Wine and chocolate are a perfect combination. Like coffee and cream or stars and stripes, they just go together. The idea of pairing wines with chocolates is an age-old notion that dates back as many years as wine itself. And yet, people are often intimidated when it comes to actually deciding how to pair the wine with chocolates. A simple rule to remember: the darker the chocolate, the darker the wine. Reds go best with dark chocolate.

Chocolate has intense flavors with the same complexities that you find in wine. Chocolate can be sweet, bitter, acidic and fruity all at the same time, allowing for a truly unique experience each and every time. And because of this, the wine you select will need to be similarly intense in order to pair well with chocolate.

Feel free to use this guideline when pairing chocolates and wine, but don’t feel obligated to stick to it. Experiment! By all means, try different combinations.

White chocolate – A fruity chardonnay, a moscato or even a sherry works well with this.

Milk chocolate – Riesling, merlot, or pinot noir would make a good pairing but be careful of the sugar content. Milk chocolate has higher sugar levels which could cancel out the fruitiness of the wine leaving them bitter.

Dark chocolate – Go bold with a cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel. A good Chianti or port are other options.

Bittersweet chocolate – With the intense flavor and bitterness of this chocolate, match it with an intense Shiraz, zinfandel, Bordeaux or Malbec.

With Valentine’s Day upon us, why not try a private wine and chocolate party? You were already planning on spending money on chocolates and wine anyway. If you decide to, forget the Whitman’s Sampler and go for high quality chocolates. Keep the wine sweeter than the chocolate and remember it’s best to start with lighter wines and work your way up to the more complex bolder ones.

World renown chocolatier, Godiva offers these steps on their website as the proper way to experience wine and chocolate:

1. Smell wine...Twirl the wine in a glass and breathe in all of the aromas in a long, smooth whiff.

2. Look at chocolate...Note the decoration, sheen, and if possible the perceived flavor.

3. Smell chocolate...Lightly rub the chocolate's exterior, place towards the nose and smell the chocolate to stimulate your senses.

4. Taste chocolate...Take a small bite and rest the tongue for 10-15 seconds. Notice how different aspects of the chocolate's composition melt at different times, and your senses highlight multiple flavors throughout the experience.

5. Taste wine...Take a sip of wine and sense the balance and complexity of the chocolate and wine on your palette. Start to move the chocolate around your mouth and lightly bite.

Enjoy!