Things You'll Need:
- White, milk and dark chocolates to sample
- An array of red wines including Zinfandels, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Savignon
- Dessert wine, like Moscato
- Water and crackers or bread to cleanse palette
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Step 1
Start with the lightest chocolate. If you are starting with white chocolate, try a dessert wine with it. A Moscato would be appropriate with white chocolate. The wines should be as sweet as the chocolate you are tasting, if not sweeter. Taste the chocolate first, then take a sip of wine.
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Step 2
Before moving on to the next pair, sip water and take a bite of bread to cleanse the palette. Repeat this step as necessary between pairings.
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Step 3
Next, try the lightest of the milk chocolate paired with a light-bodied wine. The dessert wine can compliment milk chocolate, but also try a red wine like Merlot or Pinot Noir.
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Step 4
Move on to the darker chocolates. Sample them with a fuller-bodied wine like a Zinfandel or Cabernet Savignon. Cabernet often has spicy berry and cocoa flavors that pair well with dark chocolate. A fine, dark chocolate will be less sweet, therefore the wine pairings needn't be as sweet either.
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Step 5
Continue to taste from lightest to darkest chocolates, with the lightest- to fuller-bodied wines.
