What Wine Do I Drink With Chocolate?

By Jen Pfeiffer


Some say it can't be done – pairing wine and chocolate – but when you have the right chocolate with the right wine, it can be a match made in heaven!!!!


Wine and chocolate pairing can be complicated – some people like their wine to be as sweet as the chocolate, others prefer their wine drier than the chocolate to take away from the sweetness.  Experimenting is the best way to work out what you like – believe me, this can be a lot of fun!!!!!


Generally, like most wine and food pairing, lighter, more elegant flavoured chocolates should match more subtle wines; while rich, intense, darker chocolates will match rich, full bodied wines.


The Rutherglen region is regarded around the world as being a premium fortified wine producing area – and it is these prized wines that make the perfect match to chocolate.


Muscat of Rutherglen compliments both dark and milk chocolate, and its floral, raisined flavours will match fruit based chocolates particularly well.


Topaque of Rutherglen has a lovely honeyed flavour, and tends to work better with milk chocolate. Try it with choc-honeycomb combinations, or chocolate, with honeyed nougat.


White chocolate needs a wine that is lighter, more elegant – Pfeiffer Wines worked with the Corowa Chocolate Factory to produce a white chocolate truffle with a filling made with our Seriously Pink – a rose liqueur aperitif style of wine. It was an amazing match with the wine itself!


For those out there who love dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, nothing works better than a vintage port style. The bitter sweet, dark chocolate compliments the red berry fruit flavours and tannin dryness of a vintage port.


And finally for those with a hankering for nut pralines or chocolate nut combinations, a tawny port will suit these wonderfully well, offering sweet, chocolate and berry like fruit, with a drying, nutty finish on the end.