Our Dark Single Origin Tasting Bars take us on a journey to different chocolate producing countries. As we shared in our Chocolate Origin Story post, there are many parallels between wine making and chocolate making. Local soil and environment bring out inherent characteristics, and also the particular styles of drying and fermentation have distinct effects on overall flavor and aroma. The advantage of the single origin approach is that the individual nuances of a particular bean will register more clearly on the palate. 

Here are pairings our friends at Brix Wine Shop suggest for each our our tasting bars:

Ghana - 

2014 Marenco Pineto Brachetto d’Acqui Light bodied and slightly frizzante, Brachetto d’Aqui is a great match with the delicate bitterness of the Ghana chocolate. Its fresh strawberry notes complement the soft and sweet spiciness of this bar.

Venezuela - 

2013 M. Chaputier Banyuls
A vins doux naturels like Banyuls pairs well with this bold chocolate. Fortified and made from mostly Grenache, it’s harvested on the steep hillsides overlooking the Mediterranean sea. Loaded with aromas of cocoa and black fruit flavors, it’s a natural match with the intensity of this chocolate.

Mexico - 

2009 Chateau Clarke Bordeaux
The bitterness of the Mexican bar combined with its woody flavors make it a natural pairing with a Cabernet based Bordeaux. The ripe blackberry and fig notes in the wine bring out the floral notes in this bar.