Sweets for the Sweet

Valentine's Day is next Tuesday and I'm all about chocolate this year. Dinner is not my concern, it's just dessert that I'm concentrating on.

I'll have to be sure to find a wine that my troops will like since I'm focusing on chocolate dessert and candy. There are traditional wine pairings for chocolate, but we're lucky that some traditions have changed giving us more choices.

Here's a little information that can help you choose a wine for your chocolate desserts.

Wine should be as sweet, or sweeter than the dessert, or our chocolate.

• White chocolate (though it's not really chocolate) can have buttery flavors and yet still is sweet. Moscato d'Asti is dessert wine that is a good choice for white chocolate.
• Sherry is an excellent pairing as it enhances the creaminess in the white chocolate.

• Milk chocolate is sweeter and has less chocolate liquor than dark chocolate. The sweeter chocolate needs a sweeter wine or the wine may leave an unpleasant tartness on the palate.
• If you would prefer a white wine rather than a sweet dessert wine choose a Gewürztraminer or a Riesling. Both of these white wines come in a lightly sweet style that will pair nicely with the dairy and caramel flavors in milk chocolate. These wines are a nice alternative to a sweet dessert wine.
• If the milk chocolate has nuts try a Vin Santo Chianti Classico which has nutty, caramel flavors.

• Dark & bittersweet chocolates have less sugar content than white chocolate and milk chocolate. The bold flavors of these chocolates can stand up to a stronger style red wine.
• Try fruit forward style reds such as a fruity Zinfandel from California or a Shiraz from Clare Valley in Australia. You can find additional information here.

Salute!

Winelady Cooks