February 2nd , 2006 Wine & Chocolate Where do you find these wines in GA?

Pairing wine and chocolate is supposed to be nearly impossible, according to the classicist. Not knowing this rule, I once paired a Sacher torte with a 1967 Chateau d'Yquem, the world's most expensive Sauternes. The torte happened to have an apricot jam layer, rather than the more usual raspberry jam, so I was saved by that flavor note. Otherwise, it might really have been pretty miserable.

Sauternes and chocolate is a match I would assiduously avoid despite my lucky shot, unless I could be sure to have some sort of commonality of flavors, such as dried apricots or apricot jam, in the mix somewhere. But besides that, pairing wine with chocolate is not as difficult as some purport, so why not take the easy road?

The literature long has endorsed chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon, but that match up is tricky, especially if the wine is very tannic. The key to pairing any red wine with chocolate is fruit, not tannin. So you want very upfront, obvious dark fruit flavors and resolved (certainly not bitter) tannins. I mean, would you drink unsweetened iced tea with chocolate? Tannic acid and chocolate are opposed.

But those fruit-driven reds are another matter, and appropriate wines can be made from any of a number of varietals. A few weekends ago, friends and I dining at Gottlieb's in Savannah tasted the remains of a bottle of Castell del Remei "Etim Bru" from Costers del Segre (Spain) with the restaurant's fabulous German chocolate cake. This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It features prominent up-front dark berry fruit flavors, and the result? Oh my! Smashing.

For more information about pairing wine with chocolate, see the appropriate chapter (p. 152) in The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook, by Mary Cech and Jennie Schacht (Chronicle: 2005, $24.95)

Wine with chocolate is a mission of Java Monkey, a coffee house in Decatur. Java Monkey holds an annual "Wine with Chocolate Fondue" pairing on February 14th to explore further the way to pair wine and chocolate. The event starts at 7:00 pm and will cost $25 per person, to taste six wines with chocolate fondue.

Some chocolate sources: Hershey's new Extra Dark chocolates, 60% cocoa; Whole Foods' Ecuadorian dark chocolate (71% cocoa); Lexington Chocolatier (5th at Spring sts.) with a 73% cocoa dark chocolate; Maison Robert, Chamblee, 55% cocoa chocolate, fine French chocolatier; Judi's Confections, Alpharetta, for awesome Double Chocolate Butter Toffee Crunch; Schakolad (Roswell and Dunwoody), wow-factor dark chocolate-dipped crystalized ginger; Chamberlain's Gourmet Chocolatier (Norcross), dark chocolate ranging from 56% to 72% cocoa, stunning dark chocolate-dipped orange peel; Maggie Lyon (Norcross), for truffles and awesome toffee; Pamela's (Roswell) milk-chocolate covered toffee (should be smashing with the Yalumba Museum Muscat).

Jane Garvey

Food Pairings: Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries, cherries; chocolate-enrobed raspberries; dark or white chocolate and dried cherries; chocolate fondue with milk chocolate, fruits and pound cake. Other stuff: fruit crostata; cut up fruit with Brachetto poured over it and mascerated overnight.

Price: $15/375ml; $25/750ml
Wholesaler: Vinifera Distributing

Where to Get: Pearson's (Buckhead); Hometown Spirits (Flowery Branch); Corner Wine & Art (Virginia-Highland/Morningside); The Colors of Wine (Cumberland Pkwy., Smyrna); Sigman Bottle Shop (Conyers); Shiraz (Athens)

Food Pairings: Milk chocolate with almonds or pistachios or almonds; turtle bars (a mix of chocolate and nuts on short bread); Other stuff: Spanish fig and almond cake; nut-and-apricot stuffed baked brie; macadamia nut bars; plain cookie; banana crиme brъlйe, toffee, milk-chocolate dipped dried apricots or orange peel. Other stuff: turrуn. I'd bet on crystalized ginger or chocolate-dipped crystalized ginger, too. . .

Price: $17/375ml
Wholesaler: Empire Distributing

Food Pairings: Really dark bitter chocolate, such as the Hershey's Extra Dark; dark chocolate desserts such as Whole Foods' Marquise au Chocolate. Other stuff: Spanish fig cake; fruit cake; dried figs and walnuts; Stilton and walnuts; aged firm cheeses (Gouda, Cheddar, Parano)

Price: $17
Wholesaler: Georgia Crown

Food Pairings: Lexington's dark chocolate espresso bar (wicked!); slightly melted dark chocolate with a few grains of French gray salt on top; dark chocolate and almonds. Other stuff: walnuts and creamy soft bleu cheeses.

Price: $23
Wholesaler: Prestige Wine Wholesale

Price: $85/375ml
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC

Food Pairings: Dark chocolate; turtle bars; Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate (60% cocoa); or Lexington's 73% dark chocolate; cranberry-filled dark chocolate (awesome).

Price: $17
Wholesaler: United Distributors