When you are providing someone with a present or gesture, more often than not they contain wine and chocolate. For some reason, these two items are “go to” gifts, especially if you don’t know the person very well. Even though they pair as gifts, you will very rarely see them appear together on a restaurant menu. Nor will chocolate be a recommended pairing when you view wine information on an online wine provider website.
While wine and chocolate with a lovely ribbon is the perfect gift for a friend, how on earth do you pair them together? The following information might help.
What Works with Milk Chocolate?
Milk chocolate consists typically of both cream and chocolate, which makes it more of a confectionary than actual chocolate. However, that doesn’t make it any less hard to pair. A sure-fire way of nailing the combination is to opt for sweet sparkling red wine.
The berry, spices, and fruity undertones from most sweet sparkling varieties pair beautifully with the creaminess of the chocolate. What’s more, each bite and swig blends together into a zesty, berry-like combination that feels silky smooth in your mouth and tastes divine. Tip: If you order chocolate mousse at a restaurant, ask for a glass of Ruby Port. With spice and berry undertones, it’s a match made in heaven. You may also be able to find this Port, which originates from Portugal, from an online wine provider.
What Works with Dark Chocolate?
Pairing wine with dark chocolate can be quite tricky – in part due to the bitterness and the aftertaste of the chocolate. However, because dark chocolate has polyphenols, these can also mean the wine has a bitter aftertaste as well. The goal of pairing dark chocolate with wine is to balance out that bitterness by bringing a little sweetness into it. Therefore, sweet and aromatic wines are going to tick all the boxes.
When you’re looking for the perfect wine to accompany it – either from an online wine provider or your local bottle store – be on the lookout for particular ingredients. Cherry, nuts, and hints of cinnamon can all bring dark chocolate out of its shell, creating a kaleidoscope of new flavours you’re sure to enjoy.
What About White Chocolate?
If white chocolate weren’t included in this article, it would be fair enough. Because white chocolate doesn’t contain any cacao, it’s not technically chocolate. Instead, it’s easier to class it as confectionary. However, considering its popularity, it’s essential to find wines to pair with it as well. After all, some people prefer white chocolate to all other kinds.
Putting aside the classification, white chocolate is a winner with many people because it is easier to pair with wine than both milk and dark chocolate. One of the most stand-out accompaniments is Pinot Noir. Because this wine type – common from most online wine providers and on restaurant menus – features so many fruity layers, it causes a party in your mouth.
Strawberry, raspberry, and cherry, all work together with the white chocolate’s fat to deliver on a burst of sweet, sour, tangy, and creamy flavours. If you haven’t tried Pinot Noir with white chocolate, then you need to.
However, Rose port, ice wine, and similar wines with fruit, citrus, and zesty notes will all work well with white chocolate. Therefore, if you ever did want to gift someone two items that actually do work well together, white chocolate and wine is the best combination.
Wine and chocolate make fabulous gifts, but the thought was never for them to be enjoyed together. If you want to change all that, why not offer a bottle of Ruby Port with milk chocolate or Pinot Noir with white? You may find it’s a match made in heaven after all.