All you need is love. And maybe a little wine andbrchocolate—at least for Valentine's Day. But we're notbrtalking about grabbing any bottle of wine and a heart-shaped box of chocolate; there's an art to pairing thebrtwo. Whether you're a foodie, wine aficionado, or you'rebrjust looking to savor a sweet moment, here's what localbrexperts have to say about enjoying wine and chocolatebrtogether.br
For starters, remember the basic rule for the bestbrpairing: the wine should always be a little sweeter thanbrthe chocolate. “You don't ever want to select a winebrthat's drier, meaning not as sweet, because it will makebrthe wine seem sour,” explains Glenn Verk, Wine and BeerbrManager for Central Market.br
He recommends the traditional pairing of milkbrchocolate with red wine, specifically softer, riper redsbrsuch as a pinot noir from Santa Barbara rather than anbrOregon pinot.br
With dark chocolate, which tends to be bitter, Verkbrsays dry reds are the way to go as they will taste morebrfruit-forward and ripe. White chocolate, he says, pairsbrnicely with any red or white wine, or you could evenbrpair it with a bottle of bubbly. “There's something aboutbrchampagne that's so light and lifted on the palate that itbrdoesn't taste overly tart,” says Verk.
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Sarabeth Yeli Marshall, artisan chocolatier at Yelibelly Chocolates inbrSouthlake, suggests dark wine such as a pinot noir, shiraz or merlot.brOr, you can just enjoy your wine directly in your chocolate. Yelibellybroffers a selection of wine-infused truffles to take your Valentine'sbrDay (and your taste buds) to the next level.br
“Just like wine, chocolate has so many nuances,” she says. “Abrwine-infused truffle is a taste to be savored.”br
Yelibelly's best-selling truffle is the habanero-infused truffle, whichbrhas a unique spiciness without being too powerful. It's available allbryear long, but for Valentine's Day, the shop is rolling out somethingbrspecial: its Sweetheart Box, which includes tantalizing flavors suchbras cinnamon Schnapps, chili pepper and toasted Hawaiian coconut.br
Want a unique experience? Have the chocolate come to you. Abrtasting party is just the way to get your sweet fix while exploringbrvarious chocolates. You just might learn a little something, too.br
“We taste chocolates from five different countries and discussbrthe difference between them. I also include a chocolatier's amuse—abrunique chocolate dessert I prepare special for the group,” saysbrMarshall. “Our tasting parties teach you how to truly enjoy all thebrflavors in chocolate.”br
If this sounds like a fun date night or girls' night, be sure to bookbra few weeks in advance; Marshall says weekends tend to be busy.br
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“The beauty of chocolate is that every piece can be excellent,brdepending on who is enjoying it,” Marshall says. And when you havebra great glass of wine to go along with it, it really is a match to love.