Tips for pairing chocolates and wine

Chocolate comes in many varieties much like wine. Many people can’t imagine pairing chocolate with a fine wine, but the complexity and differences of both can make for an exciting, flavorful match.

Choosing your pairs
It’s important to remember that most wine-pairing guidelines are just that… guidelines. There are no hard and fast rules. You may find that while you prefer dark chocolate with a nutty, roasty Cabernet, your equally wine- or food-savvy friend may go for a vintage Port. But if you’re a wine and chocolate-pairing novice, follow these quick tips to match your favorite decadence with just the right wine.

White chocolate pairings
White chocolate is mellow and buttery. Its flavor makes it ideal for softer wines like Sherry or an Orange Muscat. Some people also like it with a light (often white) Zinfandel.
Sherry increases the creaminess of white chocolate, while Orange Muscat picks up any light fruit tones that may be present in some white chocolates (depending on the maker). Zinfandel is actually a contrasting flavor because of its heavy tannin content, but some tasters appreciate the dynamic flavors. Overall white chocolates usually go best with dessert wines.

Milk chocolate
The creaminess of milk chocolate pairs with a Ruby Port, Pinot Noir or light-bodied Merlot (or other light-bodied, light-flavored wines). Dessert wines (Rieslings, Muscats, etc.) may also be a good complement. These types of wines pair well with milk chocolate because the mild tannin levels underscore the creamy flavor without overpowering it.

Dark or intense dark chocolate
Dark or bittersweet chocolate pairs with a variety of wines and often make some of the most interesting pairings. Since they’re often more complex themselves, they usually require a more complex wine to accompany them.

Look for a wine that’s a little more robust (maybe even a roast-y or nutty flavor). In fact, many wines, especially Cabernets and Zinfandels, often have their own hint of chocolate flavor. Try a robust Pinot Noir or full-bodied Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Tawny or Vintage Port.

Wine & chocolate tasting
The best way to find out your favorite chocolate and wine combination is trial and error. Make it fun by hosting a chocolate and wine tasting with some of your friends. Just buy a selection of wines and fine chocolates and invite everyone to taste (starting with the lightest flavors first) and choose their favorites.

 

The ethics of a chocolate bar are as important as its flavor.

via This Harvard chocolate scholar wants you to eat better chocolate | Boston.com

 

About the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund

The Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (HCP) is delighted to announce the following designated HEIRLOOM producers of quality and flavor cacao beans at origin. CONGRATULATIONS! We thank you for your continued effort to conserve the delicious diversity of cacao. Because of you, the world can enjoy great tasting chocolate!

via Our Heirloom Farmers |

 

The color of cocoa pods are very interesting.

The color of cocoa pods are very interesting. The color can be an indication of variety, which can be an indication of flavor potential. You see in the background a red pod hanging on a tree. This is an indication of high flavor potential. You see in the foreground a pod of mixed color (red and yellow). This is an indication of a mixed flavor potential.

via Madécasse op Instagram:

 

The best natural heat container…

Peeling back the curtain on a ferment one day after the fully aerobic phase started. The oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid is highly exothermic and has increased the temperature of the fermenting mass to just over 50 C. The heat and acetic acid have started to scorch the banana leaves and you can smell the vinegar in the air before you get close to the box. If you look closely, you can see some beans are bleeding purple pigment. This indicates that cell death and lysis inside the seeds has begun, and the complex cascade of enzymatic and other chemical reactions that produce the precursors to chocolate flavor are under way.

BRON: https://www.instagram.com/cacao4hawaii/