Wine and Chocolate

Wine with chocolate isn’t the first combination of flavors that comes to mind. There are so many other things that go beautifully with chocolate. One thinks of frozen bananas dipped in chocolate, strawberries ditto, orange flavors and peppermint flavors and coffee flavors with chocolate but apart from sherry or brandy, the idea of pairing wine and chocolate is a fairly new one.

Chocolate has become the new wine or cigars; a new religion with new zealots, prophets, and dogmas. The very newest rite is to pair wine and chocolate…very, very carefully. You can’t just dive in and serve up any old combination. This is very serious snobbery; we’re not talking Thunderbird and Hershey bars!

At first, the whole idea of pairing wine and chocolate might seem bizarre, but think about it, doesn’t chocolate go down a treat with a little brandy or sherry? How about some port? Okay, doesn’t seem so crazy now. And consider this, fine chocolate and fine wines have much in common, the terminology not the least. You can talk about ‘bouquet’, you can talk about ‘notes’, you can identify hints of aromas, just don’t talk about chocolate having ‘legs’ or you’ll be blown.

Now, about the tasting; there do seem to be some general rules of thumb. Sweet wines with lots of body (ports, marsalas, sherries) can work with sweet chocolates. Strong reds may work with dark chocolate. Use your nose before your mouth. If it makes sense to your nose, try it. Clear your palate between attempts with plain water at room temperature. If you are successful, each will enhance the other. If you are unsuccessful, well, there’s always the water. Try again. Have fun. Giggle. After all, isn’t that the point?

You will, of course, have to taste many wine and chocolate combinations before you offer such a startling concept at a dinner party. Just remember not to experiment on your guests. And don’t inflict upon them any combination that doesn’t make you swoon.

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