“The cocoa and fat in the chocolate soften and round out the tannins in the red wine, creating an amazing combination. . .”

Chocophiles who appreciate fine wine will find the perfect pairing every Saturday at Bennett Lane Winery in Calistoga in northern California.

Randy and Lisa Lynch purchased the Napa Valley winery in August 2002 and opened the tasting room in time for the 2003 harvest. And every Saturday since then, guests have been able to enjoy red wine matched with a variety of sophisticated chocolates.

“We pair different types of chocolate—French dark chocolate truffles, Belgian bittersweet chocolate, cocoa dusted almonds, cream puffs dipped in our Maximus chocolate wine sauce (made with our red wine blend Maximus) and other special treats,” says Stefanie Longton, Tasting Room Manager. “The cocoa and fat in the chocolate soften and round out the tannins in the red wine, creating an amazing combination, with the chocolate bringing out even more berry and cherry flavor components in the wine. We also have chocolates filled with our Maximus.”

Not surprisingly, Longton adds, “Many of our guests come specifically because of the chocolate and wine combination and we get a lot of repeat customers, some of them leaving with as many as 30 boxes of our Maximus chocolate.”

Bennett Lane produces four wines: a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($45), a Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($85), a Napa Valley Chardonnay ($28) and Maximus ($28), a nontraditional blend, labeled a “red feasting wine.”

Owner Randy Lynch says, “You can drink these wines today, but they are structured enough to cellar for several years.”

Bennett Lane wines are produced in small quantities. They are available at the winery and online. The wines are also distributed in California, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Florida, Georgia and Texas.

©ChocolateAtlas.com

Contact us:  Editor  Webmaster