Chocolate Wine Pairings

Ah, chocolate, the stuff of Valentines everywhere and also of many holidays. Did you know that tastes in chocolate have matured in the US over the years? Godiva is one of the quality producers of chocolate in Europe, and until 1992 they had to create a "sweet" blend for sales in the US. It was only in 1992 that they began to offer US consumers the darker, richer variety that Europe had enjoyed.

The Swiss are the #1 consumer of chocolate, eating over 2 pounds per person each year. The US, despite its sweet tooth, only ranks 10th in worldwide consumption.

If you're preparing to enjoy a chocolate, what wine shall you drink with it? Champagne, while also romantic, is hardly a good mix for chocolate. The flavors tend to clash. Your best bets are a late harvest riesling, merlot, cabernet, or port.

Late Harvest Riesling
Riesling is grown in many places, but does the best in its native Germany and in California. The Riesling grape is believed to be indigenous to Germany, and has been planted there since the fourteenth century. Late Harvest Riesling is a sweet but complex white wine that is great as a dessert wine. It often has fruity and floral flavours.

Merlot "In the old days", Merlot was used as a red blending wine. Soft and compliant, it was used to mix with cabernet in the French Bordeaux wines. Recently, though, it has been discovered as a delicious wine in its own right. Not quite as harsh as other reds, mellow but still complex, merlot has soft flavors of plum.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet is one of the most popular wines on the market. Cabernet is the name of both the grape and the wine it produces. It is known as one of the world's finest red wines, with its depth of complexity and richness of flavour. With its rich black currant and blackberry flavors, Cabernet goes very well with dark, rich chocolates.

Port
Port is fortified wine from the Douro Valley, Portugal. The term "port" can only refer to these wines, much like French regions lay claim to certain titles. Being fortified, port is high in alcohol and is normally drunk from small glasses, in sips. Port should be served around 65 degrees, and the glass should only be half filled.

Wine Food Pairings