A Perfect Valentine's Day Match: How to Choose Wine that Pairs with Chocolate

Mixing wine and chocolate is not a common occurrence, and for good reason. This can be a tough pairing of food and drink to get right. On Valentine's Day, however, they seem a natural match, so selecting the correct wine has never been more critical. Which type of wines bring out the best in chocolate? The simplest advice is to select sweet, strong wines that can hold up to the rich taste of chocolate. These wines should be able to draw out new subtleties not tasted before.

With that said, selecting such a wine is not easy. Many more wines are likely to clash with chocolate than bring out its innate flavor. However, there are some general guidelines that can help anyone match wine to chocolate, and come up with a good pairing.

Choosing Chocolate
There are some basic principles for matching wine and chocolate, but they all begin with selecting the best chocolate possible. Avoid chocolate that has been produced to pair with wine. This is unlikely to be good chocolate or a good match with any wine. The chocolate chosen for Valentine's Day should stand on its own as a quality food. This means that dark chocolate (with a cacao level that surpasses 60 percent) is more likely to work well with wine than cheap drugstore chocolate. Good choices for chocolate desserts are those that combine chocolate with cherry or raspberry, where wine can rise to meet and enhance these fruity flavors.

Selecting Wine
There are two main criteria that should be found in any wine paired with chocolate. The first is that the wine must be sweet, the second is that the wine needs big alcohol or acidity to balance the chocolate. Dessert wines make a natural pairing for this very reason. Wines to avoid are those with notes of herb in their flavor. A wine that's a good match for lamb will not be a good wine for chocolate. Big, rich fruity wines (think sun-soaked Shiraz or jam-laden Zinfandels) make a good match for chocolate desserts with fruit.

Probably the best pairing in red wine for chocolate is Port. Its deep red color and strong flavor pull the grace notes from chocolate. Tawny Port, in particular, brings out a nutty flavor in chocolate. Sweet wines, such as those from the solera system (in which the grapes are dried in the sun before pressing) also work well. Madieras (from Spain) and Tokays (from Australia) are good choices. Rich, bold Spanish wines that use PX grapes (a white varietal that uses a blending system) are also a good choice.

Perhaps that most classic wine, particularly for those who may not favor dessert wines and their sometimes cloying sweetness, is champagne. Champagne also has a good element of celebration, making it a good match for Valentine's Day. The key here is to choose an amber-colored champagne or rose champagne (although this doesn't mean a cheap production; the champagne's quality should match the chocolate's).

Wine Alternatives
There are other after-dinner alcohol choices that work well with chocolate, and as an ending to a meal, may provide an alternative to wine, while still providing an equal match in terms of strength and flavor. The first is Grand Marnier (an orange liqueur) whose strong flavor is a good match for dark chocolate. Cognac is another possibility. The third, and perhaps most inspired, choice is an aged rum. Because rum is created from distilling molasses (a sugar base), this alcohol choice can stand up to the strength and flavor of the chocolate, without taking over.

No matter which wine or alcohol is selected to pair with chocolate, the aim should be to enhance the flavors created when wine and chocolate are combined. Both wine and chocolate add a romantic note to the celebration of love on Valentine's Day, and neither should spoil the effect of the other.