Yes, It’s finally here! My wine and chocolate tasting tips, followed by many excellent paring suggestions in the weeks to come.
When paring wine and chocolate the goal is to create a well rounded experience, the flavors of both should compliment one another. The wine should not overwhelm, dominate, nor battle the flavor of the chocolate, and vice versa. The flavors in the chocolate should also be found in the undertones of the wine, each bringing out the subtle flavor of the other.
The wines should be a touch sweeter than that of the paired chocolate. Lighter more elegant flavored chocolates boast well with lighter bodied wines, as stronger bitter chocolates fair better with more full bodied wines. Mellow, buttery, and nutty chocolates pair well with Sherry and Port wines. As usual with tasting you want to start with the lighter chocolates and the lighter wines first, then on to the dark’s, and finishing with the sweeter port and/or dessert wines.
- As with beer, proper procedure entails first tasting the wine on its own. Wine Tasting Specs
- Then tasting the chocolate on its own. Chocolate Tasting
- Finally, tasting again the chocolate and letting it melt on your tongue slowly but not fully. Next, take a sip of the wine and swirl them together around in your mouth. Remember to breathe while doing this to enhance the flavors.
Of course not only the quality of the chocolate is important but the quality of the wine as well. You can’t expect to be wowed by a Hershey bar and a “jug-o-wine”. Remember to choose wines that are low in acidity because chocolate can be acidic too. Hopefully you will try some of my suggested parings and experiment with some of your own.
Don’t be afraid to share and good luck!