Wine and Chocolate Pairings

Matching Flavor Nuances 

Wine and chocolate paired together? They're natural companions. Both have complex flavors and notes, both have similar components and nuances in common. A wine and chocolate pairing follows the same kind of process as a wine or chocolate tasting, except you taste both together.

How to Team up the Pair

Examine the attributes of the chocolate, and follow the same steps as you would in a classic chocolate tasting. That includes noting the aroma, listening for the snap when you break it and checking the shine and glossiness. Before tasting it, though, take the same notice of the wine.

Swirl the wine in the glass: be aware of the color and the viscosity.

Sniff the wine and note the bouquet and flavor components.

Sip the wine; let it fill your mouth. Notice the wine's complexity, which flavors come to mind. Now take a small bite of the chocolate, let it sit on your tongue. When it just begins to melt, sip the wine again and swirl together with the chocolate.

Flavors to Expect

Just like in a chocolate or wine tasting, the flavors are released in stages. The first notes should be filled with fruity acidity (from the grapes in the wine, and the cacao beans in the chocolate). Watch the flavors that unfold in this middle stage, and look for a sweetness phase. The finish should be identified by tannins, flavor notes common to both wine and chocolate.

Many of the same flavor notes you experienced in your chocolate tasting will emerge during the pairings. You'll observe fruity, nutty, spicy and/or woody notes. You may even detect roasted flavors specifically identifiable with chocolate.

What to Pair

Pair lighter chocolates with lighter wines; darker chocolates with full-bodied wines. Go from light to dark in your tasting session, starting with milk or lower percentage cacao chocolates and their corresponding wines.

Pairings for Dark, Bittersweet and Semisweet chocolate:

• Zinfandel
• Syrah
• Tawny Port
• Armagnac
• Cognac

If you're looking to pair up Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Sangiovese reds, they need to be well-aged to suitably pair with darker chocolates.

Pairings for Milk Chocolate:

• Merlot
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Dessert wines

More Pairings

Pairing chocolate with fruit is a natural. Some experts prefer chocolate and beer combinations to chocolate and wine. In Europe, bread and chocolate are common companions. Chocolate and coffee are meant to be together, while chocolate and tea are an unlikely match that some experts swear by.

Learn More