Navigating the Sweet Seas of Chocolate & Wine

Navigating the Sweet Seas of Chocolate & Wine

Jul 31st 2018

Wine and chocolate, chocolate and wine now that has been a delicious pairing that has stood the test of time. It is no matter that chocolate is a tricky companion and wines, if not carefully chosen, lose their structure in the mouth and appear lighter. Pairing Cabernet Sauvignon then might be a little trickier, unless you have the tips we found for this article. Without being extremely technical; it is definitely more challenging to pair wine with chocolate. The latter has a thicker consistency with high levels of sugar, acidity not to mention tannin of its own. The levels, however, vary radically in frequency and pitch depending merely on the type of chocolate

White chocolate contains the least tannin. This obviously graduates as you go darker into milk and dark chocolate. The levels, however, vary in frequency and pitch depending on the type of chocolate.

This is the main reason you're advised to hold out on chocolates before a wine tasting. All things considered, there are ways to pair wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon with Chocolate and come out winning. It's bold structure often broad shouldered with tannin and wearing a dark fruit perfume and juicy flavor gives you all the clues you need. This is the main reason you're advised to hold out on chocolates before a wine tasting. Dark chocolates contain tannin of their own.

What of blends?

Bordeaux style blends with their three-musketeers of grapes; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc lead with deep red fruit, have incredible texture and a very gratifying mouth feel. Here, as with all blends, you can play with consistencies and pin point what exact flavor you want to match up or tune down.

Tannin on tannin reduces the perception of tannin. Isn't that grand? The same thing would happen if both chocolate and wine had high sugars. On the tongue, it becomes curiously muted allowing all those delicious fruity components to come to the foreground.

The best way to determine this, is to Do-it-yourself! Go out, match the bottle in mind with at least two styles of wine. Next thing you know, it becomes an intuitive selection driven by what is most important; the flavors and tastes that you love.