Pairing your Easter chocolate with great New Zealand wines

If people have mixed feelings about pairing chocolates with fine wine, odds are they had a pairing that wasn’t so successful. But when paired correctly, they can absolutely bring out the best in each other! With Easter coming up it is a great time to try some New Zealand wine and pair them alongside your Easter treats. The key is to ensure that your chocolate and wine have similar tannin levels and sweetness.

We have curated a special selection of New Zealand wines to pair with your Easter chocolates, give it a go and tell us what you think!

How to pair chocolate with wine 

Dark Chocolate (50-70% cocoa)

Dark chocolate usually has a bitter taste that is offset with notes of fruit or spice, so they require bolder wines to pair with. Fuller bodied wines stand out here because they have higher alcohol levels, and similar flavor notes of fruit and spice. Cabernet Sauvignon wines tend toward berry flavors that can work well with chocolate and they are high in tannins without being too bitter. Our picks are the 2019 Clearview Old Olive Block Cabernet Blend (with 65% Chocolate) or the 2019 Squawking Magpie The Chatterer Merlot Cabernets (with 70% Chocolate).

Smooth or medium dark chocolates, such as those with around 50-60% cocoa, pair well with Syrah and Pinot Noir – our picks here being the 2020 Squawking Magpie The Chatterer Syrah and the 2018 Wooing Tree Pinot Noir. But perhaps the best rule of thumb when it comes to wine and chocolate, is to indulge in what you love. Treat this as a guide, however if you find a pairing you enjoy – go with it!

Milk Chocolate (Around 45% cocoa)

Milk chocolates vary the most in taste, so make sure you taste your chocolate first. The best wines for milk chocolates are sweet whites or mild reds. A light Pinot Noir like the 2017 Brightwater Nelson Pinot Noir or if you’re looking for a white wine, the 2021 Mondillo Riesling pairs beautifully. Avoid anything too bold when pairing a red wine with milk chocolate, as the wine will overpower the chocolate.

Pairing Guide

70% (Extra Dark): Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo & Malbec

60% (Medium Dark): Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chianti & Rhone

50% (Smooth Dark): Method Traditionelle, Riesling, Pinot Noir & Vintage Port

45% (Milk): Rosé, Port, Sherry & light Pinot Noir

How to ensure you are making the most of both worlds

To start: Serve the chocolate at room temperature and the wine at the recommended temperature for the varietal (general recommendation for white wines is 50-55°F and red wines is 60-65°F). Ensure you cleanse your palate with tepid water or a plain cracker before getting started.

Taste the wine: Swirl the wine around to coat the glass and release the aromas. Put your nose close to the glass and think about the scents you can detect. Now sip the wine, swirl in your mouth, and notice the various flavors. What notes are evident? When you’re done, cleanse your palate with some tepid water or a plain cracker.

Savor the chocolate: Break off a piece of chocolate, take in the aroma and identify the smells. Place the chocolate in your mouth and let it sit for a couple of seconds before consuming. What flavors do you detect? Describe the texture.

Now, more wine: Swirl the wine around your mouth so it blends with the chocolate, think about how the flavors of the wine and chocolate have now changed. Are any of the notes in the wine more evident?

And repeat! Ensure you cleanse your palate between tastings.