Valentine’s Day was over in a flash this year! Once again I was fortunate enough to have the help of Alexis during this busy season. We were hard at work in the kitchen for two straight weeks making the freshest chocolates possible. Although we still managed to squeeze in a few events leading up to the big day!
I was invited by Kim Gregory of Christofle Silver to lead a wine and chocolate pairing at their beautiful Beverly Hills location. Kim suggested we bring in local wine expert Julie Brosterman of Women&Wine to select the wines. Julie also has a shop in Beverly Hills called Wine Valet. I was thrilled to include Julie hoping she could pass on some of her wine knowledge to me. AND as if chocolate and wine wasn’t enough, Kim incorporated fashion into our party by bringing on dress designer Galina Sobolev of Single Dress! Galina’s fashions have been worn by countless celebrities and also featured on the hit Bravo series, “Launch My Line”. Together Kim and Galina paired exquisite Christofle jewelry pieces with elegant single dresses. I am happy to say the event was a great success!
Julie of Women & Wine, Kim of Christofle, Model foe Single Dress, Galina of Single Dress, and Me Lady Chocolatier.
I’d like to share a little more about the pairings because they were all so wonderful. I usually choose wines to pair with chocolates that have similar flavors. A strong flavor in the chocolate will help bring out similar undertones within the wine. Julie did something entirely different and chose pairings I would have never thought of, only to prove the endless possibilities with wine pairing.
The first pairing was our Very Berry truffle and this refreshing Rose of Syrah, from Plata Wine Company. This truffle is made with Absolute Los Angeles, infused with acai, acerola, pomegranate, and blueberry; normally an excellent choice for wine pairings due to all of these berry flavors. I usually pair it with reds though, unaware it would be so perfect with this rose’ and no surprise a crowd favorite for the evening.
Pairing number two was this Nuevo Mundo Cabernet blend and our Espresso truffle. An organic Chilean red, 60%Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Carmenere. Flavors include blackberry and black cherry with layers of earthy spice. Espresso is not my favorite truffle because I am not a coffee drinker but oddly enough this was MY favorite pairing for this event! When the flavors meld together in your mouth it’s something truly divine.
Last but not least we tasted this 2005 Lomond Merlot with our Star Anise truffle. That’s right; Anise, which has a slight licorice flavor, can be enjoyed even by those who don’t like licorice much at all. This well balanced African Merlot has flavors of sweet plum and a slight smokiness making it the right mate for my Anise. I’m so glad all of our pairings were such a success!
Thanks to all of my friends who came out to the event, helping to make it more exciting. With out you, I would be lost!
Beautiful Friends Anastasia, Me, Emily, Alexis, and Sarah.