| Bob |
[I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm
guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
Origin Sampler Box)
I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
Any suggestions?
Bob
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|
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| Stara Baba |
In article <41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com>, "Bob"
<virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote:
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
I was going to say coffee until you got to the part about a 'tasting
party.' Beats me.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com>
"Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?"
-Food writer Mimi Sheraton
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| WardNA |
>I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
>the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own.
Cardhu single-malt scotch, 12-year, neat, complements dark bittersweet
perfectly. I'll let pass the stipulation about "strong flavor of its own." It
has a smooth flavor, but indeed a flavor.
Neil
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| Scott |
In article <41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com>,
"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote:
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
> guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
I'd think you should use something that's not too sweet. 70% isn't all
that bitter (I just picked up some 80+% Valrhona and Scharffen Berger)
but I'd think that a sweet drink might exaggerate the bitterness of the
chocolate. I'd be inclined towards milk (and not skim or low-fat)
--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"
<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>
|
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| Julia Altshuler |
Actually, red wine doesn't really go with chocolate. The flavors are
all wrong with the chocolate deadening the wine and the wine making the
chocolate bitter. Port is better than table wines but still not good.
I suggest small amounts of cointreau for them that drinks alcohol and
tall glasses of plain milk for them that don't. You might have both
whole and skim available and let guests mix to their own taste in
butterfat. I know milk is an odd drink for an adult party, but if
you're thinking flavor, it can't be beat for complementing chocolate.
--Lia
Bob wrote:
> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm
> guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
>
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
> guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
>
>
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| Wayne Boatwright |
"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote in
news:41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com:
> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so
> I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
>
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm
> thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I
> Cru" Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will
> complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own.
Champagne!
--
Wayne in Phoenix
*If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.
*A mind is a terrible thing to lose.
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| Mike Beede |
In article <41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com>, Bob <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote:
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
You specifically eliminated the two correct choices: coffee and port. I submit
your desire to have something that isn't strong-tasting is an error. What you
want is something with a distinct taste that complements the chocolate.
The problem of people that don't drink coffee or alcohol and/or have
various imaginary or real allergies is harder. I've never really figured out
how to accomodate that kind of thing, except to offer a selection of stuff
and leave the choice to the guest. Milk always seems appropriate with
chocolate, possibly from early-life associations. Of course, lots of people
feel they're allergic to milk . . . . Maybe a nice cut-glass decanter of
distilled water for the terminally choosy.
Mike Beede
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| Puester |
Bob wrote:
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
Champagne, medium dry. Sparkling water for the pregnant lady
if she's not imbibing at all.
gloria p
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| Joelle |
>I'm thinking along
>the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice,
Fruit juice always tastes sour to me after eating something sweet like
chocolate.
I'd say coffee and a nice sparkling water.
Joelle
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page - St
Augustine
Joelle
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| The Ranger |
On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester
<puester@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Bob wrote:
> > I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something
> > which will complement the chocolate but not have a
> > strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along the lines
> > of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none
> > of them seem quite right either.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my
seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was
also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port
(1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent
accompaniment.
For those not wanting to imbibe, a cider or seltzer would allow the
chocolate to explode across the palate.
> Champagne, medium dry.
Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry
champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means
sledgehammer-dry to me).
The Ranger
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| Nancy Young |
The Ranger wrote:
> I don't see any alcoholic choices... That puts a crimp in my
> seconding the earlier recommendation of the 12yo Cardhu SMW. I was
> also going to suggest a late harvest muscat or Warre's Vintage Port
> (1970). A Ballatore Gran Spumante would also be an excellent
> accompaniment.
Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona
from smithfield farms.
nancy
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| Peter Aitken |
"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote in message
news:41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com...
> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so
I'm
> guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
>
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I
Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six
sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger
for
> her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
> guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
>
>
Some slightly sweet champagne would be nice methinks.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
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| PENMART01 |
>Champagne!
>
>--
>Wayne
'Zactly.
---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````
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| Scott |
In article <41C5CF31.19C0A5EB@monmouth.com>,
Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com> wrote:
> Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona
> from smithfield farms.
