What's Chocolate Got to Do with Port?

With our upcoming Savvy Cellar wine class "Port & Chocolate" Monday July 13th, it got me thinking why does chocolate and port (or other dessert wines) go together. Here's some fun facts about two of my favorite, most decadent of delights:

1. Aroma Sympatico. You can smell aromas in chocolate just as you do in wine. Chocolate can be described as "winey." Wine can be described as "chocolatey."
2. Quality Designations. Both wine and chocolate can be called "Premier Cru". A Premier Cru vineyard in France is one of the best single vineyards in the world. A Premier Cru cocoa plantation is a single-origin source of the finest cocoa.
3. Terroir. With both wine and chocolate, you can taste “terroir” or a sense of place. One can often tell where a wine comes from by just its taste; and chocolates from different countries have distinct tastes (e.g. blueberry or smokiness).
4. Fermentation. Both wine and chocolate are fermented foods: wine is fermented grapes, and chocolate is fermented (then roasted) cocoa.

Enough talk. If you want to learn more and taste some exquisite pairings of port and chocolate, be sure to come to our Port and Chocolate class on Monday July 13th.