Chocolate and Wine of the Month Club Pairings

A full bodied Zinfandel is another wonderful complement to Chocolate, especially dark Chocolate. Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon are made with more concentrated, ripe fruit.

Strawberries dipped in sweet chocolate are always a hit and usually they are served with a white zinfandel. This wine usually has a hint of a strawberry taste, so the three are natural bedfellows.

Truffles are often filled with Winter and Summer Cabernets, Merlot, Champagne, Port and Chardonnay, so it follows that these wines will complement your chocolates. Try a creamy chocolate cheesecake with a soft Merlot.

Some fortified orange muscat wines made in California are intensely flavored and will go well with any kind of white chocolate. White chocolate is often combined with fruit and berries. In general semi-dry white wines with a burnt aroma and a little sweetness will complement milk or white chocolate.

Try Rieslings, Sauternes, Italian yin santo, and semi sweet white sparkling wines with chocolate, especially Moscato d'Asti which has just a prickle of carbonation. Sweet natural wines with flavors of dried fruits, spices, and oak complement milk and white chocolate … the marriage between the two will be tender, bold.

Pinot Noir, a red wine that is lighter than Merlot works so well with chocolate mousse.

Rich Bittersweet Chocolate with an equally rich Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding tasting experience. Both have a slight bitterness, a roasted flavor, and an earthy quality. The Chocolate helps take away some of the astringency and the dryness of the wine. Try melding the two to make an extraordinary sauce to add to desserts. Gild a warm bittersweet chocolate cake with orange-muscat and serve it with raspberries and port ice cream. Using both muscat and port together is exotic and your dessert will be unforgettable.