It is a common misconception that chocolate and wine don’t pair well.  In fact, tasting chocolate and wine together can bring out wonderful flavours too subtle to be fully appreciated when tasted separately.  However, not all chocolate and wine pairing are complementary and so a few guidelines must be followed to find those perfect marriages of flavour.

The quality of the chocolate used for tasting is very important.  Low quality, mass produced chocolate will not have any depth of flavour, so will bring nothing to the tasting experience.  Gourmet chocolate made with real cocoa butter, on the other hand, is ideal for tasting with wine, as the cocoa butter neutralises wine’s astringency.  Chocolate made with beans grown on a single plantation is best; when paired well, the myriad of flavours unique to each plantation will shine through.

Likewise, good quality wine, made with the grapes from prestigious vineyards will provide the best tasting experience.  Tannins, the polyphenols which add complexity to food, can also make wine taste dryer and more bitter when enjoyed with chocolate, so wine for chocolate tasting should always be sweeter than the chocolate it’s sampled with.  Tasting notes such as fruits, honey or nuts all complement chocolate, so wines with these flavours are likely to pair well.

With a little experimentation to establish your personal preferences (as everyone’s palate is unique) wonderful complementary chocolate and wine pairings will be discovered!

Want to find out more about pairing chocolate and wine?  Our chocolate and wine tasting events offer guided tastings of grand cru chocolate and fine dessert wines for companies and groups.