The pairing of wine and chocolate is a media darling. Like clock work, you can expect the tired topic to be rolled out before every Valentine's day. But few wines actually pair well with chocolate, truth be told. And those that do, well, they tend to be wines that work best as cocktails. Or shooters. Ripe, fruit-driven, and big, big, big.
Which is why it was so refreshing to see this new take on pairing wine and chocolates, undertaken by the gourmet chocolate company, Guittard. With San Francisco roots that go back to the gold rush, founder Etienne Guittard continued his family's chocolate tradition right here in the Bay area. And given our proximity to CA wine country, perhaps the only question is why it took Guittard so long to hit upon this brilliant idea!
I send hearty congratulations to our friends at Four Graces and Roederer, two of the four wines picked by the tasting panel Guittard put together, and wines that you'll frequently find on my own list of favorites.
Cheers! Dave "the Wine Merchant"