Wine Club
3rd Wine Tasting, 2019 series
Chocolate and wine, a match made in heaven, or not?
Jaclyn provided yet another incredible Sunday wine tasting event for the WOM community, with tons of experiments, experiences and a bunch of laughs. The information breadth and depth is why WOM is so lucky to have her as the Wine Club’s sommelier.
To make this wine tasting exceptional, two high-quality chocolatiers of Berlin were sourced: Belyzium and Dubenkropp.
To make this wine tasting exceptional, two high-quality chocolatiers of Berlin were sourced: Belyzium and Dubenkropp.
SUMMARY
- A very, (very) basic guideline: dry wine and dark chocolate do not go together.
- When pairing wine with chocolate you are looking for balance -- of sugars and acidity and tannins
- Dark chocolate is low in sugar -- pairs best with red wines because the also have low sugar.
- Milk chocolate is sweeter -- pairs best with with sweeter white or red wines - halbtrocken or lieblich.
- What else was taught: how wine is made, what is acidity in wine, corks and the stelvin, what is organic, biodynamic, natural and orange wines, and more.
- A very, (very) basic guideline: dry wine and dark chocolate do not go together.
- When pairing wine with chocolate you are looking for balance -- of sugars and acidity and tannins
- Dark chocolate is low in sugar -- pairs best with red wines because the also have low sugar.
- Milk chocolate is sweeter -- pairs best with with sweeter white or red wines - halbtrocken or lieblich.
- What else was taught: how wine is made, what is acidity in wine, corks and the stelvin, what is organic, biodynamic, natural and orange wines, and more.
What were the chocolates?
1) Plain dark chocolate bar 83% by Belyzium in Mitte.
2) The rest of the chocolate were made by Sabine Dubenkropp in Charlottenburg:
i. Mushroom and olive oil bar (made with 51% chocolate)
ii. Dark chocolate with bay leaf and lemon
iii. Dark chocolate with balsamic
iv. Dark chocolate with orange and Bergamot
v. Milk chocolate with lavender
1) Plain dark chocolate bar 83% by Belyzium in Mitte.
2) The rest of the chocolate were made by Sabine Dubenkropp in Charlottenburg:
i. Mushroom and olive oil bar (made with 51% chocolate)
ii. Dark chocolate with bay leaf and lemon
iii. Dark chocolate with balsamic
iv. Dark chocolate with orange and Bergamot
v. Milk chocolate with lavender
Dubenkropp
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Belyzium
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Fresh bread made by The Bread Station and organic Italian olive oil by Villa Caviciana.
And the Wines?
Touraine du Clos (white) - Touraine 2014, Xavier Frissant Vigneron, Les Roses du Clos, France
- Not a match for dark chocolate.
- Better with sweeter chocolate, i.e. milk chocolate.
Pinot Noir (red) - Pinot Noir 2016, Misty Cove, Organic, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Paired with the mushroom and olive chocolate.
Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (red) - Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2012, Chateau Bas, L’Alvernègue, France
- Paired with the bay leaf and lemon truffle.
Barbera d’Alba (red) - Barbera d’Alba 2015, Diego Pressenda, La Torricella, Ariota, Italy
- Paired with the balsamic truffle. The wine was described by one of the participants like “a forest after a summer rain.”
Riesling (white) - Riesling Fruchtig 2016, Bangerth, Germany
- Paired with the lavender truffle (milk chocolate).
- Great example of how sugar content makes chocolate taste less sweet.
And the Wines?
Touraine du Clos (white) - Touraine 2014, Xavier Frissant Vigneron, Les Roses du Clos, France
- Not a match for dark chocolate.
- Better with sweeter chocolate, i.e. milk chocolate.
Pinot Noir (red) - Pinot Noir 2016, Misty Cove, Organic, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Paired with the mushroom and olive chocolate.
Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (red) - Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2012, Chateau Bas, L’Alvernègue, France
- Paired with the bay leaf and lemon truffle.
Barbera d’Alba (red) - Barbera d’Alba 2015, Diego Pressenda, La Torricella, Ariota, Italy
- Paired with the balsamic truffle. The wine was described by one of the participants like “a forest after a summer rain.”
Riesling (white) - Riesling Fruchtig 2016, Bangerth, Germany
- Paired with the lavender truffle (milk chocolate).
- Great example of how sugar content makes chocolate taste less sweet.
The Tasting Menu
So, what’s the story between wine and chocolate?
* You are searching for Balance - between sugar levels of the food and of the wine
* Dark chocolate is low in sugar -- needs to be paired with red wines also low in sugar.
* Milk chocolate is sweeter, needs to be paired with sweeter wines such as riesling or a sweet red Amarone.
* You are searching for Balance - between sugar levels of the food and of the wine
* Dark chocolate is low in sugar -- needs to be paired with red wines also low in sugar.
* Milk chocolate is sweeter, needs to be paired with sweeter wines such as riesling or a sweet red Amarone.
Sugars in wine
* For comparison, Coke has 113 grams of sugar per liter.
* Sweet dessert wine like Tokaj tend to have 150g+ of sugar content.
* Normal red wines have very low sugar content -- Pinot Noir has about 1 gram per liter.
- - Lower sugar content makes red wine, easier to pair with dark chocolate.
The longer you leave a grape on the vine:
- The higher the sugar content.
- The higher the risk of: being attacked by fungus, birds and tourists picking at the grapes.
