Chocolate & Wine Pairings Designs By Nishy
National Chocolate Day is October 28th!
Whether or not you are a fan of chocolate, there is always one exception - maybe it's birthday cake, ice cream, Halloween candy or perhaps a Monday? (Yes, we know how brutal Mondays can be!)
To celebrate Chocolate Day, we have some recommendations for Wines that pair perfectly with Chocolate.
The general rule when it comes to Wine and Food pairing is that the wine should always be sweeter than the food.
Why is this so?
Well, it is a really fun experiment. But we will spare you the time (and calories), so here goes:
The sugar in food does a few things to the taste of the wine:
1. It reduces the taste of sugar in the wine
2. It makes the body of the wine seemingly less than it really is
3. It reduces the fruity flavors of the wine
4. Sugar in food, increases the bitterness of the wine
5. Amplifies the burning effect of alcohol
6. Sugar in food, makes the acidity of the wine taste higher
7. It increases the astringency of the wine
It's controversial, but not all Red wines pair well with Milk or Dark Chocolate for that reason.
Whether or not you are a fan of chocolate, there is always one exception - maybe it's birthday cake, ice cream, Halloween candy or perhaps a Monday? (Yes, we know how brutal Mondays can be!)
To celebrate Chocolate Day, we have some recommendations for Wines that pair perfectly with Chocolate.
The general rule when it comes to Wine and Food pairing is that the wine should always be sweeter than the food.
Why is this so?
Well, it is a really fun experiment. But we will spare you the time (and calories), so here goes:
The sugar in food does a few things to the taste of the wine:
1. It reduces the taste of sugar in the wine
2. It makes the body of the wine seemingly less than it really is
3. It reduces the fruity flavors of the wine
4. Sugar in food, increases the bitterness of the wine
5. Amplifies the burning effect of alcohol
6. Sugar in food, makes the acidity of the wine taste higher
7. It increases the astringency of the wine
It's controversial, but not all Red wines pair well with Milk or Dark Chocolate for that reason.
Let's start with the popular Milk Chocolate.
It's one of the easiest chocolates to pair with Wine because of the high fat content.
The wine should of course be sweet and Reds would absolutely be best.
Recommendations:
1. Recioto della Valpolicella - a sweet red wine that comes from Verona, Italy. (Imagine chocolate covered cherries)
2. Ruby Port - simple, youthful blended ports that are fruit-forward
3. Lambrusco - a gentle sparkling fruity light red wine from Italy
It's one of the easiest chocolates to pair with Wine because of the high fat content.
The wine should of course be sweet and Reds would absolutely be best.
Recommendations:
1. Recioto della Valpolicella - a sweet red wine that comes from Verona, Italy. (Imagine chocolate covered cherries)
2. Ruby Port - simple, youthful blended ports that are fruit-forward
3. Lambrusco - a gentle sparkling fruity light red wine from Italy
Dark Chocolate has more tannins and tends to be more bitter due to the higher cocoa content.
The bitterness in the chocolate will amplify the bitterness in the wine, so you want to aim for a sweet wine with lower tannins.
Recommendations:
1. Vin Santo - popular in the Chianti region and traditionally served with Biscotti (it would be lovely with a dark chocolate biscotti), due to the presence of cherries, spices and nuts.
2. Pedro Ximenez (PX) - a very sweet fortified (white) wine that is usually used in Sherry production. It has pronounced raisin and nutty flavors
3. Tawny Port - complex, aged caramel and nutty fortified sweet (red) wine.
The bitterness in the chocolate will amplify the bitterness in the wine, so you want to aim for a sweet wine with lower tannins.
Recommendations:
1. Vin Santo - popular in the Chianti region and traditionally served with Biscotti (it would be lovely with a dark chocolate biscotti), due to the presence of cherries, spices and nuts.
2. Pedro Ximenez (PX) - a very sweet fortified (white) wine that is usually used in Sherry production. It has pronounced raisin and nutty flavors
3. Tawny Port - complex, aged caramel and nutty fortified sweet (red) wine.
White chocolate doesn't contain the cocoa solids as milk or dark chocolate does. Instead, it's made from cocoa butter. This allows for white chocolate to be paired with a number of wines.
Recommendations:
1. Moscato d'Asti - a gentle sparkle with floral & peachy flavors that adds to the creaminess of the chocolate
2. Ice wine (or Eiswein) - made from Riesling (Germany/USA) or Vidal (Canada), it is a sweet white wine with lemon, pineapple, candied citrus peel and orange marmalade flavors
3. Rosé d'Anjou - a rosé wine bursting with rose petals, raspberry and strawberry flavors that works beautifully with creamy white chocolate. Think white chocolate mousse topped with raspberry coulis.
Recommendations:
1. Moscato d'Asti - a gentle sparkle with floral & peachy flavors that adds to the creaminess of the chocolate
2. Ice wine (or Eiswein) - made from Riesling (Germany/USA) or Vidal (Canada), it is a sweet white wine with lemon, pineapple, candied citrus peel and orange marmalade flavors
3. Rosé d'Anjou - a rosé wine bursting with rose petals, raspberry and strawberry flavors that works beautifully with creamy white chocolate. Think white chocolate mousse topped with raspberry coulis.
What are some of your favorite chocolate and wine pairings?
Have you tried our suggestions?
Let us know what you think:
Leave a comment below or connect with us on Instagram
Have you tried our suggestions?
Let us know what you think:
Leave a comment below or connect with us on Instagram
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