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Wine and Chocolate

Friday, 28 March 2003

Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together Recently, I had a few conversations with the fine folks at Monterey Bay Chocolate Company, located up the coast a bit from Monterey. Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together Recently, I had a few conversations with the fine folks at Monterey Bay Chocolate Company, located up the coast a bit from Monterey.  As with the Monterey Abalone Company, I get interested in the production aspect of what these local companies do, and I figure you might be interested as well. Chocolate is a derivative of the cocoa bean.  This bean was originally grown in America.  This bitter drink made from cocoa beans was introduced to Cortez who took it back to Europe.  The drink was made more palatable by adding sugar.  In the mid-1600’s this hot chocolate drink spread in popularity throughout Europe.  The drink’s popularity spread even faster in America.  The development of “eating chocolate” and milk chocolate in the mid-1800’s solidified (no pun intended) the place of chocolate as America’s favorite flavor. For years, I have heard that chocolate goes great with wine.  Conversely, I have also heard it is a culinary no-no.  I tend to disagree with the later.  In the next few paragraphs I will to equip you with information about these two delights so that you can make up your own mind.  In the meantime, you should have fun experimenting while you try to discover the ultimate wine and chocolate combinations.  And, by consuming both of these moderately, you could actually be improving your health.    A week does not go by without a new research study touting the health benefits of moderate wine consumption crossing my desk.  Some of you are saying, “Yeah, I heard about wine’s benefits, but chocolate?”  I’ll get to that, but first a little background. The bean is full of antioxidants know as flavanoids- which you find in some fruit like red grapes.  It also relaxes the inner surface of blood vessels, which is important to keep blood pressure down, and preventing the hardening of the arteries. Desserts made with chocolate can vary greatly. Some popular desserts that come to mind are Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake, fudge and mousse.  Additionally, there are countless chocolate confectionary treats like the kind Monterey Bay Chocolate Company creates.  Oddly enough, I have tried most of these desserts with wine (mostly red table wine and fortified wine like port).  You can certainly experiment with white wine if you chose.  In fact, our very own George Edwards “Monterey’s Wine and Food Guru” has found over the years that various Monterey County chardonnays are great companions to chocolate chip cookies.  For me tannic red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petite Verdot go very well with chocolate desserts.  Also less tannic fruity reds like Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah work well too.  I find that Port wines, on the sweet side, go real well with chocolate too.  Those of you that attended the Valentine Passport Weekend and completed the necessary journey were treated to a box of Cabernet wine-filled chocolates.  We also sell these in our gift shop.  Many recognize that the two flavors go exceptionally well with one another.  But why? It has a lot to do with texture sensation.  The contrast between the astringency of the tannin of red wine and the creaminess of the chocolate seem to compliment one another in the most delightful way (I’m gonna have to see that movie again, you know, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews).  Also, the drying sensation of the tannin compliments the bitter-sweet of the chocolate.  That is about it.    Perhaps the next step will be to a arrange for Al Larson of the Monterey Bay Chocolate Company to come to A Taste of Monterey for a special tasting of his chocolates paired with Monterey wines.  In the meantime, you can experiment for yourself in the comfort of your own home.  To learn more about chocolates, the next time your are in Monterey, schedule a tour of the Monterey Bay chocolate Company so you can see and taste firsthand how these chocolaty treats are made.

 

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