Tasting chocolate with wine

[mrk]

I wondering when tasting what kind of chocolate with what kind of wine, this base on what rule? for instance : a curry infuse of dark chocolate or strawberry of chocolate with what kind of wine will match? Thank

[Lisa Shock]

Chocolate itself has hundreds of flavor components, so adding curry to it is muddying the waters a great deal. I am not really familiar with curry chocolates, so I must recuse myself from this part of  the conversation.

 

One quick taste I give to newbies is have them taste a bittersweet chocolate, a really dark one. Most tasters will say that it's really bitter and not really sweet at all. Then, I have them taste a really tannic red, like a Sangiovese, and then the chocolate again. The chocolate will seem very sweet after the very tannic/big Sangiovese.

 

You have to just taste various wines to see what matches with it. Often the matches are very random. I used to work at a wine bar and we discovered that one of our very dry rosè lambruscos matched really well with a raspberry filled chocolate candy. We just randomly discovered this, having the candy at hand and several hundred wines to taste with it.

[mrk]

It is so hard, at first you have knowledge of wine and several hundred wines to random with it, is there base rule for tasting?

[djyee100]

Do you know a sommelier or wine vendor whose opinion you trust? You could ask him/her for a recommendation. Or just go into a good wine shop, and ask the staff to match a wine to your specifications. That's what I would do. good luck!

[lesliec]

Chocolate is traditionally quoted as being one of the hardest things to match a wine to.  Best bet is generally to enjoy them separately!

 

But you might try a PX sherry and see how that goes.

[djyee100]

It is so hard, at first you have knowledge of wine and several hundred wines to random with it, is there base rule for tasting?

 

I'm reading a book, What To Drink With What You Eat, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. It came out in 2006. Perhaps you can find it at your public library.

 

On Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Drink-You-Eat-Definitive/dp/0821257188/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400043039&sr=1-1&keywords=andrew+dornenburg

 

This book won't give you a definitive answer (I don't think there is one) but it does narrow the universe of possibilities. The authors interviewed many prominent sommeliers, then compiled two lists of recommendations, a list of what to drink with certain foods, and a list of what to eat with certain drinks. Beers are included.

 

Take this book with the proverbial grain of salt, but I do like what they have to say in general. I think most of the recommendations are good. I do scratch my head over their consistent pairing of red wines with blue cheeses, which I was told is a no-no. Yet recently I spoke with a cheesemonger who has been trying red wines with blue cheeses, and she said she's been pleasantly surprised. So there you go, there are no rules, only guidelines.

[blue_dolphin]

Like Lisa said above, a big tannic red really brings out the sweetness of a dark, bitter chocolate.  It's a pairing I've enjoyed.

 

When visiting Theo Chocolates in Seattle, I picked up a few of these wine and chocolate pairing kits. 

The kit includes 4 dark chocolate bars (Classic 85% Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Almond, Bread & Chocolate and Fig, Fennel & Almond) and mentions Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon as varietals to try. 

 

I gave the kits as gifts so I can't say how it worked out but I've tried their chocolates and enjoyed them all.