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What to drink with "gourmet" chocolate?
[I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm
guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru" Origin Sampler Box) I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. Any suggestions? Bob |
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In article >, "Bob"
> wrote: > Any suggestions? > > Bob I was going to say coffee until you got to the part about a 'tasting party.' Beats me. -- -Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> "Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer Mimi Sheraton |
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Stara Baba > wrote:
How many times do I have to tell you that you are a mlada (and krasna) zena?! Bubba |
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Stara Baba > wrote:
How many times do I have to tell you that you are a mlada (and krasna) zena?! Bubba |
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>I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
>the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. Cardhu single-malt scotch, 12-year, neat, complements dark bittersweet perfectly. I'll let pass the stipulation about "strong flavor of its own." It has a smooth flavor, but indeed a flavor. Neil |
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In article >,
"Bob" > wrote: > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. I'd think you should use something that's not too sweet. 70% isn't all that bitter (I just picked up some 80+% Valrhona and Scharffen Berger) but I'd think that a sweet drink might exaggerate the bitterness of the chocolate. I'd be inclined towards milk (and not skim or low-fat) -- to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net" <http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/> |
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Actually, red wine doesn't really go with chocolate. The flavors are
all wrong with the chocolate deadening the wine and the wine making the chocolate bitter. Port is better than table wines but still not good. I suggest small amounts of cointreau for them that drinks alcohol and tall glasses of plain milk for them that don't. You might have both whole and skim available and let guests mix to their own taste in butterfat. I know milk is an odd drink for an adult party, but if you're thinking flavor, it can't be beat for complementing chocolate. --Lia Bob wrote: > [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm > guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] > > My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking > of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru" > Origin Sampler Box) > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. > > Any suggestions? > > Bob > > |
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Julia Altshuler wrote: > Actually, red wine doesn't really go with chocolate. The flavors are > all wrong with the chocolate deadening the wine and the wine making the > chocolate bitter. Port is better than table wines but still not good. > I suggest small amounts of cointreau for them that drinks alcohol and > tall glasses of plain milk for them that don't. You might have both > whole and skim available and let guests mix to their own taste in > butterfat. I know milk is an odd drink for an adult party, but if > you're thinking flavor, it can't be beat for complementing chocolate. Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate, but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago. -- Chris Green |
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Christopher Green wrote:
> Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong > Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate, > but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn > (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa > Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago. Even with the Zinfandel, while you say that the chocolate goes surprisingly well with it, wouldn't you also say that the wine would be better off without the chocolate? I have an interest in your answer. I'm working in a wine and cheese shop. We carry a good selection of wines in all price categories. We carry local beers. We carry excellent cheeses. We get bread delivered daily from a good bakery. We carry a variety of odd grocery items including specialty mustards, jams, sauces, crackers, pasta, olive oil and flavored vinegars. And we carry some good chocolate. Customers often ask about wine to go with chocolate. If the customer is dead set on serving wine with chocolate, I'll go with your suggestion of red zin, but I'd rather suggest cold milk or a mild soft cheese. By the way, I learned something interesting about giving the customer what the customer wants while keeping up the standards of the store. The owner began by not wanting to carry white zin at all. He doesn't consider it to be a good wine; he wants his store to get the reputation for only carrying good wine, and since he won't drink it himself, he doesn't want it there. He does carry a variety of wines in the $8-$10 range, but not white zin. People kept asking for it so he finally stocked it. He never suggests they buy it, but if they ask, he's got it. Then he told me the clincher behind that decision. There's quite a nice seafood restaurant next door to the wine and cheese shop. The owner there said his best selling wine is white zinfandel. I've eaten there a hundred times (definitely the best restaurant in the area and with reasonable prices) and never seen white zin on the wine list. It turns out that the restaurant owner feels the same way about white zin as the owner of the wine and cheese shop where I work. He hates it, but customers keep asking for it, and when they do, the servers explain that they do have some in the back that they can bring out special. The servers then bring it out, and the customer is happy. --Lia |
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Frankly, the same zin would go even better with a nice aged cheese. All
I'm trying to indicate is that the combination is not so totally unworkable as it's generally made out to be. You need a really strong zin, with more fruit than oak to it, something veering off toward port, as it were. The chocolate should be on the dark side and maybe half-bitter; if it's too sweet, it'll clash with the dry wine. When you get the right combination, the chocolate will bring out the blackberry notes in the zin. -- Chris Green |
