Jane's
Monthly Dozen: Wine & Chocolate
by Jane Garvey
Wine and chocolate
used to be considered beyond the pale, from the perspective
of classical wine and food pairings. Indeed, I know one young
wine enthusiast who absolutely can’t stand the combination.
That’s body chemistry. Something in her make-up doesn’t let
her enjoy it. But most consumers have eagerly kicked this rule
out of the sandbox so long as one respects certain rules of
the road.
And what would those rules be? For one thing, as when pairing
wine with dessert, most wines should be sweeter than
the chocolate. Otherwise, you’ll risk making the wine taste
bitter.
When pairing wine with dark chocolate, be aware of the cocao
percentage in the dark chocolate. The higher that percentage,
the more bitter the chocolate, and the less sugar it has. Thus,
dark chocolate with higher percentages of cacao can pair well
with a wider variety of wines than can those with a lower percentage.
Although for most tastes 55% cacao is probably about optimum,
chocolates with higher percentages make interesting pairings
with a wider variety of wines because of that reduced sweetness.
Now that chocolate--especially dark chocolate--is good for you,
the more cacao, the better, right?
And as when pairing foods and wines, the more full bodied the
food, the more full bodied should be the wine you pour with
it. A dense, dark chocolate, flourless chocolate torte will
want to be paired with a wine that’s pretty full bodied, as
the dessert will demolish a lighter-bodied selection.
Wine with chocolate has captured the imagination of the wine-enthusiast
public, especially at this time of year. And so has wine IN
chocolate. ChocoVin
(about $13, Quality Wine & Spirits) has grabbed the limelight,
and literally flies out the doors of the stores that carry it.
Dip big strawberries into chocolate, and enjoy that with a sparkling
red wine. Other fruits work, too. Try dipping crystallized ginger
into dark chocolate, or candied orange peel. But when you do
so, prepare to change the wine you’re pairing with the treat.
As with meats and sauces, the flavorings within the chocolate
will affect the decision as to which wine pairs best with a
given chocolate.
What chocolate should one get? One California-based chocolate
producer has crafted a line of chocolates designed entirely
to advance the cause of chocolate with wine. “BRIX,”
named for the measurement of sugar in wine used in this country,
designed its chocolate and its package with wine in mind. A
three-pack sampler ranging from milk to dark to extra dark costs
$38.85 plus tax and shipping, and comes with a board and a knife
for proper serving. On the wrapper are suggested pairings for
each type.
There are lots of chocolatiers in Atlanta who make fine, hand-crafted
artisan chocolates. At Maison Robert, in Chamblee, French-born
Robert Reeb, long an Atlanta-based chocolatier, makes them along
with pastries and other sweets. Chef Lydia Olsen of BonBons
Confections specializes in Belgian chocolate. The
Chocolate Bar, in Decatur and Downtown Atlanta, offers the services
of chocolatier Courtney Seals. It’s also a wine bar. And while
it doesn’t offer wine, the Chocolate
Pink Pastry Cafe in Midtown will let you bring
your own (corkage fee $10) while you sample their handmade chocolates.
For Swiss chocolates, visit Morningside’s Teuscher, where handmade
chocolates are flown in weekly from Zurich. The Champagne truffle
they say is made with Dom Perignon, perhaps the summum bonum
of wine with chocolate. And there’s Cacao, in Inman Park, with
its tiny, expensive, but mind-blowingly tasty and uniquely flavored
chocolates. Readers in the St. Augustine-Ponte Vedra area may
want to check out Claude’s
Chocolates, where a wide range of classically flavored
chocolates hits a high quality mark. These sources also can
ship chocolates.
If you’ve become a major fanatic for wine with chocolate, consider
attending the 13th annual Lodi
Wine with Chocolate Festival. Tickets are $35 in
advance and $45 at the door, and entitle participants to visit
both days (just be sure to sleep wearing your wrist band so
it’s available the next day). The dates this year are February
13 and 14, 2010. Or head to Washington State on those dates,
as the wineries of Yakima Valley feature the event, Red
Wine & Chocolate.
Then in June (18-20), 2010, visit Salem, OR, and take in Altrusa
International’s Wine,
Chocolate and More festival held there annually
to benefit local charities supporting women and children in
distress. It’s the organization’s largest fundraiser.
Or jet off to New York City for a Valentine’s weekend, focusing
on Ayza
Chocolate Bar at 11 W. 31st St., between 5th Ave.
and Broadway. A few wines by the glass and many more by the
bottle are designed to accompany chocolate desserts.
Don’t have a sweetie to spend Valentine’s Day with? Why not
throw your own wine and chocolate tasting party with a few select,
discriminating friends, and see who, ahem, what wines wind up
pairing with which chocolates in your team’s view. I’d love
to learn what you discovered for yourself. Meanwhile, herewith,
are some personal discoveries.
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