It's that time of the year to think of clever Valentine's Day ideas. You can go for the diamond ring, surprise that special someone with a trip, or keep it simple. And there aren't too many more things as simple, or as fun, as pairing wine and chocolate.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind. Everyone has different palates so start with the basics of pairing. When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter flavored chocolates with lighter wines because you don't want one to overpower the other; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. The darker the chocolate the more tannins it will display.
This day of hearts, go out and by a couple of different types of medium dark chocolate. It's the middle of the road and will give you many pairing options. Go to your local AJs and ask them to set you up with a nice sampling of them. Remember the earlier tip, you need to match the type of chocolate with a wine that won't overpower it. A couple choices here would be a medium bodied merlot or pinot noir . There was a previous article that can be referenced for the Mark West Pinot Noir that would work, but you can also match your morsels with another value pinot from Estancia.
Estancia - 2009 Pinot Noir
This Monterey County wine is medium bodied, with fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry, a nice amount of oak and spice, and has a smooth finish.
This Valentine's Day keep it simple and have fun pairing the simple indulgences of life...wine and chocolate.
Live Well and Within Your Means
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