Divine, Cheese, and Wine!

January 4, 2016

A friend of mine, Amanda, recently moved into new a home. “I’ll bring the wine and cheese”, says my friend Kathy. “I’ll bring the chocolate”, I say, “Why don’t we pair the chocolate with the wine and see what happens?”

They agreed to the plan, but confessed to not having much experience consuming the two at the same time. However, being lovers of both chocolate and wine, they couldn’t see a downside. This would be an opportunity to eat, drink wine, and experiment – a few of our favorite activities!

I didn’t know exactly which wines would be there, but I do know my friends enjoy sweet and semi-sweet white wines.

The Chocolates

The general rule of thumb is to pair milk chocolates with white wines. I decided to bring two different milk chocolate varieties from one my favorite brands of chocolate, Divine™ Chocolate.

I chose Divine Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt and Divine Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts. Then I chose a dark chocolate nut bar (with almonds, cashews, and pecans) from a favorite chocolates shop just to mix it up.

The Wines

The wine choices started with Beringer White Zinfandel and Little Black Dress Moscato. I say, ‘started with’, because we didn't stop there.

We were having so much fun trying these wines with the chocolates and cheeses that Amanda searched through her cupboards for more. She found a Barefoot Pinot Grigio and a mysterious Cabernet Sauvignon that had been a gift (the Cab was for my benefit, the only red wine drinker!).

The Setting

The spread on the table looked marvelous. There sat a plate of sliced Gorgonzola, applewood smoked Gouda, and a light Munster. The chocolates were broken into bite-sized squares, and the wines opened and ready. We each had a glass of water and a basket of crackers for palate cleansing.

The flavors and aromas from the chocolates, wines, and cheeses were heavenly. This was going to be one unique housewarming party!

Relax with Chocolate and Wine

The CUO Chocolate and Wine Tasting Guide will show you how to pair chocolate and wine for amazing experiences of your own or with friends!

Click here to get started now.

The Tastings

The following results of our chocolate and wine pairings are purely subjective and non-scientific!

White Zinfandel paired with the Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt:

2 “Yummy” and 1 “I like it!”. The sweetness level of the White Zin matches up well with the sweetness level of the milk chocolate. The toffee and salt linger at the end and light fruity notes of the wine finish smoothly.

White Zinfandel paired with the Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut:

2 “Better than expected” and 1 “Pretty good”. We all agree that the hazelnut and cocoa notes blend nicely with the fruity notes and the overall sweetness. We like the fact that the wine enhances the whole taste experience and makes the chocolate stand out.

White Zinfandel paired with the dark chocolate nut bar:

2 “Kind of good” and 1 “Don’t prefer it”. This time the sweetness from the wine lowers the chocolate impact. The nutty notes came through.

Moscato paired with the Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt:

3 “Ooo, not so good”. We all think the Moscato’s sweetness is overpowering and too floral for the chocolate. Also, the salt makes the aftertaste bitter.

Moscato paired with the Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut:

3 “Pretty good, but not wow”. Again, the sweetness from the Moscato overwhelms the chocolate but the nuttiness of the hazelnuts blends nicely with the fresh fruity notes of the wine.

Moscato paired with the dark chocolate nut bar:

3 “Thumbs down”. The strong nutty and spicy notes clash with the sweetness and makes the total experience unfriendly in the mouth.

Pinot Grigio paired with the Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt
and
Pinot Grigio paired with the Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut:

3 “Eww!” ‘Nuff said.

Pinot Grigio paired with the dark chocolate nut bar:

3 “Nope, not good”. What’s up with Pinot Grigio and chocolate?? We think this Pinot Grigio’s fruity profile is just wrong for this chocolate/nut combination. I think the notes of pear (and other stone fruits) from the wine combined with the spicy notes from pecans and cashews create an off-flavor and a bitter ending.

Cabernet Sauvignon paired with the Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Sea Salt
and
Cabernet Sauvignon paired with the Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut:

2 “It’s not bad!” and 1 makes an ugly face. Typically, the odds are against a red wine and a milk chocolate working well together which is why this is a nice surprise - at least for two of us!

Cabernet Sauvignon paired with the dark chocolate nut bar:

1 “Excellent”, 1 “Hey-pleasantly surprised” and 1 “skipped it because it's red wine and I don’t want to make my ugly face again”. I think the red berry notes from the Cab blend well with the rich cocoa notes and nutty-spicy-earthy profile of the nuts. I’m the only one that likes the astringent mouth feel.

The Summary

At the end of the day, we reached these conclusions:

Pairing a White Zinfandel with either one of the Divine Milk Chocolate bars makes a winning combination!
Drinking the Moscato while eating Milk Chocolate and Hazelnuts can keep us happy.
Avoid chocolate and Pinot Grigio at all costs!
Be daring and try a dark chocolate nut cluster with everything, and you might be pleasantly surprised!
Oh yes, almost forgot. Favorite wine and cheese combo? Hands down, Gorgonzola with White Zinfandel!

We certainly learned some lessons, too. Next time, we take better notes and take photos (although I’m thinking we should probably have a designated note taker and photographer since we clearly can’t be trusted to do this while drinking wine and being engrossed in lively conversation)!

I encourage you to gather up a few friends and have a chocolate, cheese, and wine tasting. Try some of our pairings or create combinations of your own.

I know we’re committed to doing this again and again until we get it right!

Create Your Own Chocolate and Wine Experience!

Want to get it right the first time? The CUO Chocolate and Wine Tasting Guide will show you how to pair chocolate and wine for amazing taste experiences!

Click here to get your copy now!

Author
Recent Posts

Bryn Kirk

Course Facilitator at Chocolate University Online

Bryn worked for nearly 10 years in a research and product development for Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now she develops all of the CUO lessons and coaches the members of the Primal Chocolate Club.