Chocolate and Wine Pairing – Healthy and Delicious Fun
Want to try something fun and healthy? Why not have your friends over for a chocolate and wine pairing or “tasting”? At first blush, the idea of pairing these two “health foods” doesn’t seem natural, but it turns out that they are actually meant for each other. The health benefits are of chocolate are well documented given the substantial levels of flavenols in cocoa that can significantly improve vascular health and lower cholesterol. Antioxidants in chocolate also help to fight free radicals helping to protect your skin and cells. And when it comes to wine, there is growing evidence that drinking moderate amounts of wine, especially red wine, can make a significant difference in your health due to the chemical resveratrol, which protects your heart.
Pairing these two foods requires a bit of expertise. People are familiar with the concept of different wines and grapes (called varietals) having different flavor profiles. But that’s also true for gourmet dark chocolate. We brought in experts to help sort through what you should look for in sourcing and pairing wine and chocolate. Bay Area native Leslie Roque, a graphic designer and chocolate aficionado living in “chocolate enlightened” San Francisco, recommended several of the best dark chocolate varietals that are more generally available (all of our recommendations can be bought at Whole Foods grocers, where available). We then asked certified wine sommelier Maurice DiMarino to provide recommendations on which wines pair well with these chocolates.
In putting these foods together, Maurice stated “I was never a fan of pairing chocolate and wine. I just didn’t think that it worked. Then one day I sat with a local Chocolatier and tasted her chocolates. I popped open 20 different types of wines and after trial and error I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were some great pairings.”
Sommelier Maurice DiMarino shares that the number one rule is that the wine needs to be sweeter than the chocolate. Bitter dark chocolates with seemed to go well with some reds; creamy milk chocolates worked well with Champagnes and late harvest; and fruity dark chocolates went well with fortified reds. Most Port wines were more suited for chocolates.
Chocolate: Madécasse 70%
Flavor Profile: forward, rich, fruity/raisin, sour
www.madécasse.com
For this chocolate and wine pairing Maurice says “this is not a very bitter chocolate and has a rich sweetness. I find this style of chocolate to work best with fortified reds. Preferably wines such as Valpolicella Reciote from Veneto Italy. Another alternative are the wines from Jumilla, fortified wines made with the grape Monastrelle from southern Spain. The reason I chose these is that they are made with sundried grapes and then fortified. They have chocolate, raisin and prune flavor that match well with dark chocolates.”
Chocolate: Madécasse 75%:
Flavor Profile: rich, fruit and bark, smooth
“This is a dark, dark chocolate; it is fruity but not overly sweet” Maurice observed. “ An obvious chocolate and wine pairing would be a port wine. However, I found that a sparkling wine works amazingly well with this chocolate, but not just any sparkling. What matches well are sparkling reds. An Australian Sparkling Shiraz has all the fruitiness and richness that matches the fruitiness of the chocolate. Another great and lesser known option are the Sparkling reds from the Marche in Italy, Lacrima d’Moro. If you haven’t tried one, it is fruity, dark herbal tones and is off-dry. The bubbles provide texture, which create a pleasing contrast, and the wines have just enough sweetness to match the fruitiness of the chocolate.“
Chocolate: Madécasse Sea Salt & Nibs
Flavor Profile: medium, earthy (from nibs), vanilla, ends with fruit/raspberry
“This is a lighter chocolate with a crunch. Texture is so important in pairing wine and food, and that’s very much the case in chocolate and wine pairing”, Maurice says.” I find a sparkling rosé to work very well. One of the classic pairings is Champagne and French fries or potato chips. The reason being is the saltiness. Salty foods are lovely with the high acidity of Champagne. I chose a rosé because it has a bit more red fruitiness of strawberries and cherries. Berries and chocolate are a lot more pleasing than apples and chocolate. I recommend a Billecarte-Salmon rosé, but if that is not in your budget check out some of the sparkling rosés from the Touraine in the Loire. They make excellent, well priced rose made with the Côt grape, also known as Malbec.”
Chocolate: Patric 70% Signature Blend (Columbia, MO)
Flavor Profile: medium intensity, citrus/lemon, nuts
www.patric-chocolate.com
“If looks could be deceiving this would be it. What seems to be a rich dark chocolate is actually fairly mild and has a bit of a nutty flavor.” Presenting a chocolate and wine pairing challenge, Maurice said “A port might be a classic pairing, but what I found to be more interesting, is a tawny port. 10-20 year tawny worked well because of that oxidized nutty character from the oak barrels. What I also think is outstanding is an Oloroso sherry, one that is not too sweet but is just a little sweeter than the chocolate. Lustau Oloroso is an excellent choice.”
Recchiuti Bittersweet (San Francisco, CA)
Flavor Profile: Smooth, dark, vanilla, with a coconut finish
www.recchiuti.com
“Although port is such a natural pick you don’t always have to go that route in chocolate and wine pairing”, Maurice tells us. “Two other wines work well with this chocolate. First of all, I really enjoy a fortified Grenache from Banyuls region in France. It adds a fruity raspberry element to the chocolate. But what I also found to work well is an oaky Syrah. I recommend the wines from Sanguis in the Central Coast. Their fruit is super extracted; however, they go through 40 months of oak aging. You might think, What! 40 months? Yep, and they are not over oaked. The oak takes a full turn and becomes very well integrated. This works very well with dark chocolates that are not too sweet and the toasty notes of oak worked well with the nutty and vanilla flavors. Also try this with a bittersweet coconut macaroon”.
Poco Dolce Olive Oil Sea Salt Bar (San Francisco, CA)
Flavor Profile: Very smooth truffle-like texture, buttery
www.pocodolce.com
“This is an interesting chocolate, and again what catches my attention is its texture. It is creamy, rich and savory so we go in so many directions for this chocolate and wine pairing. I found the late harvest wines to work very well with this chocolate. However, while tasting late harvest wines I came across Tokaji. I decided to try a dry version made with the grape, Furmint and it went very well. Other fun and interesting whites would be those that have a similar oily texture with honey aromas. A dry Semillon from Australia or Bordeaux is also a good alternative to a dry Tokaji”.
Chuao Chocolatier Panko 60% (Carlsbad, CA)
Flavor Profile: Sweetness offset with sea salt, wafer cookies and honeycomb
www.chuaochocolatier.com
“What I like about these bars is that they have a savory quality that makes wine pairing that much easier. Moscato d’Asti, an off-dry to sweet sparkling from Italy matches well texture and flavor-wise. I also think that a Vouvray demi-sec made with Chenin Blanc from the Loire is a great pairing. What I am looking for is a wine that might have that off-dry character, not necessarily sweet. What I find enjoyable is the honey, orange and fruity flavors, but most importantly, acidity. Salt and acidity…it is classic. Champagne is also a good alternative, an extra dry; it has just enough sweetness with plenty of acid.”
Whether it’s fun with friends, having a holiday party or just enjoying a glass of wine and some chocolate after a meal, try a chocolate and wine pairing for its sheer pleasure, and your health!
Maurice DiMarino is the wine director and sommelier for San Diego’s Cohn Restaurant Group. Previously he lived for ten years in San Francisco and worked at Foreign Cinema, Alma and Chez Spencer. He is back in his hometown where he is taken his passion for wine to the next level. His focus there is education and is excited to be part of San Diego’s evolution in the epicurean world. Maurice blogs about wine at Maurices Cru or follow him on Twitter: @mauricescru
Leslie Roque obsessively eats chocolate in San Francisco and owns Left 2 Right Design.
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