Chocolate & Wine Guide for Valentine's Day

True love is hard to find, and so is matching chocolate and wine. With the right combination of chocolate and wine, it can be a match made in heaven. Use the following guide to help you find the perfect pairing or set up your own match game of chocolates and wine. A good rule of thumb is to pair lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines. Stronger chocolate should be paired with more full-bodied wines. If you are trying a variety of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white or milk chocolate and end on a bittersweet chocolate .At Plume Ridge Bottle Shop, we spend a whole afternoon experimenting with the following combinations and here are some of our highlights from our staff. This was definitely a palate opener. Scroll down to read about  the more EXOTIC category.

Milk Chocolate

• Wine Paired: Riesling

Chocolate: Trader Joe's Belgian Milk Chocolate went well with the floral and fruit aromas of the Riesling. The milk chocolate melts fairly quickly, giving more creaminess on the finish.

• Wine Paired: Sparkling Rosé

Chocolate: Vosges Naga Bar (Sweet Coconut Curry with 45% Cacao) was an interesting combination with mild curry and the sweetness was brought out by the light strawberries and floral aroma of the Sparkling wine. Neither the wine nor chocolate overpowered one another, quite balanced.

Dark Chocolate

• Wine Paired: Syrah STAFF FAVORITE!!

Chocolate: Chocolate with Bacon was the winning combination. The "animal-ness" of the chocolate was perfectly matched with the rustic palate of the wine. There were  lots of saltiness and smokiness as well.

Chocolate: Trader Joe's Stone Ground Chocolate with Pepper has a gritty texture, however when paired with the Syrah, this chocolate tasted like a steak or fresh peppercorn.

• Wine Paired: Bordeaux MUST TRY THIS!

Chocolate: Trader Joe's Cocoa Truffles were lightly dusted with cocoa powder, but the bitterness of the powder was decreased and the creaminess of the truffle was balanced with the tannic structure of the Bordeaux blend.

Chocolate: Vosges Cherry Rooibos (45% Cacao) had dried bits of cherries in the bar. The cherry is complemented by the fruit structure of the wine with mostly Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.

Exotic Chocolate

• Wine Paired: PORT PERFECT MATCH!

Chocolate: Vosges Bapchi Caramel Toffee Bar (45% Cacao) has good nuttiness of walnut and pecans to match with the dried fruit, almond, and toffee flavors of the Port.

• Wine Paired: Pinot Noir

Chocolate: Trader Joe's PB&J Bar is almost like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup with some jelly. The finish is creamy and smooth with a tangy kick at the end.

• Wine Paired: Syrah STAFF FAVORITE!!

Chocolate: Taza Stone Ground Ginger Chocolate (70% Cacao) offers a subtle ginger-ness on the palate, finished with some good fruit that is influenced by the Syrah.

Contributed by Monica Yu,  Wine Buyer for Plume Ridge Bottle Shop