Dine & Wine

3 wine and chocolate combinations for holiday gifts and parties

If you’re thinking of serving wine and chocolate at your holiday gathering — or giving the tasty combo as a gift — check out these tips from Galter LifeCenter dietitian Maryam Naziri for not only getting the best flavor combinations, but the healthiest:

1. Pair your heaviest red wines with your strongest (highest cocoa level) chocolates. It’s similar to pairing a rich cabernet with a steak — the two strong flavors will balance one another. To reap maximum benefits, look for dark chocolate that contains 70 percent or more cocoa.

2. Pair a lighter, sweeter red wine with a spicy, lighter chocolate. Opposing flavors (sweet and spicy) can work well together and leave a lasting taste, so you can eat less and still savor the combination.

3. Pair a lighter red wine with a lower-cocoa content (lighter-tasting) dark chocolate, so that neither flavor cancels out the other. Be particularly aware of your portion-sizes with lighter chocolates, as they tend to be processed with more milk and sugar than darker varieties. These ingredients lower flavonoid content and up the saturated fat and cholesterol levels.

As an added bonus, recent research has found that the antioxidants found in red wine and dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, reduce “bad” cholesterol levels and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease — when consumed in moderation, of course. These are the same antioxidants that make leafy greens and green tea so healthy.

At a recent wine and chocolate tasting at the North Halsted Whole Foods test kitchen, Naziri and Whole Foods team members paired these three wines with the following chocolates for tasty results:

Cupcake Red Velvet wine with Vosges “Red Fire” chocolate: This a lighter, sweeter red wine (a blend of Zin, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah) paired with a dark chocolate spiced with chilies. The sweeter wine is a great contrast to the spicy chocolate, which is less strong than other dark chocolates.

Ex Umbris Syrah with Green & Black’s Cherry chocolate: The smoky Ex Umbris goes well with the cherry-flavored chocolate, which is a little stronger than the Red Fire (above). Pairing smoke and fruit was a guess by the food experts, and it worked well!

H & G Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon with Green & Black’s Dark 70 percent chocolate: The strongest red of the group was paired with the strongest chocolate, and neither flavor was lost.

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