The tricky question of wine and chocolate!

Personally, I would make a different choice, but each to their own. The challenge of pairing food and wine is to find flavours in both which complement each other rather than argue for dominance. Very often, the trick is to find flavours in the sauce or certain components of a dish to pair with the wine. There is a view that if the marriage doesn’t work, it is the fault of the food partner rather than the wine! Most times, there is a component which is either salty or acidic, which can serve to guide the wine selection process. However, chocolate poses its own problems, having both sweetness and bitterness – to varying degrees – from the cocoa content and sugar.

Nevertheless, there are some wines which can be the perfect match, to the delight of chocoholics worldwide! I have chosen four wines, all from different countries and all available from the wonderful Wine Society. A great advantage with all these wines is that the natural sweetness combined with relatively high alcohol content, means that they can keep several weeks after opening with no detrimental effects.

Samos Anthemis 2017 is a sweet white Muscat from the Greek island of Samos. Deep amber colour, the wine is aged for 5 years and is like pure, liquefied muscatel raisins with integrated alcohol. Aromas and flavours of candied orange peel, dried apricots and honey and almost a whiff of chocolate. Pair with a chocolate tart or chocolate soufflé. 50 cl bottle, 15%alcohol, astonishingly good value at £9.95.

Another type of Muscat, this time called Muskadel, is the Red Muscadel liqueur wine from South Africa. Made in a similar way to a Pineau de Charentes, although there is some fermentation of the must, the grapes are crushed and macerated on the skins for up to 48 hours prior to being fortified with grape spirit. This is a real Cape classic harping back to the Cape dessert wine of the 18th Century. A delicate, bright, pale ruby colour and aromas of maraschino cherries, the sweetness is balanced by vibrant acidity, with a luscious, velvety ripe cherry palate. Exquisite whilst munching a piece of milk-chocolate easter egg or the little solid lindt eggs. Fabulous value at £12.50 per bottle. 17%alc.

A stalwart when it comes to chocolate, is Madeira – the richer the better. The Society’s Full Rich Madeira is aged for 3 years after the traditional wine-making process, giving extra depth and flavour. Made from Tinta Negra Mole grapes grown in the north of the island, the richness is well balanced by acidity and fortification to 19%alc. A light tawny colour with aromas of dried figs, dates and sultanas. Sweet, but maintaining a fresh vivacity and clean finish which lingers delectably on the palate. More astonishing value at £14.95 per bottle. A perfect chocolate match - dark or milk.

The last of my four ‘chocalateers’ is an unusual sweet red wine from south-west France. Made from the tannat grape at Chateau d’Aydie, the foremost producer in Madiran, this is a fortified red, the addition of alcohol at an early stage of fermentation keeping the sweetness in the wine, in similar style to port. Deep, dark and broody, with luscious, sweet, dark fruit flavours and slight bitter tannins. An upstanding match for high cocoa content dark chocolate. £17 per 50cl bottle.