Much like California, Chile has coastal mountain ranges between great valleys and the Pacific Ocean. The hot days and nights cooled by ocean breezes create the perfect climate for growing great wine grapes.  Chile is an up and coming region that is now producing  reds that are beginning to take on the great cabernets from Napa Valley. Don’t let the news of the earthquake scare you away from some great wines.

Concha y Toro is the largest winery in Chile and their wines continually rate high scores. The Company’s principal trademarks include Carmin de Peumo, Don Melchor, Amelia, Trio, Terrunyo, Marques de Casa Concha, Gran Reserva – Riberas, Casillero del Diablo, Sunrise, Sandero and Frontera.

Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2006:
From Wine Spectator: A dark, muscular style, with black currant, braised fig, maduro tobacco, bittersweet cocoa and loam notes that all roll together through the dense but polished finish. There’s impressive power for the vintage, along with precision and balance.” – Wine Spectator gave this wine 94 Points.

From Wine Advocate: The 2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a glass-coating opaque purple with an alluring bouquet of toast, tobacco, cedar, leather, mocha, and blackcurrant. Sweet, voluptuous (but not in a fruit bomb kind of way), layered, and complex already, its superb balance will ensure at least a decade of evolution and it should drink well through 2036.

We found this wine at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA for $49.99. Elsewhere it sells for up to $79.

Wine & Chocolate
Wine and chocolate pairing has become popular – especially for Valentine’s Day. Many wineries will serve truffles from local chocolatiers that seem to match up perfectly with their port or late-harvest zinfandel or merlot. Restaurants and wine bars across the country have begun special wine and chocolate tastings. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have an upscale wine and chocolate experience.

Here in San Diego, the Hotel Del has an Eno wine bar – an upscale wine tasting room that offers affordable wine flights, as well as wines by the glass. They also have a ‘cheese and chocolate sensations’ menu. A great way to sample artisan cheeses and gourmet truffles from local chocolatiers to go with the wine.

For those of us want to have the ‘wine and chocolate experience’ at home, make a night of it with different truffles and a couple of different wines to taste.

If you don’t have a chocolatier nearby, you can order truffles online. Belgian chocolate is at the top of my list of favorites. Years ago I was in Belgium and bought my mom a pound of chocolates. Alas, she didn’t have the opportunity to taste them. I ate them all on the flight home.

With the internet, you don’t have to go to Belgium to enjoy their chocolates. You can order them online. Leonidas Belgian Chocolates are great, not only for special occasions but for wine pairings as well.

A few guidelines for your own pairings:
Wine should generally be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert.

Match elements in the wine and the chocolate, such as nuttiness or fruitiness.

Match lighter flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines and stronger flavored chocolates with more full-bodied the wines. For example, a bittersweet chocolate pairs well with an intense California zinfandel.

As in any tasting, if you’re trying several varieties of chocolate, work from light to dark. Start with white chocolate and end with dark or bittersweet chocolate.

Pairing Suggestions:
White Chocolate
White chocolate is buttery in flavor, and has no tannins from chocolate. This makes a good pairing with Sherry, a Moscato d’Asti, or an Orange Muscat. The Sherry and Moscato d’Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones present.

Milk Chocolate
A wine with low tannins, such as a Pinot Noir or a light-bodied Merlot will complement milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Muscats or dessert wines usually work well with milk chocolates.

Dark Chocolate
Because of the high tannins in dark or bittersweet chocolates, ports, zinfandels, and some cabernet sauvignons are a good match for the darker chocolates. I find the higher the cocoa content, the more difficult it is to match the chocolate with wine – even a good port. Anything over 65% cocoa will be too bitter.

Valentines Day is a great excuse to buy some decadent chocolates, a few bottles of wine, and an evening to find your own favorite pairings.