Pairing Wine with Chocolate Isn't as Easy as 1-2-3
Peter’s Chocolate Hosts Evening of Palate Perfect Lessons for Confectioners

Anaheim, CA (October 4, 2005) – While the pairing of wine with chocolate isn’t a difficult concept to grasp by most, the art of matching the two for seamless interaction on the palate isn’t easy to achieve.  Peter’s Chocolate, the long-standing premier manufacturer of truly superior chocolate ingredients for the finest artisans and confectioners, is always on hand to help its customers discover cross-promotional ideas.  To this end, wine and chocolate pairing is a skill many confectioners are eager to hone and Peter’s is happy to teach.

To do the pairing honors, Peter’s Chocolate enlisted restaurant scion, Michael Jordan, responsible for the award-winning wine cellar at the Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel who, along with his team of sommeliers, uncorked an array of vintages from the world over to marry with six of Peter’s premium chocolates.  The results were presented during the Retail Confectioners International Fall Regional Institute on September 23rd in Anaheim during a hands-on session presented by Mr. Jordan, arranged by Peter’s Chocolate District Managers Dennis Witzel and Joe Sofia. 

Peter’s Original™ White Chocolate, made from whole milk and cocoa butter, has an unmistakably chocolate aroma and flavor.  It was paired with a 2001 Malvasia Delle Lipari from the Colosi Winery in the beautiful southern Italian island of Salina, north of Sicily.  The attendees agreed this full-bodied medium-sweet wine with flavors of golden raisins, apricots and candied pineapples, gently complemented the delicate creaminess of the white chocolate.

Two milk chocolates were paired.  A new Peter’s product, Maridel™ Milk Chocolate, is a well-balanced milk chocolate made with Peter’s traditional milk crumb process and flavored with natural vanilla, an excellent candidate for a fruity Madeira dessert wine.  A 15-year-old Malmsey Madeira from Blandy’s was chosen for its balanced and powerful flavors of burnt orange peel, citrus oil, cherry and toffee.

The second milk chocolate is Peter’s lightest and most distinct, Peter’s Ultra® Milk Chocolate.   Jordan’s team couldn’t resist pairing it with a 2002 Pinot Noir Green Valley from Orogeny Vineyards in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.  “Firm and focused,” Jordan called it, “this wine has the scent of cherry cola and the taste of black cherry, candied red cherry and dusty, spicy caramel.” 

Peter’s most popular semi-sweet chocolate, Burgundy® has a reddish cast, strong chocolate flavor and a fruity, winey flavor note on its own.  A 2002 Meritage Alexander Valley from Lassiter Family Vineyards was selected for its flavors of black cherry, plum, blackberry, truffles and baking spices.  Jordan and his staff proclaimed Burgundy® Semi-sweet Chocolate and Meritage a match made in heaven.

For Chocolate D’Or™ Semi-sweet Chocolate, smooth yet somewhat less sweet, a 1997 Recioto della Valpolicella from Tommasi Vineyards in the Valpolicella region of northeastern Italy was an ideal choice.  The exotic wine had a great finesse of fruit and acid to showcase the fruit in the chocolate.

Two wines were selected for the final chocolate, Peter’s Cambra™ Bittersweet Chocolate, Peter’s new bittersweet with 72% cocoa solids made with European-style low roast liquor aged to provide a mellow balanced flavor.  A 2003 VLH (Very Late Harvest) Zinfandel, RRV from Sapphire Hill Vineyards in Healdsburg, California is what Jordan referred to as, “a homerun pairing.”  Its black fruit jam flavors and acid were a fine match for the bitterness of the Cambra™ Bittersweet Chocolate.  Additionally, he selected a 2002 Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG from Banfi Vintners in the Piemonte region of Italy, a red sparkling wine.  “Its unusual strawberry flavors develop into cranberry and cherry flavors,” said Jordan, who commented that at a wedding, he would serve this over champagne any day.

Confectioners and candy artisans who utilize such creative marketing methods as wine and chocolate pairing to draw consumer attention to their products are those who stand out from the crowd.  Peter’s Chocolate partners with its customers to continually devise fresh ideas to catch the eye of consumers.