Smithfarms
<http://www.smithfarms.com/>
--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"
<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>
|
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| The Ranger |
On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 18:55:10 GMT, Puester
<puester@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> > > Champagne, medium dry.
> > >
> > Any recommendation
> >
> Most California champagne houses make at least one but
> they can be hard to find unless you have a wine store
> with a savvy buyer.
I have two Bev-and-Mo's near me with reasonable selections and the
dept. managers have distinct opinions. <G>
> Google "medium dry champagne" for lots of information.
"Learn it. Use it." Got it.
<G>
> I'm not crazy about champagne; I'd much rather drink
> Prosecco because bone-dry isn't my favorite flavor.
Nor mine... It's one of the prohibiting factors to my enjoying that
particular libation. I don't need something that's going to
violently rip my tongue out by the roots, stomp it into jelly and
then burn my insides like Drano. That sort of ruins the fun of
drinking.
> Some of the California houses offer a really nice comparison
> tasting, taking your taste buds along the route from dry to sweet.
Of the vineyards we've visited specializing in sparkling wines,
differing levels of heartburn were the only things I was able to
compare. (Same with some of the French champagnes...)
The Ranger
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| Chris Shenton |
"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> writes:
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
> guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
IMHO red wine doesn't pair well, but champagne's OK -- just OK.
My favorite combination is a Belgian Lambic beer. They're a bit tart,
like champagne, and go fabulously with chocolate -- especially the
Kriek (cheery) and Framboise (raspberry) variants. The base Gueuze is
excellent with chocolate as well. I'm partial to brands Cantillon and
Frank Boon as I think they're the most authentic, but Lindeman's are
quite good too. Similarly, the slightly tart Goudenband is also quite
good with chocolate.
I like these with a decadent chocolate anglefood cake made with
Valrhona chocolate.
Around here in DC these are not that hard to find. Prices aren't bad
either, maybe $7-10 for a 750ml bottle. Here are a few links to get
you started.
http://www.belgianexperts.com/boonlamb2.php
http://www.cantillon.be/br/en/Cantillon-13102.html
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/283/773/
http://merchantduvin.com/pages/5_br.../lindemans.html
(I think this is like the champagne-and-oysters stereotype; try
oysters with Guinness Stout and I think you'll find it is a much better
match -- it doesn't strip away the buttery oyster finish in the way
the champagne does.)
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| Victor Sack |
Stara Baba <skarby@mac.com> wrote:
How many times do I have to tell you that you are a mlada (and krasna)
zena?!
Bubba
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| Michael Odom |
On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:31:49 GMT, Wayne Boatwright <wbw@att.net>
wrote:
>"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.com> wrote in
>news:41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com:
>
>> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so
>> I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
>>
>> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm
>> thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
>> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I
>> Cru" Origin Sampler Box)
>>
>> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will
>> complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own.
>
>Champagne!
Good idea. But maybe a nice auslese or spaetlese would do the trick,
too.
modom
"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore
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| Melba's Jammin' |
In article <1gp2bu8.ddfy1mzscmlcN%azazello@koroviev.de>,
azazello@koroviev.de (Victor Sack) wrote:
> Stara Baba <skarby@mac.com> wrote:
>
> How many times do I have to tell you that you are a mlada (and krasna)
> zena?!
>
> Bubba
But I loves to hear it, Bubba!! Somehow, my identity got switched for a
coupla hours. Not so mlada, but thank you for the krasna! You
silver-tongued devil, you!
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 11-29-04; Sam I Am!
birthday telling; Thanksgiving 2004; Fanfare, Maestro, please.
"Are we going to measure or are we going to cook?" -Food writer
Mimi Sheraton
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| Nancy Young |
Scott wrote:
>
> In article <41C5CF31.19C0A5EB@monmouth.com>,
> Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com> wrote:
>
> > Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona
> > from smithfield farms.
>
> Smithfarms
>
> <http://www.smithfarms.com/>
Correction noted. Great coffee.
nancy
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| smithfarms pure kona |
On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 11:39:03 -0500, Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com>
wrote:
>Scott wrote:
>>
>> In article <41C5CF31.19C0A5EB@monmouth.com>,
>> Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona
>> > from smithfield farms.
