Chocolate has become a traditional gift for Valentine’s Day, with wine and beer not far behind! I thought it would be fun to pair chocolate with your favorite wine and beer. You can enjoy these pairings with your special someone or with a group of friends! I hope you enjoy these tips!

When pairing beer or wine with chocolate try matching strength with strength. A darker wine or beer with more alcohol will most likely work best with a darker chocolate while a lighter sweeter beer or wine will work with a sweeter milk, or white chocolate.

Pick out a particular flavor component of a beer or wine to try to pair with a particular flavor component from the chocolate, and see how compatible you find it. Quick tip: often, things that smell good together will taste good together, too!

When serving multiple beers or wines, start with the lightest flavor and progressively move to the darker flavors. Do the same with your chocolates.

I’ve listed a quick cheat sheet below if you’re not sure where to start. Remember that everyone has a different pallet so there is no “wrong” pairing. It’s a fun experiment to find what works best for you!

White Chocolate:
Wines to pair -Sherry, Muscat, a fruity Chardonnay, or a Moscato d’Asti.
Beers to pair -Belgium Abbey, Belgium White Ale, Browns or Nut Ales.

Milk Chocolate:
Wines to pair -Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Muscat, and dessert wines.
Beers to pair- Stout, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, IPA’s are a nice contrast.

Dark Chocolate (50% to 70%):
Wines to pair -Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Port & Chianti.
Beers to pair -Stout, Dark Strong Ales, Barley Wine, IPA. Try a sour beer for a nice contrast.

Bittersweet Chocolate (70% to 100%):
Wines to pair -Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Shiraz, Orange Muscat, Port, Malbec, and Zinfandel.
Beers to pair – Stout, Porter, Imperial Stout, Milk Stout.

All Chocolate Types – Many fortified dessert wines work well across the chocolate spectrum, as does Champagne. For beer, stouts and porters tend to pair the best across the board.

Stop by and let us know your favorite pairing!

Cheers!