Wine n’ Chocolate

Since that lovely day of romance for those of you who are hitched up – and the day of getting drunk and gluttonous for those of you who aren’t – is softly nipping at our heels, you may as well brush up on the finer of things: nothing says romantic decadence like tannins and cocoa.

When pairing the two, the best thing to remember is that the chocolate should never be sweeter than the wine. Stick to deep reds and dark chocolate; it’s sexier and they’re both anti-oxidants so, win, win and win.

An easy way of matching reds with chocolate is to choose a wine with notes that parallel that of the chocolate; that laymen description on the back talkin’ about berries, plums and cocoa is your new best friend. Ultimately, the best thing to do is sample, sample, sample. Get a whole bunch of dark chocolate, a whole bunch of wine and have at it.

Cabernets, Zinfandels, Merlots and Pinot grigios are your best bets. I’ve also just discovered a Chilean grape called Carmenere with an easy-drinking peppery/berry taste and long chocolate finish, which is killer with even the bitterest of chocolates.

Whether you’re impressing that oh-so special someone or staying in solo and slathering avocado on your face, experiment with some good wine and great chocolate.

Wine and chocolate: Go with the sexy, cancer fighting option.

Happy Valentines day.