What inspired your winery to start making chocolates in addition to wine?
When Glass House's original owners Jeff and Michelle decided to open Glass House they wanted to combine their love for wine and viticulture with Michelle’s personal passion for hand-made gourmet truffles and Jeff’s knowledge of tropical plants.
What is the key to a successful chocolate and wine pairing?
A great rule of thumb is to match the intensity of the chocolate and wine to each other. For example a lighter delicate flavored chocolate with a lighter body wine.
How do you approach pairing your wines with your handmade chocolates?
We start by trying to match styles we think would go well together. But in the end, it’s most fun to taste through our full line-up of wines with a new chocolate, or our full line-up of chocolates when we are looking to pair them with a new wine.
Are there any classic pairings that you recommend for beginners?
A classic pairing for us is our flagship Wine Cream, paired with our chocolate port style Meglio del Sesso. The Wine Cream's buttercream center is made from an infusion of dark chocolate and Norton wine, which is also the base for our Meglio del Sesso. The resulting pairing is of delicious dark chocolate-covered cherries!
What are some unexpected or unconventional wine and chocolate pairings that you’ve discovered?
A fun and delicious combination we discovered is our Estate Grown Barbera (a medium-bodied, Italian red varietal) paired with our Cherry Chili chocolate. The heat meets sweet in this pairing is a staff favorite!
How does the type of chocolate impact the pairing process?
The type of chocolate very much impacts the pairing. Mostly due to the percentage of actual cacao that is used. A milk chocolate for example has less cacao and more milk, giving it a creamy mild flavor. This lends to pairing with a soft tannin, fruit-forward wine.
Dark chocolate has a higher amount of cacao and less milk resulting in more intensity and a 'dryer' mouthfeel. These chocolates pair well with richer, bolder wines, [while] intense dark chocolates pair best with sweeter port-style wine.
White chocolate, while not having cocoa solids – hence its appearance -- does contain cacao butter full of fat and richness. These tend to pair well with fruit-forward wines with soft tannin.
What role does the wine’s sweetness level play in pairing it with chocolate?
Sweetness in wine calls for bigger, bolder, darker chocolate to balance out the sugar in the wine with increased cacao.
Do you have a favorite pairing from your collection? If so, why does it work so well?
I really enjoy our Rum & Coconut milk chocolate paired with our Chardonnay. The milk chocolate ganache pairs well with the crisp acidity in the Chardonnay and the coconut creates a fun piña colada flavor.
Can certain flavor notes in wine enhance specific flavors in chocolate?
Totally! Both wine and chocolate have tannin – the drying sensation you feel after taking a sip. This is the reason that darker chocolates with higher cacao content are more bitter and dry your mouth. This is also the reason that they pair so well with bolder wines with some sweetness to balance out the drying.
Are there any common pairing mistakes that people should avoid?
While there are some general guidelines to help find pairing success, I think the biggest mistake anyone could make is to not try a variety of wines and chocolates together and find their own favorite pairings!
Anything else you’d like to share:
We offer a wine and chocolate pairing flight! Flights are available anytime in our tasting room and include four samples of our wines paired with four of our delicious chocolates! The flights are $27.
While there are some general guidelines to help find pairing success, I think the biggest mistake anyone could make is to not try a variety of wines and chocolates together and find their own favorite pairings!