Before you head to the comment section or Twitter to tell me I'm a hack, hear me out. While chocolate companies, large-scale wine brands and pop culture rom-coms try to sell you on the romantic idea of wine and chocolate pairings — whether for Valentine's Day or general gift giving — beverage experts tend to agree: Still wine typically fails as a dance partner for chocolate."I'm not sure why everyone is always trying to pair chocolate with red wine, other than the fact that everyone loves red wine and chocolate," says Los Angeles-based sommelier Whitney Adams. "It's rare that I enjoy wine with my chocolate." Adams says to step away from dry red wines — zins, cabs, pinots — and instead reach for other categories, namely dessert or fortified wines like port or Madeira. "Madeira is like a slightly sweet, salty and nutty hug in a glass," says Adams. "I'd reach for some Rare Wine Co. Madeira for a special treat."Chocolate, by nature, is bitter. Like wine, it also contains tannins, the astringent compound found in red wines that cause your gums and cheeks to dry out.

Pairing a wine — also typically higher in acid — with bitter chocolate just throws your palate out of whack. "There's nothing wrong with eating chocolate and wine, but if you're going for a specific pairing and a great experience, dry reds are just jarring and clashing," says Michael Matonte, manager of Vin Chicago and an advanced sommelier. "You want a little sweetness. A little bit of Lambrusco can be quite nice with chocolate." Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine style from Italy, tends to have a fine bubble and fruitier profile, lending a soft cleansing of the palate between bites of richer chocolate.For Katrina Markoff, chocolate expert and founder of Vosges Haut Chocolat, the wine and chocolate pairing should be much more nuanced. In fact, her company trains employees in perfect chocolate and beverage pairings with a 100-page tasting guide just for this purpose. "Wine and chocolate are often diametrically opposed in flavors, so the trick is to look at the whole experience," says Markoff.

Known for incorporating ingredients like fennel pollen, paprika, star anise and horseradish into her chocolates, Markoff suggests "pulling out flavors from the chocolate that can be mirrored in the wine." If the chocolate is already very sweet, a dessert wine can be too much — an eau de vie, or fruit brandy, is the way to go. The higher acid in the brandy provides balance and lift. If you insist on red wine with a dark chocolate, at least avoid tannic styles. best french wine 2013"Go for something juicier," she says. best wine bars for dates londonTry California merlot or Australian shiraz.red wine names italianPersonally, I take a different tack: Brown spirits like whiskey and rum. top 100 australia wine

Sure, the buzz doesn't hurt, but the alcohol also has more body, coating the tongue from the chocolate's tannins. Additionally, a brown spirit's spicy and caramel flavors lend themselves well to the darker, earthy flavors of chocolate.If you've read this far and still disagree — fine. Far be it for me to prevent your enjoyment of two of God's great culinary gifts. I just want you to know: There's a better way.best red wine 2013 ukRaleigh, N.C. — Wine and chocolate, family fun and live music highlight our picks for this weekend in the Triangle-area.best wine towns in california Groove in the Garden - For the second year in a row, The Pour House Music Hall and Younger Brother Productions are teaming up for an all-day takeover of the Stephenson Amphitheater and Rose Garden. The event starts at 1 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m.

There will be music, art, food trucks, craft beer, craft vendors and much more. There are a limited number of $15 tickets available in advance. Once those are gone, tickets are $20 in advance and at the door. NC Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Festival - Three things we love all in one place. Lafayette Village in north Raleigh will host this event on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. Tasting tickets run $25 per booklet and there is a deal of two books for $40. VIP packages are also available. In addition to food samplings, there will also be live music, DJs and more. Downtown Cary Food and Flea - Enjoy local arts and crafts, food trucks and craft beer in downtown Cary's Ashworth Village on Sunday. Friday Night on White - Downtown Wake Forest holds its free monthly music series starting at 6 p.m. Friday. This month's performer is The Remedy. Movies in the Garden - Head to Raleigh Little Theatre's Scottie Stephenson Amphitheatre on Sunday for this free outdoor movie series. This series wraps up this week with "Grease."

NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - The second largest gay, lesbian and transgender film festival in the Southeast kicks off this weekend at Carolina Theatre of Durham. Pop-Up Museum - Big Boss Brewing hosts this one-day, off-site museum on Saturday. Make crafts and learn about North Carolina history. Enjoy a guided brewery tours lead by Big Boss’ brewers, and then try a few samples ($1 each, limit three, cash only). Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally - The award-winning comedians bring their "Summer of 69" tour to DPAC Friday night. The Dixie Chicks - After celebrating their 20th anniversary last year, the country trio is back with a new concert tour. See them Friday night at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Friday night. Iron and Wine - South Carolina native Sam Beam, also known as Iron and Wine, will be putting on a solo concert at the N.C. Museum of Art Saturday night. With five albums, numerous EPs and singles, and the initial volumes of an Archive Series, Iron and Wine has captured listeners’ emotions and imagination with distinctly cinematic songs.