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.
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