HOW TO PAIR YOUR CHOCOLATE WITH WINE AND BEER
LET'S TALK ABOUT PAIRING. FIRST THING, I AM NOT A HUGE PAIRING FAN, I TEND TO LIKE MY WINE AND MY CHOCOLATE SEPARATE. FOR ME, THIS IS MAINLY BECAUSE WINE AND CHOCOLATE TEND TO OCCUPY THE SAME PALATE AND CAN "FIGHT" FOR RECOGNITION, WHICH CAN MUDDLE THE FLAVORS. HOWEVER, IF PAIRED CORRECTLY, YOU CAN FIND AMAZING FLAVORS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER. I RECENTLY DID A WINE AND CHOCOLATE PARING WITH LOCAL WINERY O.G. CELLARS AND I WAS AMAZED AT THE FLAVORS THAT CAME FROM OUR WINE AND CHOCOLATE COMBINATIONS AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, WINE AND CHOCOLATE!
FOR A QUICK RULE OF THUMB...
WINE \\
ALWAYS GO ONE STEP SWEETER WITH THE WINE, THAN THE CHOCOLATE.
WHITE CHOCOLATE + SWEET WHITE WINES
MILK CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL + SWEET SPARKLING WHITE or PINOT NOIR
DARK CHOCOLATE (40-69%) + ZINFANDEL, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT
BITTERSWEET (70-99%) + BORDEAUX, SHIRAZ, PORT
BEER \\
MELLOW WITH MELLOW
INTENSE WITH INTENSE
DARK CHOCOLATE + IMPERIAL STOUTS, SMOKED PORTERS, CHOCOLATE STOUT AND BROWN ALE
MILK CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL + GREAT COMPLEMENT TO BARLEY WINES
EVERY PALATE IS DIFFERENT. TASTE A SMALL BITE OF YOUR CHOCOLATE AND DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK IT WOULD PAIR WELL WITH, THEN, GIVE IT A TRY AND YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT THE NEW FLAVORS YOU DISCOVER.
BELOW IS OUR CURRENT PAIRING OPTIONS, TRY THEM ALONE OR WITH A BEVERAGE OF YOUR LIKING!
Happy pairing! Tell us what your favorite pairing was!