You Should Never Break One Rule When Pairing Dark Chocolate With Red Wine

Chocolate and wine are a well-known pairing at this point. Plenty of fruits pair perfectly with chocolate, as does plenty of booze, and wine is the smooth middle ground. If you've tried this before, you may know red wine is the easiest chocolate pairing — but it's not perfect. Only certain chocolates pair with certain red wines. This holds true whether you're pairing the two for dessert or if you're using red wine to upgrade your next cup of hot chocolate. There are rules, and they're not strict, but you might notice the difference if you follow them.

For help, we asked Ricardo Cubias, assistant general manager and Level Three Sommelier at Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach. Cubias spoke exclusively with Chowhound about the finer details of red wine and chocolate, and his secret is to make sure the flavor balance leans toward the wine. Cubias says, "You want a red wine that's as bold, or bolder, than the chocolate. Think Paso Robles zinfandel or Santa Ynez cabernet sauvignon." Meanwhile, less bold chocolates can handle less bold, fruitier wines: "Bittersweet chocolate loves structure and fruit. Look for wines with dark fruit, low tannins, and a silky finish."

These clashing flavors partly come down to tannins, which impact your wine and sometimes your chocolate. Tannins are compounds found in lots of foods and drinks made from plants — in this case, the grapes used to create wine. Tannins can change your wine's flavor in a number of ways, but usually it makes wine bitter. Certain types of wines, such as cabernet sauvignon, have higher amounts. The alcohol by volume percentage of wine can also make it taste bolder.

When paired with chocolate, the chocolate's fat can smooth out the intensity of those bitter tannins. Chocolate also contains tannins, and a bold, bitter-tasting dark chocolate contains lots of tannins because of its high cocoa percentage. Milk chocolate contains fewer tannins and has a milder, sweeter taste due to its high sugar content. An exceptionally strong dark chocolate can overpower some wines while matching with others, so you still want to lean into a balance between bitterness and sweetness. According to Ricardo Cubias, "People often grab the biggest, boldest wine thinking it'll match rich chocolate, but super tannic reds (like a young syrah) can taste harsh. Avoid overly dry wines with sweet chocolate; instead, lean into balance." Keep in mind that wine pairings do involve some degree of personal preference, so be willing to experiment.