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On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:06:44 GMT, Julia Altshuler
> wrote: > Christopher Green wrote: > > > Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong > > Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate, > > but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn > > (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa > > Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago. > > > Even with the Zinfandel, while you say that the chocolate goes > surprisingly well with it, wouldn't you also say that the wine would be > better off without the chocolate? > > > I have an interest in your answer. I'm working in a wine and cheese > shop. We carry a good selection of wines in all price categories. We > carry local beers. We carry excellent cheeses. We get bread delivered > daily from a good bakery. We carry a variety of odd grocery items > including specialty mustards, jams, sauces, crackers, pasta, olive oil > and flavored vinegars. And we carry some good chocolate. > > > Customers often ask about wine to go with chocolate. If the customer is > dead set on serving wine with chocolate, I'll go with your suggestion of > red zin, but I'd rather suggest cold milk or a mild soft cheese. > > > By the way, I learned something interesting about giving the customer > what the customer wants while keeping up the standards of the store. > The owner began by not wanting to carry white zin at all. He doesn't > consider it to be a good wine; he wants his store to get the reputation > for only carrying good wine, and since he won't drink it himself, he > doesn't want it there. He does carry a variety of wines in the $8-$10 > range, but not white zin. People kept asking for it so he finally > stocked it. He never suggests they buy it, but if they ask, he's got it. > Frankly, I think the only Zin that has any chance of paring well with decent piece of dark chocolate is a late harvest zinfandel called Bella (by Big River Ranch, Alexandar Valley). It's a dessert wine, on the expensive side and you serve it in small glasses like a fine port. sf Practice safe eating - always use condiments |
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Frankly, the same zin would go even better with a nice aged cheese. All
I'm trying to indicate is that the combination is not so totally unworkable as it's generally made out to be. You need a really strong zin, with more fruit than oak to it, something veering off toward port, as it were. The chocolate should be on the dark side and maybe half-bitter; if it's too sweet, it'll clash with the dry wine. When you get the right combination, the chocolate will bring out the blackberry notes in the zin. -- Chris Green |
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On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:06:44 GMT, Julia Altshuler
> wrote: > Christopher Green wrote: > > > Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong > > Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate, > > but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn > > (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa > > Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago. > > > Even with the Zinfandel, while you say that the chocolate goes > surprisingly well with it, wouldn't you also say that the wine would be > better off without the chocolate? > > > I have an interest in your answer. I'm working in a wine and cheese > shop. We carry a good selection of wines in all price categories. We > carry local beers. We carry excellent cheeses. We get bread delivered > daily from a good bakery. We carry a variety of odd grocery items > including specialty mustards, jams, sauces, crackers, pasta, olive oil > and flavored vinegars. And we carry some good chocolate. > > > Customers often ask about wine to go with chocolate. If the customer is > dead set on serving wine with chocolate, I'll go with your suggestion of > red zin, but I'd rather suggest cold milk or a mild soft cheese. > > > By the way, I learned something interesting about giving the customer > what the customer wants while keeping up the standards of the store. > The owner began by not wanting to carry white zin at all. He doesn't > consider it to be a good wine; he wants his store to get the reputation > for only carrying good wine, and since he won't drink it himself, he > doesn't want it there. He does carry a variety of wines in the $8-$10 > range, but not white zin. People kept asking for it so he finally > stocked it. He never suggests they buy it, but if they ask, he's got it. > Frankly, I think the only Zin that has any chance of paring well with decent piece of dark chocolate is a late harvest zinfandel called Bella (by Big River Ranch, Alexandar Valley). It's a dessert wine, on the expensive side and you serve it in small glasses like a fine port. sf Practice safe eating - always use condiments |
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"Bob" > wrote in
: > [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so > I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] > > My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm > thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I > Cru" Origin Sampler Box) > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will > complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. Champagne! -- Wayne in Phoenix *If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. *A mind is a terrible thing to lose. |
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>Champagne!
> >-- >Wayne 'Zactly. ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- ********* "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation." Sheldon ```````````` |
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:31:49 GMT, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote: >"Bob" > wrote in : > >> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so >> I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] >> >> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm >> thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see >> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I >> Cru" Origin Sampler Box) >> >> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will >> complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. > >Champagne! Good idea. But maybe a nice auslese or spaetlese would do the trick, too. modom "Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes." -- Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
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>Champagne!
