Perfect Wine and Chocolate Pairings🤩 

Wine and chocolate are not the easiest of pairings, but with some thoughtful planning, you can create a delicious pairing which will leave you drooling for more!😋

Wine and chocolate have lots in common, so it’s not surprising that they seem to go hand in hand; they both originated from fruit, wine from grapes and chocolate from cacao beans. These fruits are both high in nutrients and have some of the same chemical compounds known to have many health benefits.

Tips for pairing wine and chocolate:

🍷 The wine should be sweeter than the food.

🥂 Match the intensities of the chocolate and wine.

🍷 Consider the creaminess or bitterness of the chocolate.

🥂 Which flavors in the wine do you wish to enhance (citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit, red berries, caramel, nuts, etc.)

🍷 Dessert wines, sparkling wines and still wines pair well with chocolate.

🥂 Consider other ingredients or flavors of the chocolate such as nuts, caramel, salt or dried fruit and pair them with wines with similar or contrasting flavors. (i.e.: chili-spiced chocolate with fruity wine or salty chocolate with sweet wine.)

🍷 Tip: Dark chocolate and bold red wine have tannins which can create a bitter and unpleasant taste if paired together… keep the red wine fruity, which will soften the tannins.

White chocolate

❤Moscato d’Asti (Italy),

❤Ice wines made from Riesling or Vidal (BC/Ontario)

❤Tokaji Aszu (Hungary)

❤Sauternes (France)

❤Oaky, buttery Chardonnay (California/Oregon/BC)

❤Pinot Noir (BC/Washington/Oregon/France)

❤Beaujolais (France) or Gamay (BC/Ontario)

Milk chocolate

🍇Ruby Port (Portugal)

🍇Lambrusco (Italy)

🍇Recioto della Valpolicella (Italy)

🍇Pinot Noir (BC or Oregon)

🍇Merlot (France)

🍇Sangiovese (Italy.

😋Riesling (BC/Washington/Ontario/Germany)

😋Gewürztraminer (Alsace, France/BC)

😋Pinot Gris (Alsace, France/BC).

Dark chocolate

🍷Ruby Port (Portugal)

🍷Fortified late or harvest red wine (BC/Ontario)

🍷PX Sherry (Spain)

🍷Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon (Southern California)

🍷Shiraz (Australia)

🍷Malbec (Argentina)

5 MYTHS ABOUT PAIRING WINE AND CHOCOLATE

MYTH# 1: DRY RED WINES DON’T PAIR WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

MYTH #2: YOU SHOULD PAIR DARK CHOCOLATE WITH A SWEET WINE

MYTH #3: (RED) WINE AND CHOCOLATE ARE A NATURAL PAIRING

MYTH #4: WHITE WINE DOESN’T PAIR WELL WITH CHOCOLATE

MYTH #5: CHAMPAGNE (OR SPARKLING WINE) DOESN’T PAIR WITH CHOCOLATE

Cheers and Bon appétit, The Wine Guy🍷😋