Tips on How to chocolate wine pairing and Wine Artfully
Learn how to pair wine and chocolate with fabulous results and good times. Pairing tips from Santa Barbara Chocolate are easy and fun.
Santa Barbara, CA, October 17, 2016 (Newswire.com) – The golden hills and fertile valleys of California, lined with hearty grapevines, are bathed in sunshine and cooled by the fresh Pacific air. With the Halloween harvest moon, it’s the perfect time to celebrate Autumn’s bounty. What better way to enjoy the season than with a fun-filled chocolate wine pairing party – California style!
Wine & Chocolate pairings are a fun, creative way to enjoy delicious complimentary flavors. Savor the perfect piece of chocolate - melting in your mouth then sipping a fine vintage. It’s a memorable party theme guaranteed to bring people closer together experimenting, discovering and sharing.
Basics of Wine and Chocolate Tasting
The most basic rule for a successful chocolate and wine pairing is to match the sweetness of the wine with the chocolate. Opt for wines that aren’t too dry (unless pairing with extra dark chocolate). Ultimately, the key to a great chocolate wine pairing is for the two to complement each other. Dark chocolates pair well with robust wines, while lighter red wines and full-bodied whites are a perfect match for milk chocolates. Don’t forget, some of the best pairings include white chocolates with white wines.
White Chocolate and Wine
Gourmet white chocolates that are subtle and not too sweet, can display surprisingly complex flavors. As a result, white chocolate often pairs beautifully with sweet dessert wines or bubbly Champagne. Try a couple White Chocolate coins with a glass of Elysium from the California Quady Winery or maybe a bottle of dessert wine from Dolce Winery... two stellar choices!
Milk Chocolate and Wine
32-45% Cocoa Solids
Milk chocolate, smooth and harmonious, is amazingly versatile with complex nuances perfect red wines like merlot or a pinot noir. The Santa Barbara Chocolate Rainforest Dark Milk Chocolate is a favorite served with Far Niente Chardonnay. It’s an explosion of pleasure!
Dark Chocolate and Wine
50-70% Cocoa Solids
Dark chocolate with wine is a natural pairing made in heaven. Full robust reds like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon share similar flavor profiles to exotic chocolates with notes of red berry, oak and even tobacco at times. The distinct tasting experience of an extra fine chocolate with red wine will enlighten your soul to a whole new realm of food nirvana. A bottle of Hendry Primitivo from Napa is a great one to pour. And if you want to have a real experience, try a Ficklin Tinta Port Dessert Wine with an Organic 70% Dark Chocolate - probably one of the best pairings in history.
Extra Dark Chocolate and Wine
72-100%
Extra dark chocolate is bold and powerful and not for the faint of heart. Flavors are strong and true to the cacao origin. The depth of pure rainforest chocolate blooms with bright scents and robust earthiness. Melting big flavors compliment full-bodied red wines like Beckmen Vineyards Grenache or Cline Zinfandel - elegant choices with a pure cacao chocolate like the Rainforest 100% or a single origin 72% Dark Chocolate.
Wine and Chocolate - It’s All Good
Try these basic guidelines, but most of all have fun creating your own combinations, experimenting and spending quality time together. That’s what it is all about. Cheers!
Source: Santa Barbara Chocolate