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
in a bacon coating Lamb
in a bacon coating
- 4 Stück Lammlachse à 150 g
- 4 Scheiben Bacon
- 0,1 Liter Wein
- 0,3 Liter Gemüsebrühe
- 1 kleine Schalotte
- 20 Gramm Butter
- 4 EL Olivenöl
- je 2 Zweige Thymian, Rosmarin, Salbei
- nach Geschmack Salz & Pfeffer
Season the lamb salmon with pepper and massage 2 tbsp of olive oil into the meat. Finely chop the thyme, rosemary and sage and season the meat in the herbs. Marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
<p
<p>Wrap the meat with the bacon slices and sear on all sides in the remaining olive oil. Continue to cook for approx. 4 minutes on each side over a low heat (the cooking time depends on the thickness of the lamb loin - it is best to do a pressure test). Then wrap in aluminium foil and leave to rest in the oven at 80 °C – so they remain juicy and slightly pink on the inside.
This goes well with Bärlauch risotto.
- Dornfelder (trocken)
with ribbon noodles Coq au Riesling
with ribbon noodles
- 1 ganzes Huhn
- 0,4 Liter Riesling
- 0,2 Liter Sahne
- 1 kl. Glas Cognac
- 2 Stück Schalotten
- 1 Stück Knoblauchzehe
- 1 Stück Eigelb
- 1/2 Bund Petersilie
- 1 EL Mehl
- 50 Gramm Butter
- 1 EL Olivenöl
- nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
Carve the chicken. Heat approx. 50 g butter with 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken pieces until light brown (without the lid). Season lightly with salt.
Finely chop the shallots, peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the parsley and add everything to the meat. Sauté briefly with the pan closed. Pour the cognac over the meat and light it (flambé). Deglaze with 1/3 litre of Riesling and leave to simmer for half an hour over a low heat. If necessary, add a little more wine and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken pieces and keep warm for a short time. Mix 1 tbsp of flour with 1 egg yolk and the cream and whisk into the sauce. Flavour with salt and pepper. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Serve immediately.
This goes well with tagliatelle.
Variant:Fry 150 g fresh mushrooms in 50 g butter and add.
- Riesling (trocken)
the classic with a difference Franconian cider soup
the classic with a difference
- 500 ml Weißwein (Spätlese)
- 500 ml Geflügelbrühe
- 350 ml Sahne
- 30 Gramm Zwiebeln
- 30 Gramm Weißes vom Lauch
- 30 Gramm Sellerie
- 30 Gramm Karotten
- 30 Gramm Butter
- 180 Gramm Mehl
- 2 Lorbeerblätter
- 1 EL Butterschmalz
- 4 Scheiben Weißbrot
- Nach Belieben Zucker, Muskat, Zimt, Salz
Sauté the vegetables in butter until lightly browned, dust with flour and then add the vegetable stock, wine and 250 ml cream. Add the spices and simmer for approx. 15 minutes.
Remove the crusts from the slices of white bread and cut into 1 cm cubes. Fry in hot clarified butter until golden brown and season with cinnamon, whip the remaining cream until stiff.
<p
<p> Strain the soup and flavour with nutmeg and salt.
Pour into deep plates, garnish with whipped cream and the cinnamon crusts.
- Müller-Thurgau (trocken)
- Silvaner (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)
