Chocolate & Wine
Silky finish, incomparable sweetness, fine spices - wine or chocolate? Both can be described very well with these enjoyable attributes. And because these flavor components not only harmonize very well with each other in terms of taste, but even enhance each other, the combination of chocolate and wine promises completely new pleasurable experiences - you will simply melt away!
Facts
-
1544
was the first time, when chocolate was drunk at the Spanish court
-
7 Euro
costs a kilogram of cocoa beans
-
48 %
cocoa mass is founded in dark chocolate
The Chocolate Side of Wine
For a long time, the combination of chocolate and wine was considered incompatible. Admittedly, harmonious combinations of dry, fresh white wine with the melting and sweetness of chocolate are rather rare. The troublemaker in this relationship is the acidity of the wine, which can be pointed and dissonant in such a pairing.
Real Seduction Artists
But the liaison of chocolate with the melting and lush power of a noble sweet wine such as a Beerenauslese or even a Trockenbeerenauslese is truly seductive. Red wines are also a welcome companion to chocolate. Basically, the sweeter the chocolate, the sweeter and milder the acidity of the wine should be, so that the delicate balance is maintained.
A little gourmet tip from chocolate maker Eberhard Schell: Initially, you should taste the wine on its own. Then melt the chocolate in your mouth and sip the wine again. And then: just enjoy! Another sip of wine enhances the taste experience.
Chocolate is looking for Wine
Milk chocolate impresses with its silky finish and mild sweetness. Milk chocolates with a cocoa content of 32 to 49 percent harmonize perfectly with strong white wines from the Pinot family, but also with Riesling. The wines should also have a melty, creaminess, a subtle acidity and fine fruit notes. Mild Auslesen made from Riesling or Pinot Gris grapes, for example, are a good match. When it comes to red wine, varieties such as Lemberger, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cuvées, that are low in tannins but can have a light vanilla note, are suitable.
Dark chocolates with 55 to 75 percent cocoa are wonderfully combined with fruity wines that bring some residual sweetness. Even sweet wines and fruity red wines like to enter into a liaison with these semi-sweet dark chocolate types, especially if they contain fruit.
Lovers of dark bitter chocolate containing up to 85 percent cocoa, swear by the pairing with dense, expressive red wines with smooth, but clearly perceptible tannins: dry Dornfelder and Lemberger, aged in barrels or wooden barrels, result in a wonderful balance with bitter chocolate.
A "Dream Wedding in White" - comes to mind if you let white chocolate melt on your tongue together with a fine fruity Riesling ice wine. The harmonic play arises here through the sweetness and finesse in both the wine and the chocolate.
No Problem when Choosing a Partner
Regardless of whether the chocolate is whole milk, dark bitter or nut: an aromatic wine goes with almost every sort. Particularly harmonious are Traminer, Muskateller and Scheurebe.
Chocolate maker Eberhard Schell: "Aromatic varities such as Traminer, Muskateller and Scheurebe combined with the right chocolate, achieve the best possible taste."
Eberhard Schell, Schell Chocolate Manufacturer
How does the wine get a chocolate touch?
Like vanilla or tobacco aromas, chocolate notes are usually created by aging and maturing the wine in barrique barrels. Among other things, roasted aromas are responsible for this, which arise from the toasting of the wood and are reminiscent of roasted cocoa beans.
Varietals
More recipe ideas
with strong red wine Wild boar ragout
with strong red wine
- 800 Gramm Fleisch vom Wildschwein (Keule o. Schulter)
- 80 Gramm Bauchspeck
- 100 Gramm Zwiebeln
- 60 Gramm Karotten
- 60 Gramm Staudensellerie
- 1 TL Tomatenmark
- 200 ml kräftigen Rotwein
- 100 ml Portwein
- 1 Liter braune Wildbrühe
- 1 TL Preiselbeeren
- 1 EL geschlagene Sahne o. Sauerrahm
- 20 Gramm Mehl
- 1 Stück Lorbeerblatt
- je 1 Zweig Rosmarin und Thymian
- 4 zerdrückte Wacholderbeeren
- 1/2 TL Senf
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Clean and wash the vegetables and cut into evenly sized cubes.