- RESULT = fewer grapes -- less grape juice -- less wine -- fewer bottles to fill. More work = higher price.
* For comparison, Coke has 113 grams of sugar per liter.
* Sweet dessert wine like Tokaj tend to have 150g+ of sugar content.
* Normal red wines have very low sugar content -- Pinot Noir has about 1 gram per liter.
- - Lower sugar content makes red wine, easier to pair with dark chocolate.
The longer you leave a grape on the vine:
- The higher the sugar content.
- The higher the risk of: being attacked by fungus, birds and tourists picking at the grapes.
- RESULT = fewer grapes -- less grape juice -- less wine -- fewer bottles to fill. More work = higher price.
Wine and Acidity
Try the acidity test:
- With wine: sip some wine and keep it in your mouth. Tilt your head forward (chin towards chest) and observe the amount of saliva building up in your mouth.
- Without wine: imagine a lemon and see how your tongue reacts. You’ll be surprised.
* High amount of saliva means high acidity.
Try the acidity test:
- With wine: sip some wine and keep it in your mouth. Tilt your head forward (chin towards chest) and observe the amount of saliva building up in your mouth.
- Without wine: imagine a lemon and see how your tongue reacts. You’ll be surprised.
* High amount of saliva means high acidity.
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Bottle Closures: Cork or Stelvin?
3 types of cork: real cork, reconstituted cork and plastic. - The mushroom cork shape of sparkling wines is a result of the pressure from the bubbles. The cork starts out with the usual cork shape. - Cork allows for the wine to continue breathing -- Micro Oxygenation. This brings up the question: does it make a wine taste better or not? - The Stelvin is the screw top (discussed at the first tasting). |
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What’s at the bottom of the bottle?
Sediment -- tannins from the wine that bond together and "fall" to the bottom.
Sediment -- tannins from the wine that bond together and "fall" to the bottom.
A basic explanation of how white and red wine are made:
* The flesh of red and white grapes is the same colour (transparent, white). The difference is the skin colour.
White wines
- The grapes are squeezed for the juice and the skins are immediately separated from the juice.
Red wines
- The grapes are pressed and the skin and juice stay together (skin maceration) for a given time (hours, days or weeks).
- Then the juice and skins are separated.
- The colour and tannins from the skin mix with the juice, making the juice red and more tannic.
- Then the juice and skins are separated.
* The flesh of red and white grapes is the same colour (transparent, white). The difference is the skin colour.
White wines
- The grapes are squeezed for the juice and the skins are immediately separated from the juice.
Red wines
- The grapes are pressed and the skin and juice stay together (skin maceration) for a given time (hours, days or weeks).
- Then the juice and skins are separated.
- The colour and tannins from the skin mix with the juice, making the juice red and more tannic.
- Then the juice and skins are separated.
But what about orange, organic, biodynamic and natural wines?
Orange wines
- White wine, made like a red wine
- Skin maceration -- the white wine gains color and tannins from the skins.
- Does not mean natural, biodynamic or organic.
Biodynamic wines
- Use the energy of the earth, following the biodynamic calendar to guide the wine making process.
- The calendar includes: leaf, fruit, flower, and, root days.
- Usually also practice organic, sustainable and more natural farming practices.
Organic wines
- All products used to make the wine are organic.
- Does not mean it is a natural wine or low intervention.
- The winemaker can still add sugar (as long as it’s organic)
- There can still be intervention in the process.
Natural wines
- The process only uses what the grapes offer (and crossing your fingers it’ll turn out okay).
- No or extremely low intervention in the wine making process, from the vine to the wine.
- All natural and spontaneous yeasts are used, no commercially purchased yeasts, for example.
- The outcome is far riskier, hence the higher price and more unique flavours.
Orange wines
- White wine, made like a red wine
- Skin maceration -- the white wine gains color and tannins from the skins.
- Does not mean natural, biodynamic or organic.
Biodynamic wines
- Use the energy of the earth, following the biodynamic calendar to guide the wine making process.
- The calendar includes: leaf, fruit, flower, and, root days.
- Usually also practice organic, sustainable and more natural farming practices.
Organic wines
- All products used to make the wine are organic.
- Does not mean it is a natural wine or low intervention.
- The winemaker can still add sugar (as long as it’s organic)
- There can still be intervention in the process.
Natural wines
- The process only uses what the grapes offer (and crossing your fingers it’ll turn out okay).
- No or extremely low intervention in the wine making process, from the vine to the wine.
- All natural and spontaneous yeasts are used, no commercially purchased yeasts, for example.
- The outcome is far riskier, hence the higher price and more unique flavours.
Give the above points a try the next time you have cheese and chocolate and wine.
Word of Mouth x Wined-Up would like to thank the wine and chocolate producers (details above) for their hard work in making the chocolates and wines.
Please note all proceeds of the tasting go to Wined-Up to cover the costs of her expertise and all the expenses contributing to providing a quality tasting.
Word of Mouth reaches out to experts in areas believed to be of interest and benefit to the community. If you are a specialist and would like to collaborate with Word of Mouth or if you have a suggestion for a workshop you'd be interested in, please share it with WOM.
Word of Mouth reaches out to experts in areas believed to be of interest and benefit to the community. If you are a specialist and would like to collaborate with Word of Mouth or if you have a suggestion for a workshop you'd be interested in, please share it with WOM.
Return to see what other insightful information was shared at other tastings.