By Theyo
#1 Red wine and chocolate always go together
Not a chocolate tasting goes by with us in which the combination of red wine and chocolate does not become a topic at some point. Especially at evening tastings, the red wine is often brought along. And although we're always happy about so much effort, the sad truth is that red wine and chocolate don't always make a perfect couple. While bitter supermarket chocolate often collides with the dryness of a red wine, with fine chocolate it is often the acidity that does not necessarily go with every red wine. Or the chocolate is very subtle with fine aromas that are quickly drowned out by the red wine. Nonetheless, there are great ways to pair red wine and chocolate together. However, the search for a perfect match should be done with caution and with little bits and sips.
#2 Wine has more flavors than other stimulants
If you search for “tastings” on the internet, you will find a long list of wine tastings...fortunately, theyo chocolate tastings are becoming more and more common ;-), whiskey tastings, cheese tastings and now even olive oil tastings. While the rumor has persisted for a long time that wine has the most aromas , chocolate experts are now countering it. According to them, chocolate is one of the few luxury foods that can have more flavors than wine.
#3 Only dessert wines go well with chocolate
When we are asked for pairing recommendations in our tastings, we often suggest port, muscatel or Gewürztraminer. On the one hand because (dark) chocolate and sweet wine are simply a great combination and on the other hand because you can't do much wrong. Of course you can make it easy for yourself and choose dessert wines with chocolate. The only problem: you will miss a lot! Sweet wines go particularly well with strong chocolate and can also soften the bitterness of ordinary supermarket chocolate. However, if you have fine chocolates at hand, it is worth tasting them a little more closely. Because these fine, not at all bitter chocolates do not need sweet wines to compensate. Combined with a suitable wine, they can result in a completely new, exciting taste experience.
#4 Dry red wines and chocolate don't mix
Attentive readers are probably already aware at this point that this myth also applies less to fine chocolate and more to ordinary supermarket chocolate. In fact, the combination of a dry red wine and an ordinary "dark chocolate" is usually quite a failure. As already described, the bitterness of the chocolate collides with the tannins in the red wine. Since the bitterness in supermarket chocolate mostly comes from the "over-roasting" of the cocoa beans, it makes sense to look out for fine chocolates with gently roasted beans. You can find these in any well-assorted chocolate shop or, of course, online... we have an idea for that too ;-) In general, while strong red wines (also aged in oak) with slightly tannic notes harmonize a little more difficult with dark chocolate, don't combine well with milk chocolate. Red wines with a slightly natural sweetness - from the wooden barrel - often go well with dark chocolate. Chocolates around 70% with little acid are ideal for this.
#5 Chocolate and white wine don't mix
So far, it has mainly been about red wine. That's because most of our tasting participants don't even consider white wine with chocolate. Red and white wine go equally well (or badly). For example, fruity chocolates – around 70% – go well with fruity white wines. Make sure that the chocolate is fruity but not sour. Too much acid could collide with the acidity of the wine. Strong white wines, on the other hand, go well with milk chocolate and caramel-white chocolate.
#6 Sparkling wine and chocolate never go together
Chocolate generally does not go well with sparkling wine and champagne - according to the common, but incorrect, opinion. Admittedly, the pairing is not easy here either. However, you rarely go wrong with champagne and white chocolate. The right (dark) creamy milk chocolate also often harmonizes perfectly with sparkling wine and champagne. In general, white sparkling wines often go a little better with chocolate than red ones. And what is of course always possible: champagne truffles or truffles in a glass with sparkling wine or champagne.
#7 When it comes to wine and chocolate, it's all about taste
At Theyo, we attach particular importance to the effect chocolate has on the tongue. Whether with or without wine and sparkling wine: the most important thing for us is that the chocolate was produced 100% fairly and without child labor and was grown sustainably. You can find a small, fine selection of such chocolates in our chocolate shop or – put together by us – in our Theyo Tasting Boxes .