Remove the fat, skin and tendons from the wild boar meat and cut into 3 cm cubes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides. Add the vegetables and diced bacon and fry. Add the tomato purée and stir fry. Deglaze with the red wine and port, reduce and pour in the brown game stock. Add the spices to the meat in a small spice bag and leave the ragout to simmer in the oven at 160°C for approx. 1½ hours.
Then remove the pieces of meat, remove the spices, strain the sauce, add the cranberries and mustard and leave to reduce for about 15 minutes. If necessary, thicken with a little cornflour. Serve with the whipped cream.
- Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
with semi-frozen goat's milk Lavender waffles
with semi-frozen goat's milk
- 2 Stück Eigelb
- 60 ml Ziegenmilch
- 500 Gramm weiße Kuvertüre
- 125 ml Sahne
- Abrieb und Saft einer halben Orange
- 2 cl Tresterbrand
- 8 Blatt Minze
- 125 Gramm Mehl
- 50 Gramm Zucker
- 70 Gramm Butter
- 2 Eier
- 1 Messerspitze Backpulver
- 1/2 EL Lavendelzucker
- 175 ml Milch
Semi-frozen goat's milk: Beat the egg yolks and goat's milk in a bowl over a hot bain-marie until creamy. Remove from the bain-marie and beat the cream until cold. Flavour with the zest of the orange and the marc brandy.
Liquefy the couverture in a bain-marie and stir into the lukewarm egg mixture. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold in. Line a parfait tin (triangular or gutter shape) with cling film. Pour in the mixture and smooth out. Cover well with cling film and leave to freeze in the freezer for at least 8 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, remove the mould from the freezer and turn the parfait out of the mould. Remove the foil and cut the semi-frozen parfait into 8 slices.
<p
<p>Lavender wafers: Lightly mash the butter in a mixing bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and stir a little. Add half of the milk, the lavender sugar and the baking powder. Stir in the eggs and finally the rest of the milk. Mix everything well with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes to create a homogeneous, slightly liquid mixture. Bake the batter in batches in a waffle iron until golden brown.</p
<p>Arrange 2 slices of semifreddo on each waffle on a flat plate and decorate with mint leaves.
- Riesling (halbtrocken & feinherb)
with cinnamon and sugar Odenwald apple soufflé
with cinnamon and sugar
- 1 kg Äpfel
- 250 Gramm Semmelbrösel
- 125 Gramm Zucker
- 2 EL Butter
- 1/2 TL Zimt
- 1 Msp. gemahlene Nelken
- 50 Gramm Rosinen
- 100 ml trockener Weißwein
- 1 EL Rum
- zum Bestreuen Zimt & Zucker
Sauté the breadcrumbs, butter, spices and 2 tbsp sugar in a pan. Peel the apples and cut into slices. Sauté in white wine with rum and sugar until the liquid has almost evaporated.
<p
<p>Fill the greased springform tin alternately with the breadcrumb mixture and apples (bottom and top layer of breadcrumb mixture).
Bake for one ½ hour at 140 °C. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Riesling (lieblich)
with white wine Cauliflower soup
with white wine
- 3 Stück Schalotten
- 500 Gramm Blumenkohl
- 20 Gramm Butter
- 1 TL Fenchelsaat
- 50 ml Weißwein
- 800 ml Gemüsebrühe
- 100 ml Schlagsahne
- 1 Prise Zucker
- nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer
Peel the shallots and cut into slices.
Clean and chop the cauliflower.
Melt the butter in a pan, sauté the shallots with the fennel seeds over a medium heat for 3 minutes until colourless. Add the cauliflower, sauté for 2 minutes, season with salt and sugar.
<p
<p>Deglaze with white wine, bring to the boil and top up with vegetable stock and whipping cream. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes.
Blend with a hand blender, adding stock if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
Serve drizzled with a few drops of olive oil.
- Silvaner (trocken)
