Few Napa Valley wineries are committed to producing top quality chocolates. Our elegant assortment of chocolates is hand-crafted, made exclusively to pair with our wines. When paired correctly Wine & Chocolate can elevate your tasting experience into something miraculous.
Our Napa Valley chocolates are the perfect gift for any occasion, an easy way to elevate any Valentine’s Day or Christmas celebration.
Chocolate and wine are two of life’s greatest pleasures, but pairing them can be a difficult. Both offer intense flavors and complexity, which can lead to challenges when pairing the two. Cocoa beans, like wine grapes, undergo the fermentation process in order to remove tannins and create a more complex end effect.
A successful chocolate and wine pairing is vivid; producing enhanced sensations and tastes across the palate. Often revealing hidden flavors in both wine & chocolate for the first time. When in doubt, pair chocolates and wines that have a similar style and weight. Less intensely-flavored chocolates go well with lighter-bodied wines, while chocolates with more intense flavors can stand up to fuller-bodied wines. While it might sound counterintuitive, a wine that is “sweeter” than the chocolate itself actually works quite well. These characteristics provide a nice balance to the bitter flavors of cocoa.
The texture contrast between the two can make the difference between an amazing pairing and a quickly forgettable experience. Is the chocolate silky, luscious, palate-coating, crunchy? The fruit flavors and tannins combine with chocolate to create a lush mouthfeel. The characteristics that work best for these pairings, lay in the contrasting elements of the wine & chocolate relationship.
Don’t forget to experience our chocolate & wine pairings, available during any Castello tour and tasting experience.
Our Favorite Wine & Chocolate Pairings
Milk Chocolate
Pairs well with Merlot
, La Castellana
, Super Tuscan Blend
, Pinot Noir
Milk chocolate is usually sweeter and creamier with flavors of brown sugar, vanilla, and cream. It requires a wine that is light to medium in body, with a ripe fruit character.
Dark Chocolate
Pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon
, Zinfandel
, La Fantasia
, Il Passito
, LH Gewürztraminer
Bitter to semi-sweet chocolates that are 50 to 100% cacao have intense, bitter flavors, and earthy to fruity undertones. The dark fruit from red wine and the fine tannins combine with dark chocolate to create a lush mouthfeel. Match the intensity of the chocolate without adding more dryness by pairing these chocolates with full-bodied wines.
White Chocolate
Pairs well with Riesling
, Sweeter Rosè
, Chardonnay
White chocolate, which is made with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, has a sweet, buttery flavor with notes of honey and cream. Sweet white and rosè wines help cleanse the palate of the rich flavors from white chocolate, as does as sparkling spumante. White wines can really work great with white chocolate. Riesling or a buttery Chardonnay will complement the vanilla, caramel and honey flavors in the chocolate.
See Our Wine & Chocolate Recipes Here
Bring our wine & chocolate pairing experience home with our trio of chocolate truffles from Le Belge Chocolatier! Try our smooth and creamy milk chocolate truffle with our Napa Valley Merlot, our luscious dark chocolate crown truffle with our Napa Valley Cabernet or Il Barone, and our beautiful raspberry-filled heart chocolate with our La Fantasia. A favorite for any lover of wine and chocolate!
- 1 red dark chocolate hearts with raspberry gelate & dark chocolate ganache
- 1 dark chocolate crowns w with dark chocolate and sea salt ganache
- 1 creamy milk chocolate truffle
