Wine and Chocolate: The Results!
Wine and Chocolate: The results are in!
In honor of the Oscars, I figured I would share the results of the latest Enthusiasts wine tasting! And - oh my! - will the results surprise you! This week the Enthusiasts tasted wine with chocolate and below are the list of wines we paired with chocolate and some comments from the group:
(1) Trader Joe's House Chardonnay
About the wine:
a.k.a. "formerly known as two buck chuck." Since the tasting was based pairings with chocolate, we tried to save money where we could on wine. This chardonnay is known for its pear aroma, medium body, and perfect price.
Paired with:
White Chocolate
Comments from the group:
Most of the group was surprised how much they liked this pairing and how the buttery aspects of the wine and chocolate were featured when paired together.
(2) Trader Joe's House Sauvignon Blanc
About the wine:
See above, but with a touch of acidity and bright fruit.
Paired with:
White chocolate
Comments from the group:
No one in the group disliked this pairing, however, it wasn't anything to write home about and most felt white chocolate and chardonnay paired better.
(3) Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel
About the wine:
On its own - this was a great wine worth mentioning to friends. It had everything you want in a zinfandel - a well rounded taste with spice and berries.
Paired with:
Dark Chocolate
Comments from the group:
Many in the group thought this was a weird pairing. In fact, most thought the flavors of the wine clashed with chocolate. Ultimately, the group concluded that perhaps zinfandel generally does not pair well with chocolate.
(4) Mark West Pinot Noir
About the wine:
Most reviews on this wine salute its balanced taste and affordable price. Its aroma includes cherry and plum. The taste includes ripe cherry, plum, strawberry and earthiness.
Paired with:
Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.
Comments from the group:
Generally, the group thought both pairings tasted nice and balanced. Most concluded pinot noir is a great red to pair with chocolate.
(5) Dante Merlot
About the wine:
This lovely merlot has an aroma of raspberry, strawberry, cherry and vanilla spice. The taste is bold upfront with bold red fruit and a pleasant tart cherry finish.
Paired with:
Dark Chocolate.
Comments from the group:
Despite the group's apprehension for chocolate paired with red wine, many in the group enjoyed this pairing. In fact, I thought the dark chocolate actually enhanced some bold fruit flavors in the merlot - one of my favorite pairings!
(6) Trader Joe's House Cabernet Sauvignon
About the wine:
See above - drinkable, affordable, red, with bold fruit flavor.
Paired with:
Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate
Comments from the group:
Similar results as with the pinot noir - both chocolates paired well with this wine.
(7) Dr. Hans Von
M
üller Riesling
About the wine:
Check out the label - there is a lot to see and learn! First, what is Mosel? Well, its foremost a river in southeastern Germany and the wine region is known for producing some of the most famous rieslings around. The soil in this region varies from sandstone/limestone to clay slate and stone. This terrior plays a major role in the famous acidity and balancing sweetness of riesling. Second, what is auslese? Translated from German, it means "selected harvest." Generally, it describes a category of German wine that is very sweet, made from late-harvested grapes.
Paired with:
Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate
Comments from the group:
Most in the group enjoyed riesling pair with milk chocolate and said it emphasized a buttery taste. However, riesling paired with dark chocolate was everyone's favorite! The dark chocolate brought out the fruit flavor of the wine.
(8) Old Vine Tawny
About the wine:
The good thing about the Enthusiasts
is that the group can taste new wines and learn what they love - and what they don't. While the label describes this wine as a murky brick red color with spiced berry and ripe plum flavors. Unfortunately, the group only seemed to notice a murky flavor and it did get better when paired with chocolate.
Paired with:
Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate.
Comments from the group:
Do not recommend this wine to a friend :(
(9) Girl Go Lightly Moscato
About the wine:
I was very excited to open this wine for two reasons: (1) the label is so freaking cute. I know what your thinking - c'mon Kelley how can a wine enthusiast like you get hung up on the label. True, I generally urge my friends that the quality of the wine is in no way associated with the label art. However, sometimes the label is a little piece of art in its own right and is worth mentioning, and (2) its the first time the Enthusiast! gets to discuss Moscato!
Moscato is actually made from the muscat grape variety. This grape is known for its pronounced sweet aroma and multiple varieties and synonyms. For example, Muscat is known in Spanish as Moscatel, and Moscato in Italian.
Paired with:
White Chocolate
Comments from the group:
The group thought this wine paired nicely with white chocolate!
And the award goes to... wine and chocolate!
Cheers!