When Lenn and I finally decided to do a combined Wine Blogging Wednesday – Sugar High Friday event, I couldn’t resist the lure of chocolate for my entry. I knew that even if I had to sip a dozen different kinds of wine I would eventually come across one that went with chocolate. And even if I had to swelter through baking baker’s dozen chocolate cakes, I would make one that went well with the wine.
It turns out it was less difficult than I thought. The cake part was simple – an almost flourless chocolate torte with coffee undertones, sprinkled with some stunning Maldon salt. I figured that a medium-bodied French wine with raspberry and chocolate connotations would do just fine next to the deep, dark provocative flavours of the torte.
I poured myself a glass of Caves des Papes – Cotes du Ventoux ($11.95 CAD) after allowing my torte to settle and cool on a rack in the kitchen. I put my feet up, sat took a sip. It was delicious: bright and ever-so-slightly fruity (oh, those delectable raspberries!) with vaguely sinister undertones of chocolate and smoke. The wine is a deep, dark ruby colour – almost purple, even when held up to the light; quite striking, really.
This wine has a nice light finish. It is perfectly smooth to the very last hint of taste in your mouth. This wine married fantastically with the chocolate torte, especially with the sprinkling of sea salt I added with plating.
Thank you so much to Lenn for allowing me the opportunity to search out a wine that I would be able to enjoy with dinner and dessert, and to ask the rest of you to do the same.