Chefs pair them on expensive tasting menus. Wine educators use them in wine tastings and classes to demonstrate food and wine pairing. Wineries serve them as part of multi-course wine dinners. But do red wine and chocolate really work together, or are they just a kitschy forced pairing?
In my tasting experience, I've found that chocolate CAN pair with red wine, but with the following guidelines. Give them a try, see if you agree with them, and then try your own pairings:
* Pair milk chocolate with a New World, jammy merlot. The chocolate really works with the blackberry flavors in the wine.
* The higher the fat content in the chocolate, the more tannic wine it will pair with--the fat in the chocolate will soften the wine's tannins. (This also explains why we enjoy steak with tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon--the fat in the meat softens the tannins.) So, reach for some quality chocolate with a higher milk and fat content (Vahlrona, Lindt's, Godiva), instead of a Hershey bar, to enjoy with a glass of red wine. Once you do, you'll never go back.
* Pair dark, bitter chocolate with an Old World, more restrained wine like Bordeaux. The coffee aromas and flavors of the wine will go with the bitter chocolate better than a fruitier wine.
* What about white chocolate? I've never been a fan of this type of candy, which to me isn't chocolate at all. I definitely think that red wine won't work with it. I'd stick to a Brut Champagne.
