Wine and Chocolate combinations make for great gifts all year round, irrespective of season, festival or gender of the giver and receiver. Wine and Chocolate also make for great company if you are entertaining at home. So, what wine pairs beautifully with what chocolate?
Although wine and chocolate pairings are a point of contention among wine connoisseurs, there are certain guidelines even they agree on. And they are
- Choose a wine that can stand up to the chocolate in sweetness.
- Pair them by colour. The darker the chocolate, the darker the wine.
- Opt for the highest quality chocolate bar you can afford.
- Go beyond the taste factor. Work with textures. A wine that is layered, complex and textured will better pair with a chocolate that shares a similar trait.
Then what exactly makes wine and chocolate pairings a tad difficult? The fact that they both have rich, bold tastes is precisely what creates those “to do” or “not to do” moments in wine and chocolate pairings. For example, even a rich wine may fail to flavour your palate after a bite of rich chocolate! Remedy? Choose a sweet dessert wine instead! Sounds complex, huh? Follow our curated simple guide here and set the table for a great wine and chocolate evening or a perfect gift!
Milk Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Port, Sherry, Banyuls, Pinot Noir
White Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Champagne, Riesling, Muscat, Fruity Chardonnay
Dark Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Merlot, Cabarnet Sauvignon, Barolo Chinato, Chianti
Caramel-filled Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Madeira, Meursault, Pinot Noir
Dark Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Mint Port, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon
Chilli Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Syrah, Brachetto, Valpolicella
Dark Orange Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Bordeaux, Vendage Tardive, Madeira
Chocolate & Nuts-🡪 pairs with 🡪 Brachetto, Tawny Port, Shiraz
Fruity Chocolate Truffles -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Maury, Ruby Port, Black Muscat
Peanut chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Amontillado Sherry, Madeira
Coffee/Espresso Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Oloroso Sherry, Pinot Noir, Shiraz
Lavender Truffle -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Chardonnay, Riesling
Sea Salt Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Pinot Noir, Oloroso Sherry, Merlot
Nougat-filled Chocolate -🡪 pairs with 🡪 Medium-dry Sherry, Madeira, Ruby Port