Pairing red wines and pure dark chocolate can be tricky – in general, I’ve found that big, medium to full-bodied, jammy reds work well, while tart, light-bodied reds do not (though there are always exceptions). Even before you taste, you can often pick out a red that will go well with chocolate purely by smell. Sweet aromas of ripe, sweet fruits such as cherries and raspberries as well as rich aromas of cocoa, black plums, and dried figs are tell-tale signs of good pairing potential.
These past few months I've had the great pleasure of working with Belgium's Cote d'Or to develop some interesting wine and spirit pairings for their Experiences line and their Petits. It's been quite an enlightening task thus far. My favorite bar in the Cote d'Or line is the Noir 70%. Here are a some tasting notes for the Noir 70% as well as a Shiraz and a Zinfandel blend that make extremely interesting pairings:
Cote d'Or Noir 70%: A real asset to the Cote d'Or line, this 70% is nicely-balanced with a smooth, even texture, a strong snap, and aromas of red fruits that open into flavors of raspberries and cherries as the chocolate melts.
Comments (1)
Chocolate and vino...does it get any better?! I agree with your thoughts about big, jammy, full-bodied reds being an excellent fit with dark chocolate. My favorite wine to pair with dark chocolate is a zin - CigarZin from Cosentino.
http://www.cosentinowinery.com/cosentino/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1061&cat_id=1
This is an excellent wine on its own, but when paired with red meats, hefty pasta dishes, and chocolate it really comes alive. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your pairings and maybe we can taste some together soon ;-)
Posted by Bill Ribbecke | July 26, 2007 4:33 PM