Chocolate and wine. Some people may not be aware of this interesting combination. However, this pairing is not as farfetched or obscure as you may think.

As a matter of fact, people who enjoy fine wine and gourmet chocolates will undoubtedly find similarities between both. Both can be described as having fruity or nutty undertones. In fact, wine and chocolate connoisseurs have an infinite vocabulary of words to describe both products.

Also, both can be made with an infinite combination of ingredients that help create a more complex and intriguing experience. So, it would seem natural that chocolate and wine should go together.

However, the experience felt by tasting both wines and chocolate should not be taken lightly. Luxury chocolates and handcrafted chocolates, just like fine wine, should be properly savored, and you should know which wines go with which chocolate to get the most from this exceptional experience. Here's an overview of wine and chocolate pairings that you can use when first indulging in the experience.

As a general rule, you should pair wine with chocolates much like you do with food. This means that light chocolate will go best with lighter wines and heavier chocolates will taste their best with heavier wines or spirits. Another good rule is to remember that a chocolate should be paired with a wine that is just as sweet as or slightly sweeter than the chocolate you are tasting.

Dark Chocolate & Semisweet Chocolate

Dark chocolate can have bitter, roasted, fruity, earthy, or nutty notes. Semisweet chocolate has strong, complex flavors, with hints of nutty, spicy, floral, earthy notes. The aftertaste is balanced, not too sweet.

These types of chocolate can perfectly be paired with strong, red wines. Dark and semisweet chocolate also go nicely with Bordeauxs, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marsala and Merlot. The cocoa butter in these chocolates will help decrease the astringency and dryness of some of the stronger red wines.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is mostly sugar based with a small percentage of chocolate liquor. The final result is a product that is sweeter and milder than dark or bittersweet chocolate. Due to its sweetness, milk chocolate needs to be paired with sweeter wine or the wine may be too tart.

Milk chocolate can be paired with Moscato, Tawny Port, Vintage Blac and Hungarian Tokaji. Out of these Tawny Port is the strongest match you can use with milk chocolate.

White Chocolate

White chocolate is much milder than true chocolate because it does not contain chocolate liquor. In all actuality, white chocolate is made with cream, milk, honey and vanilla notes.

If you'd like to pair white chocolate with a delicious drink, your best bet is to pair it with a good champagne or Riesling. In general, white chocolate will go well with any sweet or white wine.