Although many a wine writer would disagree with me, I absolutely love wine and chocolate together, and I love playing with all of the combinations to see what flavors I like the best. I do realize that not everyone has the patience I do to keep trying different combinations of wines or chocolates. Sometimes you just want to go with what you know will be good, especially when you are trying to impress someone on a Valentine’s Day date…even if that someone you want to impress is already your spouse. (Ya gotta keep the sparks going, right?) When you want a go-to guide for wine and chocolate pairing, here’s what you really need to know. In general, your wine should be at least a touch sweeter than your chocolate. (This is also the case for other desserts, as well, and explains why wedding cake never complements the dry sparkling wine it is most often served with at weddings. What a shame for both the bubbles and the cake! When matching chocolate and wine, the darker, more bitter chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao typically goes with the more tannic, and bolder wines.

Now that you know the rules, though, I’d like to encourage you to give them a try and play around with them a bit. Wine is meant to be explored and, just like you and I may not agree on our favorite wines, we might also not agree on our favorite wine and chocolate pairings. Just last night I had some friends over to try out a few wine and chocolate pairings to find out what they thought as compared to my impressions. We opened up a few bottles of wine and a few different chocolates to see what we might like. First, here are the wines we opened: And these are the chocolates we tried: With the Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, I loved both the truffles and the Dove Dark Chocolate Promises. Each chocolate brought out a different flavor in the wine, though, so the effects were different. For example, I thought that the truffles really made the cherry notes of the Pinot Noir shine. My husband and neighbor disagreed with me on the best pairings for the Little Black Dress Merlot.

I liked it with the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but the other two did not. We all agreed it was a good match with the Dove Dark Chocolate Promises, though. My husband and I both liked the Dreaming Tree Cabernet with the Butterfinger candy bar. Typical wine and chocolate pairing guidelines would tell us to  match it with a darker chocolate, like the 70% Cacao, but there was something about that Butterfinger which made that pairing even more delicious! We also liked it with the dark chocolate and sea salt. The Decoy Zinfandel was a perfect match for the Godiva 50% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, but not the darker chocolate as one might expect. Perhaps I’m just not one for that bitter of a chocolate! I think the best way to find out what you like is to give a few combinations a try. And I can almost guarantee doing this on a date night or even with a group of friends can be a lot of fun. Open up a few different bottles of red wine, pull out some different chocolates and see what YOU like best.

Here is a Wine and Chocolate Pairing Chart that you can download and print to help you have some wine pairing fun! I’d love to hear about your favorite wine and chocolate combinations in the comments so I can give them a try myself.  What do you like?BBQ Chicken: Spicy Zinfandel or an off-dry Riesling will complement all the flavors in the sauce. Grilled Chicken: A crisp Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc is the way to go.top rated red wine brands Grilled Steaks: Cabernet is a classic match. red wine 2010 recommendationsA full-bodied red blend is a great choice too.best white wine not dry Portabella Mushroom Burgers: Juicy Syrah will show off this veggie favorite.buy california wine australia

Grilled Salmon or Tuna: Pair these rich fish with a Pinot Noir. BBQ Pork Ribs: Rich Syrah or fruity Zinfandel will stand up to the meaty goodness. Bacon Cheese Burgers: Zinfandel or a rich Merlot will make this favorite a standout. Grilled Lobsters: Buttery Chardonnay adds to the lusciousness.There are many fish in the sea, lakes and rivers. See perfect wine and fish pairings in this handy chart. good wine to have with christmas dinner Wine With Mexican Food:best wine with high alcohol content It's fun to start the meal with chips and salsa and Champagne or Sparkling Wine. good cheap wine new zealandOur go-to red for pairing with Mexican food is Pinot Noir or a lighter red blend. best white dinner wine

If you prefer a heavier red, or are enjoying a beef dish, try a Tempranillo. Verde sauces and chicken or fish dishes work well with Sauvignon Blanc or a bone-dry Rosé If the meal is very spicy, go with a sweeter wine like a Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Rosé. Peanuts, Pretzels & regular Potato Chips:A crisp, light white wine like an un-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio will match up well to the salt.best red wine under 20 dollars BBQ Potato Chips:A red Zinfandel makes a lively combination! Tortilla chips with salsa:Skip the beer or margarita and instead reach for a tart Reisling, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc! Red grapes:A delicious twist with Viognier. Popcorn:Enjoy a bowlful with a lightly oaked Chardonnay or Champagne. French Fries:Nearly anything goes! The subtle flavor of the potato does well with Merlot and Pinot Noir, and the salt and oil match nicely to light and crisp white wines like Pinot Grigio.

Apples and Cheese:Easy to find a favorite if you remember this: hard, flavorful cheeses need a darker, heavier wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon and lighter cheeses need a nice light white like Pinot Grigio, Riesling. Apples like a Fuji or Delicious are well, just delicious! Hummus:A healthy snack deserving of a light red, like Pinot or Sangiovese. Twinkies:Sweet foods need sweet wines, try a German Reisling or Muscat. Ice cream:Try a late-harvest wine, or fruit infused dessert wine... pour right over the top! Cookies:Chocolate Chip cookies need a Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon, Oatmeal and Raisin cookies are yummy with either a Pinot Noir or Viognier. Gingersnaps are great fun with a peppery Zinfandel. Carrots and Celery with Ranch dip:Enjoy the crunch and tang alongside a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Beef Hamburgers:Try any of these: Syrah, Cabernet, Zinfandel or Cabernet Franc. The juices from a burger will cut through the tannins of a bigger red wine.