Sweeten Up Your Valentine with Wine & Chocolate

That's right. Once again it's time for that totally useless holiday, Valentine's Day. In my opinion, this holiday was created by women simply as a way to get yet another gift. That being said, it is a day for romance, love, passion, blah blah blah. Two items immediately come to my mind when you mention romance and Valentine's Day - wine and chocolate. In fact, if you pair them correctly, you may very well have some sexy time after dinner...can you hear the Barry White music yet? But, before you start spraying yourself down in perfume and cologne, and slipping on your sexy pants, there are some things to consider.

Let me start by saying that all wine and chocolate combos were not created equal. In fact, pairing the wrong wine and chocolate can lead to some very unsavory results. However, if you have the right wine to complement the right chocolate it can be a match made in heaven! As Robert Dinero would say, "fugget aboudit!" Whether you are pairing a delicate white chocolate or a lively dark chocolate with wine, try to keep the following in mind.

Rule #1, the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards sour. This is a general rule that I have read over and over again in various wine magazines.

When pairing wines with chocolate, you should generally try to match lighter flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, an intense dark chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face Zinfandel.

White Chocolate Wine Suggestions
White chocolate tends to be more mellow and buttery in flavor, making it an ideal candidate for a Spanish Sherry, a Moscato d'Asti from Italy’s Piedmont region, or an Orange Muscat. The Sherry and Moscato d’Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones present. Another drink that I would recommend with white chocolate is some good ol' relaiable champagne. Also, Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc.

Milk Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Pinot Noir or a lighter-bodied Merlot will complement a bar of milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Rieslings, Muscats or dessert wines tend to hold up well to mild milk chocolates. In additiona to Pinot and Merlot, try some Shiraz and Malbec. In my opinion, Port wine and milk chocolate is perhaps the best food & wine pairing you could ever wish for. Don't believe me? Just give it a shot...you will once again hear Barry White music. Also

Dark Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a bold, powerful flavor itself. Cabs and Zinfandels would be the best bet for dark chocolate match. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel will more than fill your chocolate pairing expectations. Also feel free to try some of these full-bodied beauties: Rioja, Chianti, Sangiovese, Vinho Tinto. I once had a Rioja with some dark chocolate, and I truly enjoyed it.

If you have had a wine & chocolate pairing that you absolutely loved, please share your ideas with us. This blog is not about us downloading onto you...it's about us all sharing our experiences.

That's all for now...so get busy being romantic. And, if you don't have anyone to be romantic with, go ahead and try some of these pairings anyway. At least you'll be ahead of the game when you do have a Valentine. I'm gonna try some with the Mrs. this weekend and I'll let you know how I make out (wink, wink).

By the way, if any of you are interested, the Garden State WIne Grower's Association is holding it's annual Valentine's Day wine and chocolate trail this weekend (2/10 & 2/11). Here's a link to more info. http://www.newjerseywines.com/chocolate.html

That's all for now. Remember to swirl, sniff and swig. Cheers.

WSJ - Tastings Column

Not sure if you have read Friday's TASTINGS column by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, but I generally enjoy their reviews. (Click here, but password is required)

I believe this husband and wife team tend to emulate a lot of households out there. When you go to the wine store do you buy for just your palate or do you have another constituent in the household who is influencing your purchase?

For example, I love Rieslings. My wife, is for the most part not a fan. Because of this, I find I only buy Rieslings on special occasion or to pair with a specific food. I guess this is because I'm trying to please both our palates. One solution would be to just buy more wine, wines for both our palates. (And I do sometimes) But in order to stay within the budget, I tend to try to find the middle ground.

What do you do? Do you try and please a spouse, partner, hell a roommate with your purchases? Or do you just say damn them and buy whatever you like?

Drink the Vine Rating #1: A Taste of Portugal

The Wine: Quinta Do Vale Meao Meandro 2004
Country: Portugal
Region: Duoro
Category: Red Table Wine
Vintage: 2004
Price: $18.99
Decanted or Not: Decanted ~ 1 hour


I know, I know. You guys are thinking "how predictable he picks a wine from Portugal." But, I wanted to kickoff the our wine ratings with this bottle for a number of reasons. First, to toot the Portuguese horn. Second, and more importantly, I have been drinking Portuguese red wine ever since I was a kid. It is something I am extremely familiar with, and that will play into the review later. While most of you know the Duoro region in Portugal for it world renowned Port wines, this region is finally starting to creat a buzz in the red table wine arena. Anyway, here we go:


Tasting Notes:

• The Color: Very dark ruby red

• The Legs: This one really lingers on the side of the glass...almost like throwing wet gummy bears on a mirror.

• The Nose: Grabs you by the nostrils with aggressive scents very dark, ripe fruit; and strong oak.

