Scotch.
Chocolate and wine pairing is often seen as difficult and certainly
some wines don't go well with any type of chocolate. But when done
correctly, wine and chocolate pairing can be a very rewarding
experience. Of course, taste is a very subjective thing but if you
don't know where to start here are a few guidelines to some great
wine and chocolate pairings
One of the most common mistakes people make when pairing wine and
chocolate is that they pick a wine which is too dry. It is generally
a good idea to choose a wine which is at least as sweet (if not
sweeter) than the chocolate you are serving it with.
When pairing wine and chocolate, you should also keep in mind that
light, creamy flavored chocolates tend to pair best with light
bodied wines. For strong flavored chocolates (like Gourmet Dark
Chocolates or Gourmet Chocolate Truffles), you should choose a full
bodied wine. To make wine and chocolate pairing easier, try
referring to the tables below
Red Wines and Chocolate
Cabernet Franc / Creamy Milk Chocolate
Cabernet Sauvignon / Dark Chocolate
Merlot / Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate
Pinot Noir / Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate
Sangiovese / Dark Chocolate
Zinfandel / Dark Chocolate
As you can see, red wines often match well dark chocolates but there
are a couple of exceptions. Cabernet Franc with an extra creamy milk
chocolate is a great wine and chocolate pairing.
White Wines and Chocolate
Chardonnay / French Vanilla Chocolate
Pinot Blanc / Milk Chocolate
Riesling / Milk Chocolate
Sauvignon Blanc / Milk Chocolate
White wines are somewhat tough to pair with chocolates. While white
wines have a light body which goes very well with milk chocolates,
most are too dry to be served with chocolate. But there are some
truly amazing combinations as well (like Chardonnay paired with
French Vanilla.).
Dessert Wines and Chocolate
Champagne & Sparkling Wine / Almost Any Chocolate (Experiment)
Port / Dark Chocolate
Sherry / White Chocolate
Dessert wines don't really adhere to any "rules" about wine and
chocolate pairings. Champagnes seem to go well with almost any type
of chocolate, while Port and Sherry are on opposite ends of the
chocolate spectrum.
CHILES (HABANERO, e.g.)
RUBY PORT
A fruity,
fortified red wine will pair well with the heat of chile-infused
chocolate
FRUIT
Fruit-flavored truffles, chocolate cherries, chocolate-covered
fruit, dipped glazed or fresh fruit
BANYULS
CABERNET
SAUVIGON
MADIERA
MERLOT
RUBY PORT
Wines with strong fruit notes are good matches for fruit-accented
chocolate.
Banyuls, with its cherry and berry flavors, pairs nicely with these
fruit flavors in chocolate.
Cabernet Sauvignon brings out cherry-pepper-grape notes. With its
heavier tannins, it may be a better match with dark chocolate.
Merlot, a softer red than Cabernet, can also partner well. Try it
with milk chocolate.
Ruby Port brings out cherry and chocolate flavors.
FRUIT GANACHE & FRUIT CREME
FRAMBOISE
DESSERT WINE
ORANGE
MUSCAT
MARSALA
PINOT
NOIR
PORT
ROSE
Champagne
Bonnie Doon Framboise, a dessert wine that is an "infusion of
raspberries," made to go with chocolate.
Try Marsala or Vintage Port with citrus centers.
Orange Muscat.
A
fruity Pinot Noir accents both the fruit and the fruitiness inherent
in some fine couverture chocolate. A wine with milder tannins, it
also is matches will with subtle creme fillings.
LIQUEURS
Liqueur-flavored
chocolates can pair well with their corresponding liqueurs.
MINT
CABERNET
SAUVIGON
ZINFANDEL
Cabernets and Zinfandels are a great match for chocolate mint cremes,
mint thins, mint bars, and other variations of mint and
chocolate—especially mint and dark chocolate.
Some California Cabs and Zins have pronounced minty nuances of their
own. Your wine merchant should be able to direct you to those
particular producers. For an even more interesting pairing, try some
wines that are "minty" and some that aren’t.
Wine and chocolate pairings are interesting if nothing else. Many
people swear by this unusual combination while others insist that it
"can not be done". The only way to know for sure is to try it for
yourself.
Gourmet dark chocolate often takes a back seat the wide-spread
popularity of gourmet milk chocolate but don’t be fooled. Gourmet
dark chocolate is every bit a treat to senses as any other gourmet
chocolate treat.
Gourmet dark chocolate even makes a good gourmet chocolate gift idea
for those who are health conscious. Gourmet dark chocolate (70%
cocoa or more) has been proven in studies to actually be good for
you! Gourmet dark chocolate has several essential nutrients such as
iron, calcium and potassium. It even contains the vitamins A, B1, C,
D, and E. So, you can actually help protect your body against heart
disease and high blood pressure by simply enjoying some gourmet dark
chocolate. (U.S.-FDA Research Department).
The best part is that gourmet dark chocolate is a lot tastier than
vitamin pills and nutrition drinks. Gourmet dark chocolate also
contains cancer-fighting antioxidants and has even been compared to
wine (which have been known for years to contain high levels of
antioxidants).
Gourmet dark chocolate is delicious and good for you. You can’t go
wrong! So, you can safely use gourmet dark chocolate as a gourmet
chocolate gift idea to just about anyone. You can rest assured that
you have not only given them a wonderfully delicious gourmet
chocolate gift but also a gift that is good for them.
The best gourmet chocolate truffles are rich with a silky smooth
palate. They also come in many different varieties. You can get
gourmet chocolate truffles made from dark chocolate or milk
chocolate. Dark chocolate truffles are the most popular though. The
bitterness of dark chocolate balances very well with the sweetness
of truffles.
Try them all,
experiment.
After all it’s Chocolate and Wine! Enjoy.
Baja Chocolate Lovers Bob (Chocolatier)
Contributing Author Steven Everett
http://www.easy-wine.net/wine-chocolate.htm