Wine plus chocolate equals the most awful clash – unless you choose these bottles
It’s well worth considering which wines go best with chocolate, as results can be extreme. Some bottles cause an awful clash (avoid dry fizz, delicate rosé and crisp whites in particular), while others create the most sublime pairings possible. So, if you’re heading towards a chocolate-filled Easter, it might be the moment to invest in a special bottle.
First, the wine should be properly sweet. The only exception to this is in the case of very juicy, ripe but dryish reds, which can work surprisingly well as long as your chocolate is not too sugary in itself. I have enjoyed a young and bright malbec with a simple dark-chocolate cake before now.
Otherwise, you’ll need a wine with a high sugar level and one that’s not overly acidic. Rich, sweet wines can stand up to the mouth-coating texture and high sugar content of chocolate and chocolate puddings, so make it a proper dessert style.
Even better, since it continues to feel less than summery at the moment, make it a warming, powerful fortified wine. I do match chocolate with chilled golden dessert wines, but I don’t feel like those at the moment as the evening chill sets in.
So, my recommendations for this Easter’s choco-fest are all robust, big and satisfying. Apart from my malbec suggestion, they are each fortified with spirit and so have intense and very sweet flavours, which means you should be able to eke them out slowly (they will keep for up to a week after opening, their strength and sweetness acting as preservatives).
I’ve lined up a rare dessert red, an Aussie liqueur muscat and two ports for your Easter treats. Port, as I’ve said before, is not just for Christmas.
Try these...
Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro Valley, Portugal
20%; Waitrose, £23 for 75cl down to £18 until April 11, in 268 branches and Waitrose Cellar
This is an enticing Easter offer on an excellent tawny, mellow and smooth with a core of soft prunes and morello cherries. There are sweet, spicy cinnamon and clove notes and a hint of, yes, dark chocolate.
Co-op Irresistible Bio Bio Valley Malbec 2021, Chile
14%; £8
Bio Bio is a Chilean wine region further south than most with a relatively cool climate. Here’s a well-balanced malbec from the area, packed with juicy red plums and black cherries, succulent and fresh. It’s not heavy or over-oaky – try it with chocolate cake.
Lafage Maury Grenat 2021, Côtes du Roussillon, France
15%; vinatis.co.uk, £11 for 50cl; winedirect.co.uk, £11.96; allaboutwine.co.uk, £11.89
A sweet fortified grenache from the deepest south-west of France, this is a star match for dark chocolate or cherry-chocolate desserts. It’s rather port-like, but very rounded and distinctly plummy, not spicy. Drink at room temperature or just below.
Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Port 2016, Douro Valley, Portugal
19.5%; Ocado, £25 for 75cl down to £19 until April 4; Telegraph Wine Cellar, £28
Intense and peppery with spicy cherry fruitcake, cassis and loads of cooked blackberry flavours, this is a seriously good port with a lovely lingering finish that deserves the very best dark, even bitter, chocolates. Decant it before serving.
Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat NV, Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia
17.5%; Waitrose, £12.99 for 37.5cl; Booths, £13
This is like an elixir of raisins and toffee, with some dried citrus peel and honey in the mix. A heady liqueur muscat to sip with chocolate, especially sticky hot-chocolate desserts. Bliss. And a little goes a long way, so pour small amounts, very lightly chilled.
More from Susy Atkins: Five Friday night wines that are perfect with a takeaway
