First, taste both the chocolate and wine individually.
Is there an instruction line more beautiful than that?
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of hosting a small Chocolate and Wine Pairing Tasting Party for some friends, sponsored by Lindt EXCELLENCE Chocolate and J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines. Many of you know that I work with and love Lindt chocolate, and I discovered that the only way for me to love their chocolate even more is to pair it with a small glass of wine.
For the tasting party, we had several bottles of fine wine to pair with different varieties of dark chocolate, including a new chocolate bar with a tropical flavor. We were able to try the new Lindt Pineapple, studded with naturally sweet pineapple and roasted hazelnut, with a finish of caramel and cream. I’m a big fan of sweet tropical flavors so this was a big hit with me.
I’m also a big fan of order and following instructions, so I appreciated the fact that Lindt sent some detailed fliers and even place mats to guide us through the tastings.
We started with the white wines before moving on to the reds, all with their respective chocolate pairings:
Lindt EXCELLENCE Pineapple paired with J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay
Lindt EXCELLENCE Intense Orange paired with J. Lohr Estates Bay Mist White Riesling
Lindt EXCELLENCE A Touch of Sea Salt paired with J. Lohr Estates Falcon’s Perch Pinot Noir
Lindt EXCELLENCE Chili paired with J. Lohr Estated South Ridge Syrah
Lindt EXCELLENCE 70% Cocoa paired with J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
You can read more about the wine pairings on the website.
First, taste both the chocolate and wine individually.
Then, to begin the pairing, take another piece of chocolate. Savor the taste as it slowly melts in your mouth.
When the last lingering notes of chocolate are all that remain, take a sip of wine. Hold the wine in your mouth, allowing it to coat your palate.
Notice the complex changes in taste as the wine mingles with the residual chocolate flavor. A harmonious pairing will intensify and elevate the taste experience.
My friends and I had such a fantastic time! The pairings really do bring out the flavors of the chocolates and wine, and it felt like a natural progression from lighter and sweeter to heavier and more bittersweet.
Of course since this was a party, I had other food ready, too. I put together a few appetizers, like the cheese plate above and some prosciutto (see my favorite easy party appetizers here), chips and other finger food, and prepared a big dish of garlic shrimp spaghetti (recipe coming soon!)
I enjoyed all five kinds of chocolate and wine we tried, but my favorite was the Intense Orange paired with the riesling. I’ve always liked dark chocolate and orange but with the wine pairing, I was really able to taste intense sweetness and brightness. I normally wouldn’t think to pair dark chocolate with a lighter, more refreshing wine, but this was so perfect together.
And now for the GIVEAWAY! My friends at Lindt generously offered to send a prize to one of you, my dear readers.
The giveaway prize is this lovely Lindt Chocolate Gift Box featuring an assortment of Lindt chocolates. There a few ways to enter – see the prompts below. Don’t forget to click the check the button on the widget after you enter each time!
Gift box photo and prize are provided by Lindt Chocolate. Giveaway is open to residents of the US (excluding Alaska & Hawaii). I’ll pick the winner on Monday, Aug. 25th.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lindt Chocolate. I received compensation, wine, and chocolates samples.