Chocolate Wines (Complete Guide)

There’s nothing better than ending a long day with watching television on the sofa, glass of wine in one hand, box of chocolates in the other.

It’s a decadent, comforting pairing that says self care like no other. But what if we were to say that instead of having chocolate and wine, you could simply pour yourself a glass of chocolate wine.

That’s right. Chocolate wine is a trend slowly winning over the hearts of the nation.

But what exactly is chocolate wine?

Listen to this post here:

What is Chocolate Wine?

It sounds too good to be true, so what is chocolate wine?

Well, there are actually two types of chocolate wine you may come across.

Red wine can be combined with cream and chocolate to create a boozy, luxurious chocolate smooth liqueur.

Wine can be made to have notes of chocolate, without containing any chocolate.

This can happen through choice of grape and oak fermentation or simply by adding extracts of chocolate, fruit and vanilla to a wine.

So if there are different kinds of chocolate wine out there, how is chocolate wine made?

Are all chocolate wines made the same?

How Is Chocolate Wine Made?

In order to make chocolate wine it’s useful to know what red wine grapes commonly have chocolate characteristics.

Lots of chocolate wines blend grapes such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Cinsault because winemakers know the resulting blend will have lots of naturally occurring chocolate-smooth aromas and flavours.

Sometimes only one grape, such as Merlot or Tannat, can be used because these varieties have lots of chocolate flavours with touches of black fruit, plums and spices such as star anise and nutmeg.

Some confusion with making chocolate wine occurs because some of the wines contain chocolate and others do not.

When wines contain chocolate the wine will have been heated up and blended with melted chocolate before being cooled down and having cream added to them.

In order to get a good idea of how your chocolate wine has been made it’s important to always check the label.

The list of ingredients will tell you whether any real chocolate has been added to the wine.

Methods aside, is it all worth it?

Does chocolate wine taste nice?

What does Chocolate Wine Taste Like?

The answer to whether or not chocolate wine tastes good really depends on how much you like chocolate!

If you count yourself as a chocoholic then discovering chocolate wine might change your life.

Whether it’s a chocolate wine liqueur served over ice or a glass of red wine abundant with chocolate aromas nothing but delicious decadence awaits you here.

And if chocolate isn’t your thing?

Perhaps stay away, but bear chocolate wine in mind for the chocolate lover in your life.

Chocolate themed gifts don’t get much better than this.

But what about if you’re not so keen on chocolate but you love wine?

Does chocolate wine taste like wine?

Does Chocolate Wine Taste Like Wine?

Whether or not chocolate wine tastes like wine depends on the chocolate wine in question.

For chocolate wine made like a liqueur, where wine is blended with chocolate and cream, the chances are you may not get much wine characteristics in the glass.

However, red wines chosen for their naturally occurring chocolate notes will absolutely taste like wine, and delicious wine at that.

When you’re purchasing your chocolate wine take a look at the label to see if it’s a wine or a liqueur and this will give you some idea as to how much your glass will still taste like wine.

Chocolate Wine FAQs

What temperature should I serve Chocolate Wine?

Getting your serving temperatures right in wine can be confusing so you'll be thrilled to know the serving temperature can be whatever you prefer.

From room temperature to on the rocks, your chocolate wine will taste delicious either way.

How Much Alcohol Is In Chocolate Wine?

This will vary from wine to wine so it’s important to check the labels here.

As a rule though most chocolate wines should fall between the 10-14% ABV mark.

Where Can I Buy Chocolate Wine?

Your local gift shops and wine shops may have some chocolate wine options.

But if not then don’t panic, search for chocolate wine with your online wine retailers.

To help you on your search we’ve listed 5 of our top chocolate wines.

5 Popular Chocolate Wines

1. Thornton Winery’s Milk Chocolate Kiss

Soft and smooth this Chocolate Wine has more creamier and lighter notes of milk chocolate.

2. The Chocolate Tube

This chocolate wine is chocolate free!

Instead this Italian Primitivo wine has lots of chocolate notes from its time spent in French Oak barrels, giving it lots of delicious cacao complexity.

3. Chocolatier Red Decadence

Infused with dark chocolate, this velvety smooth dessert wine tastes like Black Forest Gateau and Cherry Garcia.

4. Chocolate Factory Shiraz

This Australian Shiraz wine doesn’t have any added chocolate, but tastes chocolatey rich with notes of star anise, blueberry and cacao.

5. Chocolate Passport

A chocolate port with notes of sweet raisins and the soothing snap of dark chocolate, this is a drink best served at the end of the meal for a luxurious accompaniment to cheese.

But what about if you want your wine and chocolate kick the old fashioned way?

What wines pair well with chocolate?

How do you pair chocolate with wine?

Wine and Chocolate Pairing

Wine and chocolate have a lot in common so you might be surprised to hear they’re actually quite tricky to pair well together.

The sugar in chocolate can exacerbate the alcohol, tannins and dry nature of most wines so when pairing wine and chocolate together it’s important to keep sweetness in mind.

Wines that go well with chocolate then will be those with higher residual sugar.

Think sweet sparkling red wines, fortified dessert wines such as Sherry or Port and even sweet white wines like Moscato and Riesling for creamier chocolate.

The goal here is to create balance between the two.

So why not experiment at home?

Grab a box of chocolates and a handful of wines and see which one compliments the other the best.

Before You Go... 

We hope this provides you all the information you may need on all things Chocolate Wine.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

If you want to learn more about other types, consider our related blog posts: Wine Types

Expert Wine Storage can help you find a luxury wine fridge to store your precious wine collection.