Wine and chocolate are two foods that delight the palate. Still, one question remains: how do you go about tasting chocolate with wine? With this article, you’ll discover the best pairings for an incomparable moment of pleasure. Get ready!
Wine and chocolate: the classic pairings
If you want to taste wine and chocolate together, there are a few classic pairings that simply can’t go wrong.
Different wines for different chocolates
The taste of chocolate depends on its cocoa content, so you need to adapt your choice of wine accordingly. On that note, a chocolate with 50% cocoa works well with a rosé Champagne. For a slightly more powerful chocolate (between 70 and 75% cocoa), you can go for a red wine that brings out lovely notes of acidity to set your palate tingling.
In every case, you’ll be working with two strategies. You can opt for harmony by serving increasingly tannic wines as the cocoa content of the chocolate rises. Careful though, chocolate, being cocoa-based, also has tannins. Alternatively, you can opt for contrast and choose sweeter, softer wines.
Pairings for chocolate desserts
First, the usual pairing is a sweet wine with chocolate. Sweet wines really are particularly well suited to tasting with chocolate. As a result, a Sauternes pairs perfectly with a chocolate dessert. For small chocolate petits fours, you can turn to a Muscat de Rivesaltes. If you’re enjoying a dessert that’s a little higher in sugar, you can reach for a sweet wine from the Loire Valley.
Be careful: serving a wine that’s too sweet with a dessert can make everything feel too heavy. A white wine with too many calories will be out of balance with the chocolate. Try to find the right balance and bring some freshness to your dessert instead!
Wine and dark chocolate
Sometimes the cocoa content of the chocolate goes above 80%. With a dark chocolate that’s high in cocoa, it’s worth playing it safe. In that case, choose naturally sweet wines. A fortified wine is an excellent choice for developing the complexity of the aromas without the chocolate disappearing in the process.
Finally, if the chocolate is 100% cocoa, wine may not be your best ally (then again, it might). On the other hand, certain spirits can be a great help. That’s the case with some whiskies, which bring out the aromas of the chocolate in a perfect match.
Pairings to avoid
So, as you’ll have gathered, there’s very little that will hold you back in your tasting. That said, avoid tasting dark chocolate with dry white wines or rosé. They’re simply too acidic to make the most of the chocolate. The same rule applies to Champagne.
There are two exceptions: milk chocolate and white chocolate. In both cases, a sweet wine would bring far too much sugar. So you can choose a dry white wine and bring some freshness instead!
Doing a wine and chocolate tasting? Keep an eye on the calories in a glass of wine, but take the chance to fill out a tasting sheet. Good news, we’re giving you one!
