Perfect Pairing

This past weekend I got invited to a friend's house and as gift I brought a few bottles of wine and chocolate to do a tasting and pairing. Everyone loved it and have to say that I had never done this myself before but felt a little adventurous.

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I'm a big fan of wines made from grapes that don't age for too long like Grenache blends and Tempranillo because even though they are not fancy I've never had a bad experience with them and I can pair them with many foods. Of the other more traditional grapes I go for Cabenrnet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.

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For this particular occasion I went for a wine from the Rioja region, another from Chile, and picked several chocolate bars that included a chile infused dark chocolate, an organic dark chocolate with pieces of dried cherry, a dark milk chocolate with sea salt, and a mint semi sweet bar.

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This is a great way to end any dinner because you can have fun with the different chocolates and wine. The way I was taught to do the tasting/pairing {by a chef from Godiva} is to eat a piece of the chocolate and later take a sip of the wine and see how much the flavor of the wine and the experience changes with each bite.

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If you decide to do something like this remember to have fun with the wines and chocolate. Best is to pair white wines with milk or white chocolates and red wines with dark-milk chocolate of just dark chocolate. Also, try to include sweeter wines like port or muscat and maybe even some fruit.

Have a great day and enjoy your dessert!