The Perfect Pair

Though there are no true "rules" to food and wine pairings, certain conventions can make specific combinations taste that much better! Here are our recommendations when it comes to pairing chocolate and wine.

1. When pairing sweet items such as chocolate (even dark chocolate) and wine, the wine must be equal to or greater in sweetness than the chocolate you wish to pair it with.
2. Chocolate pairs best with fortified wines - those wines in which the fermentation is halted by the addition of a spirit of some sort (Port is the most well known.) Fortified wines tend to be best with chocolate because they have similar flavor profiles, or have flavor profiles that complement chocolate.
3. If you are looking to pair non-fortified wines with chocolate, look to those that have red, blue, or black fruit aromas and flavors, or have a hint of the bittersweet characteristics of chocolate. Brachetto d' Acqui, sweet sparkling wines, or wines that are harvested late, such as Recioto della Valpolicella or any other red passito-style wine, would be great choices.
4. If you love chocolate with flavors of caramel or coffee, Tawny Ports, sweet Sherries or Madeiras are quite nice, as they have a caramel/toffee flavor.