Pairing Chocolate with White Wine

We have hosted many Chocolate with Wine Pairing events over the years and have found a number of bars that make perfect partners for particular wines. The idea is to find complimentary flavours in both the chocolate and the wine, so they are enhanced or highlighted when put together, such as red berries. Or to look for flavour profiles that are in contrast to each other that make unusual but delightful tasting experiences, like a spicy chocolate with a fruit forward wine. 

The following is an assortment of pairings that we especially like. All wines can be found at the LCBO  in the Essentials or Vintages collections and naturally all the chocolate bars are on our shelves almost always. 

AMEDEI Toscano Blond is a 63% dark bar with lovely bits of peach and apricot throughout. We have paired this bar with two Italian wines, Ruffino Prosecco as well as Beni di Batasiolo Bosc DLA REI Moscato D'Asti.  The Ruffino Prosecco is a sparkling wine with flavour notes of white fruits that compliment the stone fruits in the bar. The Moscato D'Asti is slightly fizzy with pear and melon flavours, when combined with the chocolate is like a fruit salad with chocolate dressing! The chocolate is intended to be served chilled, as are the wines, thus some refrigeration before serving is advised.

Hummingbird Zorzal 70% Dark is a single origin bar is a lovely textural contrast to Beni di Batasiolo Bosc DLA REI Moscato D'Asti.  The slight fizziness of the wine is accentuated by the smoothness of the chocolate's honey-like mouthfeel. However this pair is a great flavour match with the chocolate's notes of apricot and pecan and the wine's pear and melon notes. Serve the chocolate at room temperature and the wine slightly chilled.

Local meets local with our pairing of Olivia Chocolat's Coco-White Milk Choco bar and KIN Vineyards KINdling Sparkling Vidal. Olivia's bar is made with coconut milk, this is a dairy free white chocolate, paired with pineapple for a dreamy vacation-like flavour! The wine is mildly sweet with aromas of lemon, tart green apple and yellow plum. This pairing has made our guests think twice about their opinion of white chocolate!