Valentine’s Day is known as the most romantic holiday of the year. Though we know that flowers, special dinners, and rom coms will likely be a part of your Valentine’s Day celebrations, we’re fairly certain that a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates will make an appearance as well.
At Wine Tours by Design, we believe that Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy delicious wine and chocolate pairings. To help you maximize your wine and chocolate tasting experience, we’ve put together a guide to help you navigate wine and chocolate pairings like a pro.
Wines That Go Well with Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is generally known to be on the bitter side and is a good, sweet treat for people who desire a square of chocolate without too much sugar. Because dark chocolate tends to be less sugary and more bitter, it’s important to pair this type of chocolate with a slightly sweeter or fuller body wine.
In general, fruity and bold red wines tend to be the best matches for dark chocolates. At Wine Tours by Design, we recommend pairing these red wines with dark chocolate:
Bold Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Shiraz
Zinfandel
Fruity or Semi-sweet Red Wines
Pinot Noirs
Port Wines (best for high cacao percentages)
Wines That Go Well with Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate is the happy medium in the chocolate family. This rich and sweet chocolate is extremely desirable and requires a versatile, slightly sweeter wine to bring out those intense, velvety flavors.
Both white wines and red wines can complement milk chocolates, as milk chocolate is easy on the palette. Here are some of our favorite wine pairings for milk chocolate, from whites to reds:
Champagne
Moscato
Riesling
Pinot Noir
Port Wines
Wines That Go Well with White Chocolate
White chocolate… is it really chocolate? The answer is kind of. Though white chocolate does not have cocoa solids in it, it does contain cocoa butter, which is the saturated fat that makes white chocolate extremely creamy. Everyone who has ever tasted white chocolate knows that it is generally very sweet and milky.
This is a tough chocolate to pair with wine, but nonetheless there are some great wines out there that really complement the flavors of white chocolate. We’ve found that light, fruity wines or very sweet wines, like dessert wines, pair best with white chocolate.
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Gewurztraminer
Moscato
Prosecco
Rosé
Get Creative with Your Wine and Chocolate Pairings
At Wine Tours by Design, we have a blast hosting wine and chocolate events multiple times a year. For these events, we work with a specialty chocolatier, Karl Vivier with A Cacao Affair, to create wonderful chocolate and wine pairings. If you’re local to Georgia, make sure to attend our “The Art of Chocolate & Wine” event on February 10, 2024.
No matter how you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, we hope you’ll grab a box of chocolates, a couple of bottles of wine, and share the adventure of wine and chocolate pairings with a loved one or friend.
Interested in learning more about our events? Check out our events page or contact us to host your own private wine and chocolate pairing event!
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