To continue from Friday's post:

The Brix Medium Dark Chocolate has 60% cocoa solids and recommends “Zinfandel, Syrah, Rhone Reds, Merlot and Shiraz.” All are medium weight red wines with softer tannins, yet maintain a little spice and acidity. This chocolate has richer flavors than the milk, and I love the idea of a Zin field blend like the Dalliance at $12, bringing both jamminess and spiciness to the tasting table. The Paradise Sound Old Vine Lodi Zin at $10 would be a great straight up Zin option, since old vine wines have more complexity. The Layer Cake Shiraz at $16 would also be a fine choice, having some softness as well as black pepper spice. I might add Argentine Malbec to this list, and the Finca Copete at $11 has plenty of inherent mocha notes to harmonize, though the Alamos Seleccion at $16 has even riper, juicy flavors. You can decide if you want spicy contrast or soft harmony.

 The Brix Extra Dark Chocolate has 70% cocoa solids and recommends “Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux and Barolo.” I might include Vintage Character Ports to this list since I love the play of a sweet wine with the pleasant bitter notes of dark chocolate, and we have numerous options like the Warre’s Warrior Port at $18, and the Graham’s Six Grapes at $20. Barolo is a little strange for me, since it’s such a mineral-laden red wine that needs copious aging to open up its potential, but the Valfieri Barolo at $35 is a softer style Nebbiolo wine that might pair well. My first thought for a Cabernet is the Messenger Cabernet at $20. Sourced from Oakville Napa, there is a yummy ripeness to this Cabernet, not just Napa minerality, that marries with darker chocolate flavors. The Vigilance Cabernet at $12, has a little Petite Sirah in the blend, and would bring out some of the sweeter and spicier notes in the chocolate.

 If we want to go Bordeaux, try a softer St. Emilion or Graves style, with a little more Merlot than Cabernet in the blend, and the Chateau Trebiac at $15 would be perfect, though the Mauvais Garcon at $19 with its highly extracted flavors and 15% alcohol begs for some chocolate.

 Some of my favorite desserts use both wine and chocolate, like a Port Wine Cake or a Zin Cake made in a bundt pan, so simplifying the process and just trying the wine with the chocolate makes sense. Brix has just come out with their Smooth Dark Chocolate at 54%. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but I’m looking forward to experimenting in the near future.

 These are all creative options, and you will find that both the wine and the chocolate change when tasted together, and that is a pleasant experience. The wine may exude more mocha when sampled with the Brix, or other notes like coffee and toffee or even surprising fruit flavors may seem to take the forefront. Tasting is a subjective experience, and we don’t all love the same things. Though most of us love some kind of chocolate and some kind of wine, so why not try them together for a change?

Daniel Eddy, Fine Wine Consultant for ABC in Gainesville, Florida

Wine Pairing Examiner for Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/wine-pairing-in-gainesville/daniel-eddy