Find the right wine to pair with chocolate

 I was working with a winemaker and chef to set up a Dinner with the Winemaker event when I ran into a most interesting situation. The winemaker was adamant that his cabernet be served as the last wine of the night and that chocolate not be served. He suggested a cheese and fruit plate. The chef was adamant that a dessert should be the finishing course with a suggestion of a chocolate mousse or cake.

  Both had good reasons. The winemaker didn't want an improper dessert to take away the great character of the wine. The chef knew the tastes and preferences of his customers. It all worked out well with a cheese platter being served with the initial pouring of the wine and then a dark chocolate cake being served with a second glass of the wine.

Some wines just don't match well with chocolate. Light, dry white wines made from gerwurztraminer, pinot gris, pinot blanc and others can exhibit unpleasant bitterness after almost any form of chocolate. Semillon, when dry, is in this group. When the semillon is used to make sweet dessert wines, then white and milk chocolate match fairly well.

Chardonnay matches very well with white chocolate flavored with French vanilla. Milk chocolate pairs well with riesling and sauvignon blanc.

Red wines tend to be much more chocolate-friendly. Merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel, sangiovese, tempranillo, syrah, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon tend to be good matches with chocolate. The trick is to pair the right chocolate with the right wine. Milk chocolate is suggested for light merlot, pinot noir and tempranillo wines. It is also a good match with cabernet franc.

Chianti is harder to pair with chocolate. The blend of varietals in chianti offerings varies with maker and vintage. Care should be exercised when trying to match these taste treats. If you are not sure, it is best to leave chianti and chocolate unpaired.

The ever-popular cabernet sauvignon is a better match with dark chocolate. Zinfandel, sangiovese, heavier merlot and pinot noir and syrah also pair better with dark chocolate. A general rule might be, the bigger the wine, the darker the chocolate.

This is true to a point, but caution must be used. Chocolate is a derivative word that comes from the Aztec language. It translates to "bitter water." It is sweetened with sugar and powdered milk solids. Fine chocolate bars boast what percentage of cocoa is in the bar — 70 percent, 75 percent, etc. The right wine and the right chocolate must be paired together. The winemaker knew that his wine paired with the wrong chocolate could accent the tannin in the wine to a point of unpleasantness.

Pick up a bottle of 2005 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon ($45-50) and try it with a variety of chocolates. The wine is spicy with notes of cinnamon and black pepper. Currant is the dominant fruit impression. To me, it seems as this wine has some malolactic fermentation. The tannins are not bold in this offering.

An 80 percent or higher chocolate will cover the soft smoothness of the malolactic fermentation and accent the bitterness of the cinnamon, black pepper and currant impressions. The combination would lead you to believe that this delicious wine is out of balance and unpleasant. Milk chocolate will overemphasize the spiciness and bitterness of the wine.

The right chocolate for this wine is the 70 percent chocolate. The chocolate will bring out the best of the fruit and spice in the wine without overpowering the delicate smoothness.

Ports pair especially well with chocolate. I find both treats are great for ending a meal. Why not plan a menu to feature this decadent pairing? Milk chocolate is an American favorite chocolate styling that has a hard time pairing with several wine selections, but I have always been able to pair milk chocolate and port together.

Just like dark chocolates, milk chocolate is created with a base of ground cacao that has been processed to create a creamy texture and cacao butter. Sugar and dried milk solids are added to mask the bitterness of the cacao. The sweetness that is created by the sugar and milk solids can conflict with heavily tannic wines.

The Graham's Six Grape Port ($25-30) is an interesting port styling. Aged in wood for three to four years, yet ruby in color, this wine has fresh cherry and plum impressions. Blueberry traits come out when the wine is sampled with milk chocolate. The silky smoothness of the wine matches the texture of milk chocolate very well.

You can fool your friends with a little parlor wine tasting trick. The Graham's Six Grape takes on bolder flavors of nuts, honey, black cherry and prune when it is paired with a 70 percent chocolate. Decant the port into two separate decanters. Serve a small glass with the milk chocolate and get the impressions of your guest. Then take the second decanter and pour out another small glass and pair it with the dark chocolate. Your tasters might think they are different ports.