21st May 2015

Aldi wine pairing – with chocolate!

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It is very popular these days to pair wine and food but at the end of the day these are just suggestions and no substitute for personal tastes.

Chocolate was popular in Mexico over 3000 years ago although originally a dark, thick drink called Xocolatl or bitter water. Chocolate has come a long way since then with the addition of sugar it has ceased to be a luxury for the upper classes and made into an everyday, must have treat.

Aldi are known for their supermarket prices rivaling the high street supermarkets but most people don’t think of them as players in the wine and spirit game. They do, however, have a wide range of wines, liquers and cocktails and I have been asked to think about their range of chocolates and how them could possibly go together.

One of their ranges is Moser Roth Privat Chocolatiers, come in a range of flavours and each box contains 5 individually wrapped pieces.

Cream Sherry is sweet and thick as wee as creamy and decadent. It is my choice to have the Aldi Mosser Roth Caramel, a smooth milk chocolate with crunchy caramel pieces. The hint of caramel works really well with the sweet smoothness of the Cream Sherry.

Mr R often drinks cognac and Drambuie which has a slight orange taste. I thought therefore that the Chevalier Cognac would go really well with the Mousse au Chocolat (Orange mousse whipped inside dark 85% cocoa.

Aldi’s Shiraz red wine has a peppery backnote and goes really well with their Dark 70% Cocoa bars of chocolate. 70% Cocoa has a nice smooth, dark flavour but not giving the impression of a dark astringent chocolate and able to hold it’s own with the Shiraz.

The Cream Sherry is a winner as well with both the Mousse au Chocolate and the Orange & Almond (an orange flavoured dark chocolate with almond pieces). The orange fruit is mirrored in the sweetness of the sherry.

Port is a fortified red wine and the Moser Roth dark chocolates (70% and 85% cocoa) make a great partnership. Take a sip of port and place a square of the 85% chocolate and let it melt in your mouth with the port. The dark chocolate will bring out the fruitiness of the port.

All of Aldi’s chocolates are made with UTZ certified cocoa, which stands for sustainable cocoa farming and better opportunities for the farmers and their families. Chocolate producers associated with the UTZ are located in parts of Africa, Central and South America as well as Thailand and Vietnam. For more information click here.