Chocolates and Wine

Chocolates and wine. I melt just thinking about that delectable combination. Sitting quietly, taking tiny morsels of chocolate into my mouth, savoring the rich, velvety texture, then complimenting that with a sip of sweet, smooth wine - I can think of few things more indulging and self-satisfying. Pamper yourself. Pick out your favorite chocolate, select the perfect wine, light a few candles, put on some relaxing music, and prepare to escape into culinary bliss.

Try to pair your sweeter wines with the sweeter chocolates. For dark chocolates, a bold fruit wine is usually a good choice. Many dark chocolates are paired with fruits on desert platters.

A classic combination is dark chocolate and port wine. Dubbed as the ultimate dessert wine, port has a sweetness that must be delicately sipped and savored after a meal. Go for a younger port, as the older varieties tend to have a more earthy, rather than fruity, flavor.

I'm quite happy with Fairbanks California Ruby Port, and a bar of Hershey's dark chocolate. The sweetness is perfectly paired, allowing the bitterness of the dark chocolate to subtly make itself known. In turn, the chocolate brings out the tannin in the port, but the wine's sweetness emerges to cover the tongue. Sipping the port also brings out a very slight coffee flavor in the chocolate. The silkiness of the chocolate and the smooth feel of the port will make you lay your head back and sigh in contentment. Your heart rate is guaranteed to slow as a smile curls your lips. This is a good baseline to start with, if you wish to delve into delectability.

A Cabernet Savingnon is another prime candidate for a dark chocolate pairing. Try one that has a strong cherry or raspberry finish. This too may bring out a slight coffee flavor in the chocolate, depending on which pairing you choose.

If you prefer white chocolate, a Chardonnay will bring out the smooth, almost buttery taste. For a further treat, try a white chocolate with toasted almonds, and compliment the choice with a chard, or a Spumante.

For a challenge, would you believe champagne and chocolate? While paired at parties and wedding receptions, it is true that you have to be careful when consuming these together. Again, it depends on the palate. Try sampling a rose with milk chocolate. Use a chocolate that already has a fruit flavoring to it, such as orange or raspberry bits. If paired with a very sweet white chocolate, the champagne can actually be useful in paring it down.

Perfect pairings with vary with everyone. Don't be afraid to experiment. Take your time. Appreciate every morsel, every drop. Experience the combination on all levels, taste, smell, feel, nose, all of it. Let the chocolate melt on your tongue. Swirl the wine in your mouth. Make certain you are experiencing the full flavor of both. The worst thing that can happen is feeling tipsy with a sugar-high.

http://www.intowine.com/wine-and-chocolate