Wine Pairing
Dark Chocolate

Chocolate

Rule for dessert + wine pairing: the wine should be sweeter or it will taste sour.

Pairing Suggestions

Sweet Wines

Recioto (Italy)
Marsala (Italy)
Vin Santo (Italy)
Banyuls (France)
Vintage Port (Portugal)

Dry Wines

Amarone (Italy)
Syrah (World)
Malbec (Argentina)
Côtes du Rhône North (France)
Cabernet Sauvignon (World)
Zinfandel (New World)

Aromatic White Wines

Pinot Gris (Alsace)
Gewürztraminer (France)

Description

The darker the chocolate, the darker the wine!

The difference between milk and dark chocolate is that dark chocolate contains no milk and has a higher percentage of cocoa (30-80%). The higher the percentage, the less is the sugar and cocoa butter.

Vegans can eat dark chocolate because it is made with sugar, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

Dark chocolate is bitter and full of tannins. The perfect match is a fruity and bold red wine that stands the intensity of dark cocoa but has smooth velvety tannins that don' t fight the chocolate ones.

If the chocolate is flavored with other ingredients such caramel or candied fruit, than an aromatic white wine with residual sugar will pair and intensify the secondary ingredients.

Dark Chocolate + Wine

Different Outcomes

Port and Madeira forward caramel and nutty aftertaste.

Amarone della Valpolicella forwards dried figs and raisin.

Syrah forwards peppery and cocoa notes.

New World Zinfandel forwards ripe raspberry and cherry.

Gewürztraminer with salted caramel dark chocolate forwards refreshing citrus taste.

Alsatian Pinot Gris with orange zest chocolate forwards citrus and spices.

Bitter Dark Chocolate

55% Cocoa

Pinot Noir (World)

Zinfandel (USA)

Primitivo (Italy)

Medium Dark Chocolate

60-70% Cocoa

Merlot (World)

Bordeaux (France)

Chianti (Italy)

Extra Dark Chocolate

80% Cocoa

Amarone (Italy)

Syrah (New World)

Vintage Port (Portugal)

Match Wine and Chocolate

Chocolate and wine is a match made in heaven!

Rule of thumb: white wine complements white or milk chocolate. Red wine complements dark chocolate. Fortified wine complements them all.

The trick is to pair different types of chocolate with different types of wine to exploit the unique flavors.

Match the sweetness! Intense sweet chocolate matches intense sweet wine. Non- sweet, semi sweet or sea salt chocolate pairs with dry wine.

If the chocolate is sweeter than the wine, you will experience bitterness and astringency.

Match the intensity! Consider the style and weight. A full body red wine needs ekstra dark cocoa to create a balance.

Red wines should have smooth tannins to create the silky effect. Remember that chocolate contains tannins too and that the darker has the highest percentage.

Champagne and Sparkling wines match many types of chocolate.