Indulge in Valentine’s Romance with Perfect Chocolate and Wine Pairings
February 13, 2024
Valentine’s Day has traditionally been about “romantic” love, good old mushy, fatal attraction, head-over-heels, Romeo and Juliet, Meg Ryan romantic comedies, and boy meets girl love.
The type of love Mother Nature intended us to “fall into,” perhaps, despite our better selves.
Is it because of that innate desire to fall in love that we permit ourselves to lavish our love—whether it be an object, boy, girl, or even the dog—with gifts and all things sweet?
As the singer James Taylor wrote: “How sweet it is (to be loved by you),” and what better way to show that love than with chocolate and wine?
The Romance of Chocolate and Wine
Chocolate and wine are natural buddies, each considered aphrodisiac in their own way and having health benefits from flavonoids that act as antioxidants. But just like Valentine’s, this made-in-heaven relationship has a darker side. Both contain tannins that provide the flavonoids that, like two north poles, can repel each other under the wrong circumstances. The other factor to consider is that sweetness—again, under the wrong circumstances—can make tannins taste bitter.
How can we resolve this conflict? Fight fire with fire; it is the same with desserts and wine. You always make the wine sweeter than the substance (chocolate) you are pairing it with.
Most chocolate, except the darkest of the dark chocolates, have some degree of sweetness; think of chocolate and caramel. Here at Veritas, we recommend the following pairings:
Veritas Wine and Chocolate Pairings
2019 Othello + Milk Chocolate
The wine is deep ruby red in color—the aroma of mocha and spiced toasted oak envelopes a sweet center of dark fruits and black cherries. Aged almost two years in barrels and made in the traditional style, this wine has a perfect balance of rich sweetness and smooth tannins, making Othello one of the darkest and most accomplished of our Veritas wines.
2021 Kenmar + White Chocolate
Although white chocolate is not truly chocolate, as it does not contain the cocoa bean, it does contain cocoa fat, making white chocolate much more versatile in pairing with wine, opening up the whole realm of dessert wines, most of which come from white wines. Of all our white wines, our dessert wine, Kenmar, is an outstandingly aromatic wine that will enhance the flavor of any chocolate, be it white or milky.
Kenmar is a wine of outstanding aromatic intensity. Seductive might be the right word, alluring another; Kenmar excites the sense of smell with the honeyed luxury of fragrant roses. Acidity is key to the harmonious balance of tropical fruit, crystallized citrus, and honey that fills the mouth and settles triumphantly on the palate, filling up all the space and finishing in mellifluous harmony.
Merlot + Dark Chocolate
This softness and plum flavor make Merlot a perfect pairing for chocolate – especially for dark chocolates. The richness of the merlot pairs very nicely with the dark, generally not-too-sweet flavors of the chocolate. Merlot especially does well with truffle-style chocolates with a soft interior.
Sparkling + Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Suppose you are going for the real deal… In that case, you can order chocolate-dipped strawberries, either white or dark chocolate, and the perfect wine that matches the bright acidity of the strawberry is bubbly, and boy do we have bubbly: from our Sparkling Rosé, the recently released 2016 Vintage Scintilla and finally, our non-vintage Scintilla.
Valentine’s is the time to love the one you love with chocolates, wines, Rosés, and more.
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Andrew
