Which wine to drink with chocolate?

“Not everyone is greedy”

Food lovers have a ready-made excuse: cocoa is full of antioxidants, just like wine! And let’s remember that these are essential for our body because they reduce the risk of many diseases. But these two have much more in common because they also share the notions of terroir, vintage, appellations.

Although the association of wine and chocolate is nowadays a classic agreement, it can nevertheless be complex to associate them and therefore requires some prerequisites. It is important to know that a quality chocolate, like a good wine, has many sensory similarities: fruity aromas, an acidic framework, bitters and also a tannic structure. In order to create an enchanting marriage, these different elements will be appreciated according to the percentage of cocoa and the maturity of the beans present in the chocolate in order to be associated, at best, with a wine.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟓𝟎%.
For white chocolates, milk chocolates or those with less than 50% cocoa, we will opt for dry, full-bodied whites, such as a Gewurztraminer from Alsace or semi-dry ones such as a Vouvray semi-dry from the Loire Valley. This can be a harmonious and fresher alternative to sweet wines that might leave you feeling a bit sick. It seems risky to marry chocolates with a higher sugar content with sweet or syrupy wines, as this will risk saturating the taste buds.

𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟕𝟎% 𝐭𝐨 𝟖𝟎%.
From 70% to 80%, we recommend pairing them with a red wine with spicy aromas, elegant tannins and a pleasant tension on the finish. Our Cuvée Nobles Pierres 2017 would be a very nice match with these types of chocolates.

𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟖𝟎%.
When the cocoa content exceeds 80%, turn to natural sweet wines, or powerful, full-bodied red wines like Madiran or Banyuls.  Rich and silky muté wines will highlight the complexity of the chocolate without overshadowing it. For a 100% cocoa chocolate, prefer a lightly peated whisky such as Japanese whisky, or wine brandies (Cognac Armagnac, Ratafia), which will nuance the bitterness present in this chocolate.

And finally, as with most food and wine pairings, it is good to remember that these are rooted in a context and can vary depending on the tasting environment, the seasonality or the people around us. The notion of subjectivity and personal taste comes into play, the main intention is to please oneself above all!

Let yourself be tempted by a sensory experience with our Wines & Confectionery workshop, for more information click here.