Being originally American, I grew up steeped in the tradition of Valentine’s Day which arrives on the 14th of this month. Let this be a reminder for those who don’t happen to pledge allegiance to the Stars and Stripes! As a preview for those who don’t know it, Valentine’s usually means nice dinners, wine, and for some reason, chocolate–nothing says, “I love you” like tossing a box of fattening sweets at your woman and then expecting her to squeeze in to some sexy lingerie.
Chocolate is one of those things that pairs really, really badly with most wines. Sure, you can go with the time-tested adage of “Custard, good, steak good, what’s the problem?” but if you’ve tried pairing it in the past, you’ve probably found that chocolate and white or red wines get pretty scratchy with one another. I once tried a wine-filled chocolate from my former employer, Rubicon, only to realize after the first bite that I could never again attack my palate in such a grave, horrid manner. Despite this, there are quite a few excellent options, but they’re not the first wines you’d think of despite their being incredibly traditional in Catalonia.
