The Nicest Flavor Combinations

There are a few basic guidelines when pairing wine with chocolate which I've found make the nicest flavor combinations. Try your own pairings to see what works best for you. The basic idea is to keep the wine within the same sweetness range as the chocolate. In other words, combine light chocolates with lighter wines and darker chocolates with bold red wines. The one exception to this basic guideline is that when it comes to champagne, you pretty much can pair it with any type of chocolate.

White Chocolate: Dessert Wines and Champagne

Milk Chocolate (34% cocoa solids): Pinot Noir

Dark Milk Chocolate (41% cocoa solids): Merlot

Dark Chocolate (66% - 72% cocoa solids): Shiraz and Zinfandel

Extra Dark Chocolate (85% cocoa solids): Cabernet Sauvignon and Port

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