I love chocolate, but chocolate doesn’t love wine. It coats the palate, making it difficult for the delicate flavours and nuances of the beverage to get to your tastebuds. You can waste many a pricey glass by experimenting with the wrong style of wine to match a rich chocolate mousse or a nice slice of Black Forest gateaux. Many dishes benefit from being paired with a wine that echoes the main flavours of the food. However, wines with chocolatey notes tend to be big, bold and dry and will not go with your dessert.
So, don’t be drawn in to trying a bottle of South African Chocolate Block (a lovely blend by Boekenhoutskloof), or the delicious Chocolate Box Shiraz from Australia with pudding. That’s not what they’re for. Instead, try either one with a good hearty stew before the dessert even sees the dinner table. Both are available from Inverarity One to One. The Block is £17.99, and the Box is £13.49. They are both occasionally available in magnum format (equivalent to two bottles) which can sometimes last twice as long as a bottle. And they look great on the dinner table.
Once you’ve finished the stew, you can turn your attention to the wine to go with the chocolate based pudding. Remember, it should be at least as sweet as the dish with a balancing acidity and a healthy thwack of alcohol. Thwack is a technical wine term.
Muscat should be your go-to bottle. An Australian liqueur muscat will go with the richest desserts, while a vin doux naturel such as Muscat de Beaumes de Venise will cover all of the mid-weight food options.
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Carte Or (Waitrose, £7.99 for a half bottle). This is a beautifully balanced sweet wine bottled at 15% ABV (alcohol by volume).
Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat (Waitrose, £12.99 for a half bottle). This wonderfully rich wine will partner everything up to and including Death by Chocolate cake. It weighs in at 17.5% ABV and is best served lightly chilled. It also works with the cheeseboard, or simply sipped at the end of the night as a digestif.
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