Easter 2019 - Matching Chocolate With Wine

Easter signals the end of Lent and after a period of self-denial, having abstained from some of life’s little luxuries, such as chocolate or wine, I relish the opportunity for a little indulgence.
If like me, you love both chocolate and wine, and want to enjoy them together, finding that perfect match can pose something of a challenge. Whilst we do not often consider chocolate to be a natural match with wine, this Easter, as you break your ‘fast’ with an Easter egg or two, it is worth exploring wine and spirit options that you might find surprisingly enjoyable. 

There are some interesting combinations that can be a match made in heaven but do steer well clear of dry white wines.  It is worth making the effort to find a pairing that ‘complements’ rather than ‘contrasts’; matching lighter, more elegant flavoured chocolates with lighter-bodied wines, whilst stronger tasting, more full flavoured chocolate, can stand up well to a more full-bodied wine.

The real treat for connoisseurs comes with dark chocolate; the glossy shine, that tantalising, intense aroma, the snap when you break it. Whatever your choice, the general rule is that the wine should be as sweet as, or even a little more so, than the chocolate.

To entertain family and friends, a chocolate-tasting and wine pairing session can be fun, and given my passion for both both food and wine, I am often lucky enough to receive wine or foodie gifts as presents. I was recently given a slim metal box of ‘Chocolates for Wine’ (£10.99) which contained 12 hand-made chocolates of 6 different cocoa-blends specially designed to enjoy with different wines. The perceived quality of chocolate largely depends upon the cocoa content present; this offering had milk chocolate from Java (34% cocoa), Costa Rica (34% cocoa), and Venezuela (43% cocoa), and dark chocolate from Ecuador (51% cocoa), Santo Domingo (71% cocoa), and Ghana (84% cocoa).

Also available is Brix Chocolate 4 Flavour Gift Set (£22). This collection features a complete wine and chocolate tasting guide, along with 4 different flavours of chocolate, and Green & Blacks Taste Collection (£11) would make an interesting alternative to the usual Easter egg. It has the advantage of being Fairtrade too. 

If you want to really push the boat out then go for Valrhona Grands Crus Dark & Milk chocolate squares gift box (£35.95), which gives details of all 66 tasting squares of milk and dark single origin chocolates, such as Manjari, Abinao, Guanaja, Alpaco, Bahibe & Tanariva

As a general rule, the darker the chocolate and the higher the cocoa content the punchier the wine, and the grape variety, it will stand up to.

Extra dark chocolate (70%+) – Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux Red, Barolo, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Touriga Nacional, Super Tuscans, Amarone, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, full bodied Shiraz. This also pairs well with strong, spicy single malt whiskies, generally those aged in sherry casks, such as Bruichladdich, as well as Cognac and Armagnac

Medium Dark (60%-70%) - Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Chianti, Rhone Red, Brunello de Montalcino, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Tempranillo (Rioja), Grenache, Carmenère, Mourvedre. When it comes to spirits, Talisker Storm, Bowmore, or Chivas Regal 12-year old Scotch Whisky, as well as Drambuie, are a good match. Award winning Japanese whiskies are also now much sought after, so for something different give Yamazaki a try.

Smooth Dark (54% - 60%) – Demi-Sec Champagne, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Vintage Port, Prosecco, Beaujolais, White Port, LBV Port, Tawny Port, Ruby Port, Aligoté, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Semillon, Pinot Gris. When it comes to spirits, sweeter whiskies, aged in bourbon casks, such as Glen Moray 12-year old, and many of the Irish Whiskeys that are available would be good.

Milk chocolate (46% - 54%) - Port, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Rosé, Late Harvest Wines, Madeira, Tokai, Sauternes, Muscat, Asti Spumante. Now we are into the realm of whisky liqueurs and smooth whiskies with caramel or vanilla tones, such as Monkey Shoulder, Glen Grant 16-year old, or Glenlivet 12 year old Scotch Whisky.