Wine and Chocolate

[ddw119]

What is the best kind wine to compliment Chocolate?

[wondersofwine]

Banyuls from France is one recommendation. Another suggestion is a sparkling red wine from Italy, Brachetto d'Asti from the Brachetto grape. Banfi makes one called Rosa Regale. It tastes a bit like strawberries or raspberries and since chocolate-dipped strawberries or raspberries and chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream are nice combinations, the Brachetto sparkler works too. Or you might try a Ruby Port.

[brappy]

I strongly second the Brachetto D'aquis. Nothing better with chocolate IMO.

[VouvrayHead]

Try Mas Amiel.
it's kinda sorta a fortified red, but not exactly... really good stuff from the south of france. Maury, actually.
by far my favorite choco-pairing.

[Innkeeper]

Agree with you 100% VH, it is one of my favorite stickies, and goes great with "Death by Chocolate." Incidentally Maury is right smack next door to Banyuls, the wine that WOW properly recommended.

[VouvrayHead]

Is Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel also?
I haven't seen it...
Or maybe I've seen it and ignored it since I'm hooked on Mas Amiel [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[wdonovan]

Another vote for the Brachetto d'Acqui. Just tried it last week and it's outrageous. At $20, I was skeptical to get a bubbly AND a dessert wine but.... Roses and raspberries, just like their claim. The bold claim of it going well with chocolate is also true. Wife made a few different desserts using chocolate and we gave it a good thrashing. This wine came up "smelling like roses". We're big on Sauternes around here but... this stuff is completely different. I'm ordering a sixpack.
Oh yeah, what is Banyuls?

[This message has been edited by wdonovan (edited 02-25-2006).]

[Innkeeper]

Banyuls is a sticky from Southerwestern France that is almost beyond description. The larger appellation of Maury is right next door (to the west) and make stickies that are much less expensive (around $18 for 750 ml), and damn near as nice.

[Thomas]

And Banyuls is produced from grenache.

They also produce table wines nearby, in a place called Colliour (sp), next to Banyuls Sur Mer.

Two beautiful places along the Mediterranean, about an hour drive over the mountains to Barcelona. Vines carpet the steep slopes down to the Mediterranean and the colors of the area are incredible. I think the French call it the blue coast. Matisse had a studio in Colliour, which I am sure I am not spelling correctly, but it's Saturday and my brain is asleep.

[Thraz]

Actually, "Côte Vermeille," which means crimson coast. A beautiful part of the world.

[Thomas]

Crimson Coast it is--someone just gave me a poster of the region, and that is the French nomenclature at the bottom of the poster.

[stevebody]

We've been pairing up the Pedro Romero Sherries with various chocolates here at the shop. The Dark Sweet Moscato is gorgeous with our Domori Porcelana. Their Pedro Ximenez was excellent with Fiori Giornio and Amedei Monodosi Black. And the Amedei Cioccolato al Latte was perfect with the Extra Dry Manzanilla. I know a lot of people don't care much for sherries but they're a beautiful match with chocolate.