How to Pair Wine and Chocolate

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How to Pair Wine and Chocolate

Wine and chocolate are two of life’s great pleasures, yet pairing them is challenging as both feature naturally occurring tannins that can clash on your tongue.

Finding the perfect wine and chocolate combination may take some experimenting, as much comes down to personal taste. However, whether you love sweet milk chocolate or crave dark chocolate’s rich and intense hit, getting the right combo can result in a delicious palate explosion.

Read on to find the perfect chocolate and wine pairings for you.

Understanding Chocolate and Wine Pairings

The key to a successful wine and chocolate pairing is matching the intensity of both partners.

The richness of chocolate demands a wine with enough character to hold its own. Factors to consider include sweetness, acidity and texture. A light, delicate wine could be overshadowed, while an overly robust one may mask the nuances of fine chocolate.

The sweetness level plays a crucial role, too. Generally, the wine should be as sweet as, if not sweeter than, the chocolate or the chocolate dessert for a harmonious balance. Ice wines, late harvest Riesling, Moscato or sweet red wines, and fortified wines like Port, Sherry, Madeira and Banyuls typically pair well with a variety of chocolate.

Yet, you don’t have to play it safe when it comes to wine and chocolate. The good news is that there’s plenty of room for experimentation.

Pairing Dark Chocolate and Wine

With a high percentage of cocoa, dark chocolate has an intense and typically bitter flavor. As such, it pairs well with robust red wines that have the structure to match dark chocolate’s richness. However, it’s best to avoid highly tannic reds, as combining dark chocolate and wine tannins can leave an overarching bitterness and astringency on your palate.

Opt for a smooth, full, fruity red wine, such as a Californian Zinfandel, which merges beautifully with dark chocolate’s bold and astringent flavors to create a harmonizing sensation in the mouth.

Red wines with undertones of chocolate can overlap with dark chocolate, resulting in an intense and more nuanced depth of flavor. A great example is an opulent red Amarone like our Bartolomeo Lorenzi Amarone 2020, which boasts lush dark fruit and sweet spice notes. Its flavors of raisin, fig, spice and chocolate are mouthwatering accompaniments to an assortment of dark chocolate treats.

Fortified wines such as Sherry, Banyuls, Madeira or Port, with their velvety-smooth texture and complex flavors are a perfect match for dark chocolate. For example, Baronesa de Vilar Port Finish Reserva 2021 is packed with abundant dark fruit flavors and hints of chocolatey spices that deliciously complement dark chocolate’s intense taste.

Pairing Wine with Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate, with its lower tannins and higher sugar levels, offers the widest choice of wine pairings.

Consider lighter-bodied red wines with soft tannins, such as a Merlot or Pinot Noir, which provide a subtle contrast to the sweetness of the milk chocolate but don’t dominate it. Our Cooper Point California Merlot 2023 is a lush and velvety red with vibrant black fruit flavors that pair beautifully with milk chocolate.

Off-dry white wines are also an excellent match for milk chocolate. Riesling and Moscato d’Asti have strong acidity, floral aromas and fruity flavors that cut through milk chocolate’s richness and create a perfectly balanced mouthful.

A glass of sparkling wine is an excellent partner for all milk chocolate desserts. A sweet, lightly sparkling red wine, like L’Occhiolino Sparkling Red 2021, delivers elegant effervescence, while a fine Crémant such as Ice Cattin Premium Demi-Sec NV, with its vibrant bubbles and lingering sweetness, enhances the rich chocolate flavor.

Pairing Wine with White Chocolate

White chocolate’s buttery sweetness pairs well with wines that balance and complement its creaminess but don’t overpower its delicate flavors.

Look for a Gewürztraminer with its floral, spicy notes, or a Chenin Blanc with its honeyed sweetness—both can balance the sweet creaminess of white chocolate. Sweeter sparkling wines, like Asti Spumante, add a lively effervescence to the mix, resulting in a playful, pleasing contrast on the palate.

Pairing Wine and Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate-based desserts offer a whole new world of pairing potential. The same fundamental rules apply, but now other ingredients come into play.

Chocolate cake

Medium- to full-bodied reds like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah make excellent companions to a slice of decadent chocolate cake. The wines’ firm tannins can cut through the cake's richness, resulting in a refreshing contrast of flavors. When it comes to a celebration, cake and bubbles go hand in hand; luckily, they also work together on the palate! Sparkling wines provide a refreshing accompaniment to chocolate cake, plus the lively bubbles and strong acidity help cleanse the palate of any residual stickiness—so you can take another chocolatey bite.

Chocolate truffles

With their rich flavor and creamy texture, truffles pair best with fruity dessert wines like Ruby Port. Alternatively, a glass of Champagne or Prosecco offers enough acidity to cut through the richness of the chocolate truffles and balance the palate.

Chocolate mousse

Opt for a red dessert wine like Port or a fruity Zinfandel that can complement the melt-in-the-mouth texture and chocolatey richness. Sweet sparkling wines are also a good match, as they offer a refreshing and sweet contrast to the lusciousness of the chocolate mousse, while the bubbles elevate all its creamy flavors.

Enjoying Wine and Chocolate

Don’t serve chocolate straight from a cold fridge. Dark chocolate is best enjoyed at room temperature, around 65-70°F, allowing the chocolate to melt slightly on the tongue. In contrast, milk and white chocolate are generally enjoyed at a slightly cooler temperature, around 60-65°F. This helps to preserve their lusciously creamy textures.

When it comes to pairing wine with chocolate, the possibilities are endless. So, why not stock up on your favorite chocolates and browse through our extensive selection of wines today?