>>
>> Smithfarms
>>
>> <http://www.smithfarms.com/>
>
>Correction noted. Great coffee.
>
>nancy
Thank you both!!!
Mele Kalikimaka and a Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
aloha,
Cea
smithfarms.com
Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff
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| kilikini |
"smithfarms pure kona" <thunder@smithfarms.com> wrote in message
news:fnees0d2d1g5tmag7abm48geeq8tr5hlm2@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 11:39:03 -0500, Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Scott wrote:
> >>
> >> In article <41C5CF31.19C0A5EB@monmouth.com>,
> >> Nancy Young <qwerty@monmouth.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Chocolate and coffee is a match I think is great. Get some kona
> >> > from smithfield farms.
> >>
> >> Smithfarms
> >>
> >> <http://www.smithfarms.com/>
> >
> >Correction noted. Great coffee.
> >
> >nancy
>
> Thank you both!!!
>
> Mele Kalikimaka and a Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
> aloha,
> Cea
> smithfarms.com
> Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
> & other Great Stuff
Thank you, Thunder! Wow, I needed to hear Hawaiian. I miss my island so
much!
kili
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| Christopher Green |
Julia Altshuler wrote:
> Actually, red wine doesn't really go with chocolate. The flavors are
> all wrong with the chocolate deadening the wine and the wine making
the
> chocolate bitter. Port is better than table wines but still not
good.
> I suggest small amounts of cointreau for them that drinks alcohol and
> tall glasses of plain milk for them that don't. You might have both
> whole and skim available and let guests mix to their own taste in
> butterfat. I know milk is an odd drink for an adult party, but if
> you're thinking flavor, it can't be beat for complementing chocolate.
Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong
Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate,
but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn
(Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa
Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago.
--
Chris Green
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| Julia Altshuler |
Christopher Green wrote:
> Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong
> Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate,
> but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn
> (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa
> Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago.
Even with the Zinfandel, while you say that the chocolate goes
surprisingly well with it, wouldn't you also say that the wine would be
better off without the chocolate?
I have an interest in your answer. I'm working in a wine and cheese
shop. We carry a good selection of wines in all price categories. We
carry local beers. We carry excellent cheeses. We get bread delivered
daily from a good bakery. We carry a variety of odd grocery items
including specialty mustards, jams, sauces, crackers, pasta, olive oil
and flavored vinegars. And we carry some good chocolate.
Customers often ask about wine to go with chocolate. If the customer is
dead set on serving wine with chocolate, I'll go with your suggestion of
red zin, but I'd rather suggest cold milk or a mild soft cheese.
By the way, I learned something interesting about giving the customer
what the customer wants while keeping up the standards of the store.
The owner began by not wanting to carry white zin at all. He doesn't
consider it to be a good wine; he wants his store to get the reputation
for only carrying good wine, and since he won't drink it himself, he
doesn't want it there. He does carry a variety of wines in the $8-$10
range, but not white zin. People kept asking for it so he finally
stocked it. He never suggests they buy it, but if they ask, he's got it.
Then he told me the clincher behind that decision. There's quite a nice
seafood restaurant next door to the wine and cheese shop. The owner
there said his best selling wine is white zinfandel. I've eaten there a
hundred times (definitely the best restaurant in the area and with
reasonable prices) and never seen white zin on the wine list. It turns
out that the restaurant owner feels the same way about white zin as the
owner of the wine and cheese shop where I work. He hates it, but
customers keep asking for it, and when they do, the servers explain that
they do have some in the back that they can bring out special. The
servers then bring it out, and the customer is happy.
--Lia
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| Dave Smith |
Bob wrote:
> [I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so I'm
> guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
>
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not). Oh, and one of the guests is pregnant, so I
> guess she'll be avoiding alcohol altogether.
When all else fails, go to the net. The pairings that I came across suggested
Merlot or Cabernet Sauvingnon, but since one of your guests has a problem with
red wine, the other would be a late harvest Riesling.
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| Alex Rast |
at Sun, 19 Dec 2004 13:50:28 GMT in
<41c58070$0$89150$45beb828@newscene.com>, virtualgoth@die_spammer.com
(Bob) wrote :
>[I sent this almost 12 hours ago and it never showed up on my server, so
>I'm guessing it got lost. My apologies if some people receive it twice.]
