Just in Time for Valentines Day...Wine and Chocolate Pairing

Have you have ever had wine and chocolate together? OMGosh if you are a chocolate lover like I am all I can say is that it is like heaven on your tongue!
Here's how to go about getting the most out of both your chocolate and your wine.

In pairing wine and chocolate there are three rules to follow in order to set you on the right track!

1. The wine you select must be inherently sweeter than the chocolate you are pairing it with.

2.  The wine must be big enough to cut through the chocolate's richness

3.  Both wine and Chocolate must have similar flavors.

Now that you have the three basic rules, let me give you a few ideas of what pairings work best.

White Chocolate
Pairs well with a sec or demi-sec (sweet and moderately sweet)champagnes and with Rieslings

Milk Chocolate
Pairs well with a sweet Tawny Port or the right Pinot Noir

Semi-sweet Chocolate (50%-70% cocoa)
Pairs with a Cabernet, Bordeaux or a Ruby Port

Dark Chocolate (71%-100% cocoa)
Pairs with Zinfandels, Shiraz or a Grenache

The way you want to enjoy your chocolate and wine combination is to first take a sip of your wine and coat your mouth. Then a bite of the chocolate followed by another sip of wine! But doing it slowly so you get the full enjoyment from the flavors melting together.