> >-- >Wayne 'Zactly. ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- ********* "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation." Sheldon ```````````` |
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:31:49 GMT, Wayne Boatwright >
wrote: >"Bob" > wrote in : > >> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so >> I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] >> >> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm >> thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see >> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I >> Cru" Origin Sampler Box) >> >> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will >> complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. > >Champagne! Good idea. But maybe a nice auslese or spaetlese would do the trick, too. modom "Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes." -- Jimmie Dale Gilmore |
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In article >, Bob > wrote:
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking > of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru" > Origin Sampler Box) You specifically eliminated the two correct choices: coffee and port. I submit your desire to have something that isn't strong-tasting is an error. What you want is something with a distinct taste that complements the chocolate. The problem of people that don't drink coffee or alcohol and/or have various imaginary or real allergies is harder. I've never really figured out how to accomodate that kind of thing, except to offer a selection of stuff and leave the choice to the guest. Milk always seems appropriate with chocolate, possibly from early-life associations. Of course, lots of people feel they're allergic to milk . . . . Maybe a nice cut-glass decanter of distilled water for the terminally choosy. Mike Beede |
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Bob wrote:
> > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. > > Any suggestions? > > Bob Champagne, medium dry. Sparkling water for the pregnant lady if she's not imbibing at all. gloria p |
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester
> wrote: > Bob wrote: > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something > > which will complement the chocolate but not have a > > strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along the lines > > of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none > > of them seem quite right either. > > > > Any suggestions? I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port (1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent accompaniment. For those not wanting to imbibe, a cider or seltzer would allow the chocolate to explode across the palate. > Champagne, medium dry. Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means sledgehammer-dry to me). The Ranger |
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The Ranger wrote:
> > On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester > > wrote: > > > Champagne, medium dry. > > Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry > champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means > sledgehammer-dry to me). > > The Ranger Most California champagne houses make at least one but they can be hard to find unless you have a wine store with a savvy buyer. Google "medium dry champagne" for lots of information. I'm not crazy about champagne; I'd much rather drink Prosecco because bone-dry isn't my favorite flavor. Some of the California houses offer a really nice comparison tasting, taking your taste buds along the route from dry to sweet. gloria p |
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 18:55:10 GMT, Puester
> wrote: > > > Champagne, medium dry. > > > > > Any recommendation > > > Most California champagne houses make at least one but > they can be hard to find unless you have a wine store > with a savvy buyer. I have two Bev-and-Mo's near me with reasonable selections and the dept. managers have distinct opinions. <G> > Google "medium dry champagne" for lots of information. "Learn it. Use it." Got it. <G> > I'm not crazy about champagne; I'd much rather drink > Prosecco because bone-dry isn't my favorite flavor. Nor mine... It's one of the prohibiting factors to my enjoying that particular libation. I don't need something that's going to violently rip my tongue out by the roots, stomp it into jelly and then burn my insides like Drano. That sort of ruins the fun of drinking. > Some of the California houses offer a really nice comparison > tasting, taking your taste buds along the route from dry to sweet. Of the vineyards we've visited specializing in sparkling wines, differing levels of heartburn were the only things I was able to compare. (Same with some of the French champagnes...) The Ranger |
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The Ranger wrote:
> I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my > seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was > also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port > (1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent > accompaniment. Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona from smithfield farms. nancy |
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In article >,
Nancy Young > wrote: > Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona > from smithfield farms. Smithfarms <http://www.smithfarms.com/> -- to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net" <http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/> |
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Scott wrote:
> > In article >, > Nancy Young > wrote: > > > Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona > > from smithfield farms. > > Smithfarms > > <http://www.smithfarms.com/> Correction noted. Great coffee. nancy |
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The Ranger wrote:
> I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my > seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was > also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port > (1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent > accompaniment. Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona from smithfield farms. nancy |
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The Ranger wrote:
> > On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester > > wrote: > > > Champagne, medium dry. > > Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry > champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means > sledgehammer-dry to me). > > The Ranger Most California champagne houses make at least one but they can be hard to find unless you have a wine store with a savvy buyer. Google "medium dry champagne" for lots of information. I'm not crazy about champagne; I'd much rather drink Prosecco because bone-dry isn't my favorite flavor. Some of the California houses offer a really nice comparison tasting, taking your taste buds along the route from dry to sweet. gloria p |
