Some things are seasonal - if you are a dabbler, that is.  Like the cliché of chocolates and roses for St. Valentine's Day, the dinner for two, the candlelight.  Romance. Or Mother's Day.  Or the birthday.  Or whatever occasion.  But around that notorious cupid and red hearts holiday, nothing seems to occupy the romantic wine dabbler's mind more than 'can I, should I, DARE I combine chocolate and wine'.  And even more so, HOW? 

Yes, you can and you should because it is the quintessential, epicurean experience.  Carefully paired, it is a sensual, unforgettable delight.  And savoured with focus, with the mood carefully set (music, candles and thou) moan enticing little waves of pure pleasure from delightfully intoxicated taste buds will overcome your reserves.  Oh, yes.

An underestimated, heavenly combination, wine and chocolate deserves a grand coming-out.  There are chocoholic wine lovers amongst us and their numbers are growing such that reserved sommeliers are becoming adventurous and open.  Taboos are being broken.

For the professional wine taster, there are courses to learn the art of this perfect pairing.  It is perhaps easier to match a wine for an Asian or spicy meal.  Matching a dessert wine to the dessert is also easy.  But wine and chocolate are worlds of their own...and one tries to meet the twain.

The Aztecs valued Xocolatl as an aphrodisiac and important luxury and the Greeks had their Dionyosis, the god of wine.  Both revered the products of their separate cultures as 'food of the gods'.  And a little of that reverence remains deep within us still.  And that makes us unsured.

General rules

The sweeter the chocolate, the sweeter and milder the wine acidity should be so that the delicate balance remains intact. The liaison of chocolate with the bloom and the sumptuousness of a noble sweet wine produced from specially selected grapes or a semi-dry selection is genuine Art of Seduction of a 'different kind'.

The higher the cocoa content, the drier the wine should be.

The higher the tannins, the milder the chocolate (such as milk chocolates).

Particularly rich and concentrated, aromatic red wines pair generally well with bitter chocolates of 70%.  Avoid in any case wines with distinct woody, oak notes.

Surprising aromatics - the how to enjoy

First, a small sip of the wine. Then a small piece of chocolate is savoured and allowed to melt on the tongue and softly pressed against the palate as it melds.  Follow with another sip of wine to reveal an aromatic surprise.  And just as one is careful about the wine temperature, the chocolate should also be about 20-22° C. (68°F-71.6°F.) to develop its bouquet.

Harmony

A good rule of thumb is to match whatever natural fruity aromas the chocolate has (such as fruity pieces within it or not) with what is found in the wine (pear, berry, apricot, pineapple notes).  It is important that the acidity is not so dominant.

White Chocolate

Not a 'true chocolate' but a pleasure nonetheless, this pairs well with semi-sweet and sweet wines such as the Riesling or Riesling Eiswein (aka ice or frost wine) or pale, apricot hued rosés.

Milk Chocolate

The milk or cream content enhances the sweetness of the chocolate and contains about 32% cocoa.  This is well matched with a white wine produced from noble grapes such as the versatile Riesling with its well balanced sweetness to acidity and fruity, flowery, aromatic notes.  40% milk chocolate is a little more difficult to match - choose a sweet wine.

Bitter (dark) Chocolate

The classic combination - bitter chocolate and red wine.  Semi-bitter chocolate with its 65% cocoa and bitter with upwards of 70% requires a rich, concentrated, fruity and well structured red wine with low tannins such as a Merlot.  Cabernet pairs very well because it already has cocoa, spice and berry notes, however avoid those with known oak notes.  The result is disastrous with chocolate of any kind.  Generally, a fruity wine pairs best with bitter chocolate and on the other end - so does a good cognac.  Highly bitter chocolate of upwards of 80% to 99% - almost pure cocoa - usually leave the mouth dry and are best left savoured on their own.  These frustrate all attempts to match an appropriate wine and in the end will entirely overpower the taste senses.

Chocolate with Spices

Semi- and bitter chocolates with ginger, spices or even chili are best paired with red barrique wines that also have spicy, toasted notes.  Milk Chocolate with spices pairs well with the white barrique wines such as White or Grey Burgundy.

Almond and Hazelnut Chocolate

Toasted nuts encased in chocolate, bitter or not are absolutely perfect with a sweet or heavy white wine as well as a full bodied, compact red wine.  Look for one with the aroma of red fruit and toast notes to bring out the very best in this combination of nut and chocolate.  A white wine may be a little on the drier side if the alcohol content is over 13%.

What about those chocolate covered strawberries or strawberry mousse filled pralines or strawberry truffles?  Indulge with good semi-dry champagne or other sparkling wine for these classic romantic seductions.

And those clichés?  No thank you.  For me, a single orchid, Belgian dark chocolate and my favourite Merlot says it all!

Related page: The Wine Spot

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