The thread shows up fine for me. I've sent a detailed reply in that thread.
If you're seeing the thread, you should be able to read it. In case you're
not, I'll summarise the main points of my recommendations:
Best choice : don't serve a drink as a taste in its own right, rather,
serve the drink that best clears the palate : warm, very soupy hominy grits
or polenta.
Best choice if you feel you must have a complementary drink : blackberry
milkshakes.
Worst choice : anything alcoholic. (the flavours will interfere badly with
each other)
--
Alex Rast
ad.rast.7@nwnotlink.NOSPAM.com
(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)
|
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| Christopher Green |
Frankly, the same zin would go even better with a nice aged cheese. All
I'm trying to indicate is that the combination is not so totally
unworkable as it's generally made out to be. You need a really strong
zin, with more fruit than oak to it, something veering off toward port,
as it were. The chocolate should be on the dark side and maybe
half-bitter; if it's too sweet, it'll clash with the dry wine. When you
get the right combination, the chocolate will bring out the blackberry
notes in the zin.
--
Chris Green
|
|
|
| Puester |
The Ranger wrote:
>
> On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 17:23:24 GMT, Puester
> <puester@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> > Champagne, medium dry.
>
> Any recommendation, Gloria? I've yet to find a moderately dry
> champagne... Most are pegged "dry" and "brut" (which means
> sledgehammer-dry to me).
>
> The Ranger
Most California champagne houses make at least one but
they can be hard to find unless you have a wine store
with a savvy buyer. Google "medium dry champagne" for
lots of information. I'm not crazy about champagne;
I'd much rather drink Prosecco because bone-dry isn't
my favorite flavor. Some of the California houses
offer a really nice comparison tasting, taking your
taste buds along the route from dry to sweet.
gloria p
|
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| Jiminy |
On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 08:56:00 -0000, ad.rast.7@nwnotlink.NOSPAM.com
(Alex Rast) wrote:
>Worst choice : anything alcoholic. (the flavours will interfere badly with
>each other)
except brandy or cognac...
|
|
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| sf |
On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:06:44 GMT, Julia Altshuler
<jaltshuler@comcast.net> wrote:
> Christopher Green wrote:
>
> > Chocolate will assassinate the flavor of almost any wine. Really strong
> > Zinfandel is about the only red table wine that will go with chocolate,
> > but it goes surprisingly well. The bartender at the Santa Maria Inn
> > (Santa Maria, California) turned me on to this combination (Mariposa
> > Zinfandel and Scharffenberger chocolate, IIRC) many years ago.
>
>
> Even with the Zinfandel, while you say that the chocolate goes
> surprisingly well with it, wouldn't you also say that the wine would be
> better off without the chocolate?
>
>
> I have an interest in your answer. I'm working in a wine and cheese
> shop. We carry a good selection of wines in all price categories. We
> carry local beers. We carry excellent cheeses. We get bread delivered
> daily from a good bakery. We carry a variety of odd grocery items
> including specialty mustards, jams, sauces, crackers, pasta, olive oil
> and flavored vinegars. And we carry some good chocolate.
>
>
> Customers often ask about wine to go with chocolate. If the customer is
> dead set on serving wine with chocolate, I'll go with your suggestion of
> red zin, but I'd rather suggest cold milk or a mild soft cheese.
>
>
> By the way, I learned something interesting about giving the customer
> what the customer wants while keeping up the standards of the store.
> The owner began by not wanting to carry white zin at all. He doesn't
> consider it to be a good wine; he wants his store to get the reputation
> for only carrying good wine, and since he won't drink it himself, he
> doesn't want it there. He does carry a variety of wines in the $8-$10
> range, but not white zin. People kept asking for it so he finally
> stocked it. He never suggests they buy it, but if they ask, he's got it.
>
Frankly, I think the only Zin that has any chance of paring
well with decent piece of dark chocolate is a late harvest
zinfandel called Bella (by Big River Ranch, Alexandar
Valley). It's a dessert wine, on the expensive side and you
serve it in small glasses like a fine port.
sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments
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