Tag Archive: wine
Moser Roth 85%
October 25, 2010
It's after 9
pm, the kids are in bed, and I am in the mood to r-e-l-a-x. I decide to try a chocolate bar I have not had before, Moser Roth premium dark 85%. This bar is intensely nutty, soft on fruit and earth. The snap is hard and the melt is slow to release its flavors.
I can sense that the bar lacks a little something, and then the light goes on. I need to pair this bar with wine. Since I don't have time to pick and choose, I reach for the malbec I have on hand. It is a 2008 Reserve from Alma Andina vineyard, Mendoza region Argentina. The label set me up to be hopeful as it describes the tasting notes concentrated in red and black fruit flavors, hints of toasted vanilla with a long cherry finish.
Read more
New Lindt Chocolate Flavors
October 8, 2010
Good News! Lindt is expanding its Excellence chocolates with two new premium creations. Introducing…..
Excellence Roasted Almond and Excellence Black Currant
The roasted almond variety combines dark chocolate with slivered almonds, and the black currant variety combines dark chocolate with tart, dried black currants and roasted slivered almonds.
Read more
Merlot and Chocolate Raspberry Creams
October 2, 2010
One of my favorite chocolate and wine pairings is merlot with a dark chocolate-covered raspberry cream.
Merlot, a red grape originating in France’s Bordeaux region, naturally produces tastes that are rich and round, loaded with raspberry and other red berry flavors, sometimes with hints of chocolate and sometimes vanilla.
Merlot is often overshadowed by a similar wine, the more popular cabernet sauvignon. The two share some similarities, but there differences, too. A merlot pairs very well with certain fruit creams and dark chocolates because it is typically softer and fruitier in both aroma and flavor than a cabernet.
Read more
Pinot Grigio Great with “Dark Milk”
September 25, 2010
Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio wine is light, crisp, and dry. I make a point these days to pair chocolate with any wine I happen to be drinking. Since I have never put any chocolate together with a Pinot Grigio before, I had to dig into my chocolate stash and pull out things I had on hand.
My first choice was a mid-range dark, 60% cacao solids, sourced from Ghana. I knew that the Pinot Grigio was on the dry side and I was curious to see if the fruity notes in the chocolate would complement the wine.
Read more
Steak, Malbec, and Chocolate!
September 18, 2010
I live in Wisconsin and, believe it or not, we have wineries and vineyards here! We are not as well known as California or Virginia but we do all right. If you haven’t had a Wisconsin wine recently, try a selection from Parallel 44 in Kewaunee, WI.
I have fallen in love with their Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon blend called “44”. It is dry, bold, and intensely fruity up front. I am a fan of Malbec for many reasons, but the main reason is that it pairs so well with chocolate.
Read more
An Excellent Wine and Chocolate Pairing
September 11, 2010
My mom came for dinner last week and she 
(as any properly trained mother should do) brought with her a bottle of wine. We enjoyed a remarkably delicious Green Truck Organic Sauvignon Blanc.
After dinner, I (as any properly trained daughter should do) brought out chocolate for dessert. I was in the mood for a Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate bar. As I took a bite, I noticed I had a swallow of wine left in my glass and drank it. The chocolate was still in my mouth, and the result of this accidental pairing was, well, it was meant to be!
Read more
Brownie Marble Cheesecake
December 17, 2009
A few days ago Bryn mentioned a cheesecake and Pinot Grigio pairing.
What she failed to mention is that it was I who suggested the Pinot Grigio as a potential pairing with the cheesecake.
Having tasted several of the wines earlier in the evening, I knew upon the first taste of the cheesecake that we would have a winning combination. Since the last of the Pinot was already in my glass I had to take it over to Bryn and tell her to taste the combination.
Read more
The Olympics and Cheesecake!
December 15, 2009
The 2010 Winter Olympic Games begin February 12, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. But what, you may ask, does this have to do with cheesecake?
Well, thanks for asking. Cheesecake is believed to have originated in ancient Greece and was served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C.
In 1872, America dairyman William Lawrence, is credited with inventing modern day cream cheese. He accidentally created it when he tried to reproduce a French cheese called Neufchatel.
Read more
Other Fine Foods and Drinks
October 23, 2009
Recently Bryn wrote a post about experiencing fine chocolate. I'm wondering what other fine foods and/or drinks you might enjoy?
People who have a strong love for chocolate often enjoy other fine foods and beverages as well. Perhaps you like drinks such as coffee, wine, or scotch.
Are you picky about your morning cup of coffee? Do you want a gourmet blend with exquisite flavor? Or will any dark-brown sludge do as long as its got caffeine?
Do you like a fine French Bordeaux wine or do you pick up the $2.95 bottle of "Red?"
Read more
Rice Crispy Bars with Chocolate and Wine
June 18, 2009
For dessert tonight Bryn's mother made Rice Crispy bars. She melted some Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips, spread it on the bars, and then put another layer of bar on top. So it was kind of a layer cake, the layers being rice crispy bars and the frosting being semisweet chocolate.
Read more