Wine and Chocolate Pairing
Wine, fruit, meat and cheese have long been combined so why on Earth are people now combining wine with chocolate? Some people are horrified at the thought whilst others view it as an opportunity to experiment and excite the taste buds.
On the whole, chocolates are sweet so there’s the risk that your wine can end up tasting like grape juice. There are two approaches that can enhance rather than undercut the wine.
Combining sweet chocolate with dry white wine might not be up your street but why not give it a go? You only live once! A dry white, such as a fine German Riesling, can offset any excessive sweetness from a rich, dark Belgian chocolate.
You can try the opposite road by pairing light milk chocolate with a heavy claret or port but that might be overdoing it. But for those who don’t want a chocolate’s sugar to overload the wine, you need a wine that will stand up to it with a boldness all its own.
A heavy Spanish Marsala may be just the thing to wash down the aftertaste of a mouth-enveloping chunk of chocolate. If your palette is more for light Swiss chocolates then try some Sherry. If Merlot is your thing then offset its fruity nectar with bitter chocolate. Too much? Go for semi-sweet chocolate instead.
Because Pink Zinfandel has a sweeter, more fruity aftertaste it’s ideal when serving chocolate for dessert. Small squares of a dark Belgian with raisins can serve the purpose without overloading your guests. Washington wine Clubs are well worth checking out.
You have a wide range of wines to choose from when serving truffles. Thanks to the mushroom base of truffles, and the delicate chocolate couverature sprinkled with cocoa powder, there are several reds that perfectly compliment this fine confection. You could go for a spicy Syrah or try something more subtle, like a fine Cabernet.
It’s not just red wines that can be paired with chocolate, some white wines will work too. A white chocolate may be served best of all with a native wine such as Gewürztraminer. White chocolate has no dark cocoa powder in it so make sure that you keep to dry white wines.
Even if you give chocolate and wine a go and decide it’s not for you, that’s fine. It’s important to experiment and give things a go. Variety is the spice of life after all!
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