• The Taste: In a word, powerful. Very intense rich, ripe fruit, with surprising amount of spice. Taste the oak but not overbearing, as can be the case with some of these Portuguse table wines. Burst of smokeyness and plum right at the end. Very smooth and moderate finish (20 seconds). Not nearly as dry as some other reds I've had from this region. Very nice.

The Verdict: 8 corks

A Veritable Vino Smorgasbord

Remember the feeling of walking into a Toys R’ Us for the very first time and seeing that new GI Joe action figure you wanted so badly? Well I experienced something like that this past weekend. No, I didn’t go to the toy store for an action figure…my experience was much more grand and relevant to this blog. This weekend was the first time I walked into the Wine Library, a wine specialty store located at 586 Morris Avenue in Springfield, NJ. It was like something out of a movie: I walk in and all of the sudden I hear almost heavenly music – harps, violins, chanting, the whole bit.

Now, those of you who’ve never been will tell me to get a grip, but those of you lucky enough to have walked through those doors, will understand exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not talking about your run of the mill wine shop. I’m talking about a wine Mecca, the aisles of which seemingly never end. Rows and rows of wines, and stacks and stacks of even more wine. Everything from Alberino to Zinfindel; $5 bottles to $5,000 bottles. The place was amazing.

The inventory was truly impressive (even intimidating). But fear not young oenephiles, the service in this store is just as impressive as the inventory. They weren’t right on top of you, don’t snicker at your silly questions, and generally are knowledgeable of the inventory in the store. The guy who helped me presented me with an Argentine Malbec that he highly recommended. The best part was, he saw the bottle of Malbec I had in my hand and offered a cheaper alternative that he deemed was just as good. The same guy also helped me find Riesling.

I think I know enough about wine to navigate a store with a large selection, but it’s always helpful to hear from the people who do it every day. I had ordered several times from Wine Library’s website (winelibrary.com), but I will now make a point of going to this amazing Mecca of wine at least once a month. I would also like to point out that I am not an employee of the store, nor affiliated with it in any way. If you spend any amount of time blogging or surfing the web for wine info, you may be familiar with the name Gary Vaynerchuk, the direction of operation at Wine Library, who also produces winelibrary.tv, a series of video wine tastings and wine commentary.

In fact, I was so impressed with the store that I got to thinking…wouldn’t it be cool to take a poll and see what you folks thought was the best wine shop in every NJ county? Stay tuned, because I’m working on putting together that poll (likely a 3 month poll), and will post when it’s ready for your feedback.

Until next time, remember to swirl, sniff and swig. Cheers.

A Love Affair Begins

It all began when I was six years old. My family and I had just moved to a new house on eastern Long Island, NY. My parents, both immigrants from Portugal, finally had the space and cellar to continue what had been an annual September tradition when they grew up.

The tradition, you guessed right, was making wine. Now, this was my very first experience with what for me would also become an annual tradition. I remember it vividly...in late August my dad called me outside to help him with something. That something was adjusting the hoops of the barrel to tighten the staves. While I didn't know what the heck we were doing, it was fun helping him with the bilge and quarter hoops, etc, as he tried his best to explain the process to me. Anyway I'll get on with it.

Two weeks later, a big flatbed truck pulled into the driveway one Saturday morning loaded with wooden boxes bursting with red and white grapes. Not having any idea then that wine came from grapes, I admit they had piqued my interest. So me, my mom and dad unloaded the truck and put all the boxes in the underground cellar. This is where the process got fun...

Now, you have to remember that this was in 1981, well before today's modern wine making technology. I wish I could say it was as entertaining as the famed I Love Lucy episode, but it wasn't. We lifted the heavy, manual crank wine press on top of the barrel and I started cranking as my dad dumped the grapes in. The squashing and slushy sounds were pretty funny, as were the random juice squirts like rockets. After what seemed like hours turning the crank, I thought my arm was going to fall off...so me and dad switched spots. And that was the moment that hooked me. Seeing the grapes inside the press, churning and spouting juice.

I thought that was the end of it..thought they were ready to start drinking. That when my dad tried to explain the fermentation process to me. Needless to say, I didn't get it. Anyway, after several days, it was time to continue with the process. So we drain the the juice that is now wine from the barrels, and pull out the remaining grape skins/stems that remained and put them in a different kind of wine press. Like the first press, this thing was old school - we had to literally walk around in circles pushing two levers that made the top depress and squeeze the rest of the juice out of the fruit. After all the juice was squeezed out, it went back into the barrels, and was left there to age. Now this wine was for immediate consumption, so there wasn't a 9 or 12 or 18 month aging process. This wine was pulled several weeks after pressing.

And, for all my hard work, my reward was a little tiny sampling of the wine. It was delicious. To this day, my dad's wine is some of my favorite...of course it doesn't compare to a fine Bordeaux or Burgundy, but to me it's home. I don't need an expert rating to tell me that.

Anyway, until next time, remember to swirl, sniff and swig. Cheers.