Thanks for the comments, Alex. I've got Guittard targeted for both
unsweetened and white chocolate. I can buy bulk (10 pounds) for
$5 US per pound. That's not bad! It's cheaper than the Baker's
they have at the grocery store.

The taste test I did was between Nestle's and Ghirardelli semisweet
chips. I also bought semisweet and white chocolate bars from
Ghirardelli, but they both said they were for baking.

The last batch of coated orange chocolates I made with the Nestle's
were really, really good. The centers were really soft. I used less
shortening in the coating to keep them from being too soft at room
temperature.

The wife and I went to the ChocolateFest but I did not enter the
contest. I decided that what I make is fine for home but just isn't
up to par for a contest. We were both disappointed by the Fest.
I expected something quaint and homey, but there were over 500
people there. Nothing available for sampling had a name attached
to it or who made it, and none of the cooks were available for
comment. There were absurdly long lines for some things. We
didn't stay long. Unorganized and uninformative.

Michael