It seems we all learned how to pair wines with steaks or cheese. What about desserts? Are you confident enough to match your favourite chocolate bar with wine you had for dinner? It's not an easy task and one must know well how to pair them for better experience. Learn our tips so next St Valentine's Day you'll be ready to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with some chocolate.
Light-bodied red wine and nutty coffee flavoured chocolate
Pick light to medium body red wines for all the earthy and nutty flavours of chocolate. It would be a no brainer: smaller amount of tannins will let you enjoy the cocoa and coffee notes in your dessert. Try Mandrile Melis Coffee chocolate truffle.
Sparkling wine and milk chocolate
Dry sparkling wine is a very classic combination that allows rather sweet milk chocolate to open up its flavour for you, and fine bubbles prologue the creamy finish. Stick to Brut or Extra Dry sparkling wines, such as Prosecco, Franciacorta, Champagne, Cava. Try Mandrile Melis Classic Milk chocolate truffle.
Low alcohol white wine and coconut flavoured chocolate
Don't pair your chocolate with overly dry wines. This is a great opportunity to try new wines, like Moscato or Vinho Verde. The lower the alcohol content the higher is the wine's sweetness, and it better matches desserts. Tropical notes of mango, pineapple and lychee in your wine we recommend pairing with fruit-flavoured chocolates. Try Mandrile Melis Coconut chocolate truffle.
Buttery oaked white wine and white chocolate
Our most beloved pairing. If you are a fan of white wines with notes of butter, vanilla and oak, for example, aged Chardonnay, try sipping it with some white chocolate. It prolonges the creamy flavour or both. Try Mandrile Melis White chocolate truffle.
Sweet fortified wine and dark chocolate
Tannic dark chocolate is a better companion for sweeter fortified wines, unless you seek a tannic bomb in your mouth. Choose from Port, Madeira, Sherry, Marsala, Barolo Chinato, even vermouth - whatever sounds more inviting. Try Mandrile Melis Dark chocolate truffle.
About Mandrile Melis
Mandrile Melis is a premium chocolate producer from Piedmont, Italy. Their speciality is original combination of flavours that has brought the brand a broad recognition over 30 years ago. Mastering the old recipes from the great Maître Chocolatier Giuseppe Mandrile, the company has been using the high-quality local raw materials, such as the Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnut from Langhe hills, to better enjoy the unique aroma and delicate flavour of their finest chocolates.
Their best selling truffles are delicious traditional Italian treats, rich in Langhe hazelnuts, roasted and minced in crispy grain. The chocolate dough rests for 24 hours before being sprinkled with bitter cocoa, to make the coverage richer and tastier. An extraordinary dough is wrapped in a flowpack to preserve the freshness and fragrance.