Try These Chocolate and Wine Pairings

Wine pairing - even chocolate and wine pairings - is simply putting food and beverage together to create a balance of tastes. When it's done right, it will bring out the best of taste in both the food and the wine. You're shooting to find pairings that share complimentary flavors and textures. There are no 'must follow' rules, but some common sense rules seem to evolve out of experimenting. Start with foods and wines you like, because even a good pairing won't make you like a wine you don't care for the taste of. And balance is key - you want to match wine with food so that the food does not overpower the wine or vice versa. Remember, the food comes first, and the wine should always compliment the food it's being served with.

Now, pairing wine with chocolate can be tough. Some would say that no wine goes with chocolate. And it is true that some wines just won't pair well with any type of chocolate. But some people say if you find the right combination, it's amazing! I like to compare it to things like white chocolate pretzels. Honestly, when you first heard of that combination, did you think it would taste good? But it is just wonderful, the saltiness and the sweet, the bland and the rich.

So, how do you go about this? Well, make it easier by staying away from wine that is too dry. What works best is to pair sweet wines with chocolate. In fact, you would do well to pair the chocolate with wine that is as sweet or sweeter than the chocolate it's coupled to. That's because, if the wine is not as sweet as or sweeter than the chocolate, the wine will taste bitter. Also it depends on the type of chocolate that you are eating. Pairy creamy chocolates with light-bodied wines. Stronger-flavored chocolates work best with full-bodied wines. By all means, don't let these rules inhibit or intimidate you though. Experiment with different chocolate and wine pairings. Try wines with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and even white chocolate, as sweet as it is. Mix and match wine till you find what works for you for each type of chocolates.

Here are some examples of wine and chocolate pairings that you can try for yourself.

I've found Red Wines work well with chocolate, especially with dark chocolates. Try these combinations:

* Cabernet Franc: creamy milk chocolate
* Cabernet Sauvignon: dark chocolate
* Merlot: dark chocolate, milk chocolate
* Pinot Noir: dark chocolate, milk chocolate
* Sangiovese: dark chocolate
* Zinfandel: dark chocolate

But White Wines can be a bigger challenge to pair with chocolates, particularly the dry whites (that's why it's a short list). However, try them with milk chocolates.

* Chardonnay: French vanilla chocolate
* Riesling: Milk chocolate
* Sauvignon Blanc: Milk chocolate

Remember, dessert wines are a lot easier to work with because the sweetness gives you more flexibility.

* Port: dark chocolate
* Sherry: White chocolate

So you decide - be safe or brave. Try the combinations above, or try matching some of your own wines with chocolates. Just keep in mind with chocolate and wine pairings that they work best when you match the strength of the two. Pair mild or light-flavored chocolates with light-bodied wines and stronger tasting chocolates with full-bodied wines. Doesn't it make sense that if you like chocolate separately and you like wine separately, you should like them together? Well, some people agree; for others, just the idea of pairing these two foods is unthinkable. In the final analysis, pick chocolate and wine pairings based on your own taste.

Hectr is a food market research analyst dedicated to discovering and sharing information about the best values he finds in food and beverage including chocolate and wine pairings.