Pairing Chocolate with Port and Tawny Port

Dark chocolate is quite alkaline thing with all its complex fruity, bitter and sweet flavored nature. It is not for everyone, obviously. The safest way with such type will be going for sweet wines. Covering your buds with such a mixure would definitely taste yummy. The wine sweetness will compensate some bitterness of the chocolate bringing out unforgettable blend of tastes.

 Port wine is the first to suggest with dark chocolate due to its sweetness. Port is a fortified sweet wine originated from Portugal (known there as Porto) and now alike ones are produced all over the world. This wine has a ruby red color and fruity aroma. It tastes delicious with some sweet notes of fruits like plum or cherry.

The best ports are vintage ports (10 and more years old) as age makes them really intense in color and aroma, but mostly important they are a real sweet fruit blust in your mouth.

Chocolate is known to be friendly with fruits, so this pair can not fail, but to complement each other. Once holding a tasting session you can start with fruits, followed by Ruby Port with chocolate covered fruits, like strawberries.

  Alcohol presence in Ruby Ports make it pair nicely with the heat of chile-infused chocolate as well toffee, nutty and caramel varieties. Also fruit and berry flavors of Ruby Port go perfectly with chocolate-covered fruits (like dried cherries covered in chocolate), fruit-flavored truffles or simply fresh fruits and berries either on their own or dipped in melted chocolate. Vintage Ports would be nicely complemented with citrus centered desserts.

Good ports are quite expensive, sometimes really expensive. But they do worth their price.

   Tawny ports are the ones aged in wood, therefore they are less fruity and more about nuts and spiciness. Nonetheless they are considered more delicate than normal Ports.

 Tawny ports are also good with milk chocolate.

And both Ruby and Tawny ports make a tasting delicious with some richest chocolate desserts like cakes - Devil's Food, Sacher Torte, Death by Chocolate or Black Forest Gateaux.

 Apart from Portuguese port you can try Zinfandel Port from California for a change.

 Ports and Chocolate Pairing Ideas:

Galway Pipe Fine Old Tawny Port NV*

McWilliams 'HANWOOD' 12 Year Old Fine Tawny Port*

Orlando Liqueur Port*

Carmelicious

Chocolate Truffles

Premium Wine List: Penfolds Grandfather Port*

Information to note:

  Although wines shown here as examples are available for delivery worldwide in majority cases, a Europe based online wine provider is a very useful option if you live somewhere in 'Old World'. You can find high quality wines at ChateauOnline, for a less delivery cost. This online retailer is one of the leading Europe's online wine providers with a huge variety of quality wines and spirits.

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* available worldwide, although some territories excluded due to law restrictions

** US only