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On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester
> wrote: > Bob wrote: > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something > > which will complement the chocolate but not have a > > strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along the lines > > of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none > > of them seem quite right either. > > > > Any suggestions? I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port (1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent accompaniment. For those not wanting to imbibe, a cider or seltzer would allow the chocolate to explode across the palate. > Champagne, medium dry. Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means sledgehammer-dry to me). The Ranger |
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>I'm thinking along
>the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, Fruit juice always tastes sour to me after eating something sweet like chocolate. I'd say coffee and a nice sparkling water. Joelle The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page - St Augustine Joelle |
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"Bob" > wrote in message
... > [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm > guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] > > My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking > of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru" > Origin Sampler Box) > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. > > Any suggestions? > > Bob > > Some slightly sweet champagne would be nice methinks. -- Peter Aitken Remove the crap from my email address before using. |
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"Bob" > writes:
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. IMHO red wine doesn't pair well, but champagne's OK -- just OK. My favorite combination is a Belgian Lambic beer. They're a bit tart, like champagne, and go fabulously with chocolate -- especially the Kriek (cheery) and Framboise (raspberry) variants. The base Gueuze is excellent with chocolate as well. I'm partial to brands Cantillon and Frank Boon as I think they're the most authentic, but Lindeman's are quite good too. Similarly, the slightly tart Goudenband is also quite good with chocolate. I like these with a decadent chocolate anglefood cake made with Valrhona chocolate. Around here in DC these are not that hard to find. Prices aren't bad either, maybe $7-10 for a 750ml bottle. Here are a few links to get you started. http://www.belgianexperts.com/boonlamb2.php http://www.cantillon.be/br/en/Cantillon-13102.html http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/283/773/ http://merchantduvin.com/pages/5_bre...lindemans.html (I think this is like the champagne-and-oysters stereotype; try oysters with Guinness Stout and I think you'll find it is a much better match -- it doesn't strip away the buttery oyster finish in the way the champagne does.) |
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Bob wrote:
> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm > guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] > > My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking > of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru" > Origin Sampler Box) > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. When all else fails, go to the net. The pairings that I came across suggested Merlot or Cabernet Sauvingnon, but since one of your guests has a problem with red wine, the other would be a late harvest Riesling. |
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On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 08:56:00 -0000,
(Alex Rast) wrote: >Worst choice : anything alcoholic. (the flavours will interfere badly with >each other) except brandy or cognac... |
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Bob wrote:
> > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. > > Any suggestions? > > Bob Champagne, medium dry. Sparkling water for the pregnant lady if she's not imbibing at all. gloria p |
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"Bob" > writes:
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement > the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along > the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them > seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too > strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister > suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not > particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips, > I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a > possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for > her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I > guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether. IMHO red wine doesn't pair well, but champagne's OK -- just OK. My favorite combination is a Belgian Lambic beer. They're a bit tart, like champagne, and go fabulously with chocolate -- especially the Kriek (cheery) and Framboise (raspberry) variants. The base Gueuze is excellent with chocolate as well. I'm partial to brands Cantillon and Frank Boon as I think they're the most authentic, but Lindeman's are quite good too. Similarly, the slightly tart Goudenband is also quite good with chocolate. I like these with a decadent chocolate anglefood cake made with Valrhona chocolate. Around here in DC these are not that hard to find. Prices aren't bad either, maybe $7-10 for a 750ml bottle. Here are a few links to get you started. http://www.belgianexperts.com/boonlamb2.php http://www.cantillon.be/br/en/Cantillon-13102.html http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/283/773/ http://merchantduvin.com/pages/5_bre...lindemans.html (I think this is like the champagne-and-oysters stereotype; try oysters with Guinness Stout and I think you'll find it is a much better match -- it doesn't strip away the buttery oyster finish in the way the champagne does.) |
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In article >, "Bob"
> wrote: > Any suggestions? > > Bob I was going to say coffee until you got to the part about a 'tasting party.' Beats me. -- -Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> "Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer Mimi Sheraton |
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"Bob" > wrote in
: > [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so > I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.] > > My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm > thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see > http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I > Cru" Origin Sampler Box) > > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will > complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. Champagne! -- Wayne in Phoenix *If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. *A mind is a terrible thing to lose. |
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