I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that wine and chocolate are two of my most favourite things so with Valentine’s Day fast approaching I thought it would be fun to share some hints for creating the perfect pairing.
For dessert it’s important to keep in mind that the wine must be at least as sweet as the dish itself or one will overpower the other. When it comes to chocolate, treat each style as a different texture, sweetness level and flavor and pair to its individual qualities. Below I have created a quick wine and chocolate pairing chart for you to help make bringing these two together as easy as possible.
However there is one wine style that I think every chocolate-lover should know about because it pairs universally with all chocolate: Moscato d’Asti from Italy. It’s made from the Moscato grape, is off dry, lightly bubbly (frizzante) and will make you smile as soon as you smell it. I recommend trying a bottle of Batasiolo Bosc D’la Rei Moscato D’Asti 2007 ($16) with chocolate fondue, fresh fruit and your favorite person for Valentine’s Day – enjoy!
| Chocolate |
Wine |
|
Dark:
The most bitter style of chocolate, serve with dry wines or ruby ports.
|
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Bordeaux Blends, Malbec, Late Bottle Vintage Ports, Moscato d’Asti, Cabernet Franc, Ice Wine
|
|
Milk:
Sweeter than the dark variety; pair with wines that are more fruit forward, have a touch of sweetness and juicy red fruit flavours.
|
Zinfandel, Merlot, Moscato d’Asti, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Late Bottle Vintage Port, Moscato d’Asti
|
|
White:
The sweetest of the three styles; pair with sweeter wines to bring out the best in both the wine and chocolate.
|
Ice Wine, Sauternes, Demi-Sec Champagne, Tawny Port Styles (caramel in flavour profile), Iced Cider, Orange Muscat, Moscato d’Asti
|
Renowned as Western Canada's favourite sommelier and fast-becoming a national name, Erin Rosar is the creator of 'Wine in the Kitchen' and founder of WG Wines based in Calgary, where she goes by the alter ego of Wine Girl (WG). She’s also an instructor with the International Sommelier Guild and is a recognized sommelier with the Court of Masters Sommeliers out of London, England.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: