As we approach Valentine’s Day, thoughts turn to wine and chocolate. Well, ok maybe we think of other things as well, but we do think about giving chocolates. Wouldn’t it be great to give chocolates and experience it with a wonderful wine?
Chocolate is not easy to pair. The general rule with all pairings is the wine should be sweeter than the food, and this applies to chocolate as well. Otherwise the taste will be sour and the finish will be unpleasant. We usually think of Champagne or a Red. But so does everyone else and it seems outdated. Plus the bubbles get in your nose and the red can really ruin the whole experience since there are more bad matches then good ones.
You can’t go wrong with a dessert wine or port with fruity flavors high with residule sugars. If you don’t like sweet wines, Cabernets are a great alternative because a lot of them have a hint of cocoa, along with blackberries and spices. Make sure you don’t grab an oakey Cabernet though as you will be disappointed. The oak doesn’t work well with the sweetness of the chocolate and makes a bad match.