Find Your Perfect Pair This Valentine's Day

Purists will argue wine and chocolate do not pair well together, however Callebaut Chocolate Hero, Jodie Van Der Velden knows a thing or two about chocolate and wine pairing and believes the two can actually complement each other quite nicely. Here, and just in time for Valentine's Day, the connoisseur of all things sweet and delicious shares her tops tips for pairing wine with different styles of Callebaut Belgian chocolate.

White Chocolate
Typically pairs well with champagne and other sparkling wines
A bubbly that is on the sweeter side will have more of a complimentary pairing with white chocolate
A sharper style of bubbly will provide more contrast to the creaminess of the white chocolate
Incorporating some acidity to white chocolate with an inclusion like passionfruit will add some complexity to the pairing and cuts through its sweet creaminess

Milk Chocolate
A fortified wine such as a rich tawny port or a sherry that is sweeter than the chocolate works well here and will let the chocolate take the top note
A port with rich, deep, and concentrated notes like plum or dried fruit, nuttiness, or butterscotch works well alongside the sweeter style milk chocolate, creating a tasting pairing as the mid notes start to develop
Remember to let the chocolate warm, melt and release aroma in the mouth. From here the flavours will begin to dissipate and allow for the wine to present itself – highlighting rich rancio* qualities in its aroma and flavour

Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate and red wine is often the 'go to' pairing when chocolate and wines are brought together, however paring the two isn't always as easy as it may seem. The reason for this is that not all red wines work well with dark chocolate, due to both being individually strong in flavour.

Port-style red wines work well with the strong flavour of the dark chocolate
Reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Shiraz also lend themselves nicely to strong dark chocolate, due to possessing full-bodied flavours that won't be overtaken by the chocolate

A good dark chocolate such as Callebaut Dark Belgian chocolate is very much like wine as it will change its flavour profile as the chocolate warms and melts in the mouth and aromas begin to be released, offering a top note, mid note and endnote to finish.

Gold Salted Caramel Chocolate
This beautiful, creamy and salty chocolate has a partner in crisp Chardonnay. The match creates a fabulous contrast and is a great way of highlighting how well white wine can actually work with different flavours of chocolate – rather than sticking purely with the classic red wine and chocolate pairing.
Alternatively, a sweet sticky dessert wine that works well with caramel will compliment the flavour of Callebaut Gold Chocolate and is such an easy and delicious pairing

When pairing chocolate with wine, the last thing you want is a chocolate and wine that both present later and leave the scars of a battle in your mouth due to the two trying to out do one another. Try something aside from the classic red wine with dark chocolate and you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to spend a night indulging in two of the best tastes on the planet!

To find out more about Callebaut Chocolate Hero, Jodie Van Der Velden and where you can find your very on Callebaut Belgian chocolate ahead of Valentine's Day, visit: https://www.callebaut.com/en-AU