Glass of red wine to accompany a chocolate dessert
Red wines tend to have undertones of chocolate in them, so pairing them with a chocolate dessert should be easy to do. Unfortunately, it is a bit more complicated than it seems, and pairing the wrong red wine with anything chocolate could have disastrous results.
Tannins
Tannins are organic compounds that are found in the stems, seeds and skins of grapes. Red wines tend to have a higher level of tannins than white wines and should be aged three years or more. High tannins in wine can conflict with the taste of chocolate and lead to a sour aftertaste.
Sweetness
The wine should always be sweeter than the chocolate that it is served with. Consider a sweet red wine such as Australian Shiraz or California Zinfandel with a bittersweet or dark chocolate dessert.
Good Pairings
Port-style, zinfandel or sweet late-harvest red wines tend to be good matches for chocolate, particularly dark or bittersweet chocolate. A red wine with fruity notes will pair well with chocolate desserts that incorporate fruits or ingredients such as coconut.
Bad Pairings
Bordeaux is a red wine that should never be served with any chocolate, according to Evan Goldstein, author of "Perfect Pairings." (see Reference 1)
Aging
If wines such as Cabernet or Merlot are fully aged with well-integrated tannins or oak influence from the barrels, they can be a good match with dark chocolate. Merlot often pairs well with milk chocolate as well.
Tags: chocolate dessert, wines tend, with chocolate, dark chocolate, served with
