Lilly Handmade Chocolates is a different kind of chocolate boutique…if you hadn’t noticed already! Not only do we produce fabulous chocolate confections, we specialize in pairing chocolates with different fine wines & craft beers!
Here are some tips on pairing chocolate and boozie goodies:
- Milk & Dark Chocolate pair well with big bold items, like Porters, Stouts, Zinfandels, Ports, & Petite Syrah.
- White Chocolate is great with dessert wines like Moscato, as well as Demi-Sec & Sec Champagnes and lighter, hoppier beers like IPA’s or Amber Ales.
- Say there are raspberries in your truffles of choice. Go for something with similar flavors, like Banyuls or a Tempranillo. Look for similar flavor profiles in the wine and the chocolate.
- White Wine and chocolate are not friends. They kill each other’s flavor and ruin your day. Not nice white wine, not nice. (i.e. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viogner,etc.)
- When in doubt go with what you like! Even if it turns out that it’s terrible with the chocolate, you have something to drink before or after you eat the chocolate instead of with it.
The general rule of thumb with these things, as I’ve learned them, is that first and foremost, you have to LIKE what you’re drinking. If you hate Cabernet Sauvignon, & you ordered a steak for dinner, most people will say, “Order the cab! It’ll change the flavor and you’ll like it.” While that may have some truth to it (the flavor will change) you won’t enjoy your steak as much because you’ll be to preoccupied with the fact that you have to down this wretched glass of wine your friend suggested. Go ahead, order a Sauvignon Blanc. You’ll enjoy your meal! Same works for chocolate.
In our opinion, you have a lot more choice in Beerland than you do in Wineland when it comes to chocolate. With wine you’re limited to red fruit flavors, spice & tannins. With Beer, you get the addition of hops, malts, spices, honey, orange, banana…this could go on and on. Beer folk are able to add different things to their beers to change the flavor more so than the winemakers. The grapes are what the grapes are, and don’t get us wrong, we’d take a big glass of Amarone any day, but it’s the beer lover’s day to rejoice!
Wineland is a fabulous place to be though! Wine can have a lot of nuances, which makes it fun to pair with chocolate. What kind of barrel was it aged in, for how long, what grape is used, what are the percentage of the blended grapes, and on and on. You also have the choice between fortified, still, & sparkling! A nice vintage Port is fabulous with chocolate, and a sparkling Shiraz is a fun twist to add to any party! A nice glass of an “attack your mouth” Zinfandel with a couple of “Hot Mama’s” is a grand place to be!
We do give you specific pairings with each chocolate we produce, but feel free to experiment, try new things! You just might teach us something and we’re always looking to learn…and TASTE!
We now feature over 175 crafts beers, everything from IPA’s to Smoked Porters to Lambics to Meads! Our wine selection grows with each passing week, adding not only new winemakers, but new grape varietals to please everyone who walks through our doors. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, let us know and we’d be happy to special order it for you!
Happy Tasting!
xoxo
Amanda & Joshua Montague
