Paula’s Wines of the Week starting 14th April 2014
Easter means eggs. Chocolate eggs. And there are lots out there in the shops at the moment. Dark chocolate eggs, milk chocolate eggs, eggs filled with Smarties and even chocolate eggs filled with liqueur chocolates.
But come the final egg count this Sunday there will be two important questions to answer: “Which one to unwrap first?”, and “What wine will match all that chocolate?”.
That’s a difficult one. Wine isn’t a natural match to chocolate. Its mouth-coating intenseness can overwhelm many wines. Once the tongue has tasted anything really sweet it’s difficult for it to identify subtler fruity flavours, like those found in wine.
And should you prefer your eggs made from dark chocolate then finding a suitable match will be all the harder – choose unwisely and both wine and chocolate will clash leaving behind an unpleasant metallic taste.
But there are wines that elevate both food and drink to the next level of taste experience.
Vintage port and Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon harmonise wonderfully with dark chocolate to produce deep spicy notes. While milk chocolate reduces the acidity of oaked whites making the resulting blend taste smooth and yoghurty.
Truffle and liqueur fillings need matching with equally rich wines: try Sherry, Marsala and Madeira. With higher alcohol content than normal, these Mediterranean wines taste naturally sweet and so your palate will taste both wine and chocolate equally well.
PG Wine Reviews
Yali National Reserva Chilean Viognier 2012
£9.99 Majestic
A soft and creamy wine that tastes of pear and apple.
Finca Constancia Parcela 52 Spanish Verdejo 2012
£10.99 Oxford Wine Company
Like an apricot sponge pudding. Has long and lingering flavours.
Montes Alpha Chilean Syrah 2009
£10.99 Co-op
Tastes of blackcurrant barley twist cough drops.
Marqués de Valido Spanish Rioja Reserva 2009
£10.99 Co-op
A complex and fruity wine that’s well worth its price tag. Expect deep blackcurrant flavours with a hint of Marmite that’s lightened by floral notes of violets.
Comtesse Saint-Hilaire Bordeaux Montagne Saint-Emilion
£11.99 Co-op
Damson. That’s it. Nice though.
Beronia Spanish Rioja Reserva 2009
£12.99 Waitrose and Ocado
Initially smooth choc and liquorice flavours then followed by sharper cherry and redcurrant.
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© Paula Goddard 2014 www.paulagoddard.com
