I’m sharing my wine pairing ideas featuring BROOKSIDE Crunchy Clusters as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars #DISCOVERBROOKSIDE
This post is only for people over the legal drinking age. If you're under 21, forward to your parents, an older friend, or bookmark it for your 21st birthday. Please drink responsibly and please, as much fun as you might have trying this pairing, never ever drink and drive.
I love food and wine, who doesn't? Sometimes I think back to when I first began drinking wine...with total embarrassment. I remember ordering a glass of White Zinfandel at a bar and the bartender (who happened to be a friend of mine) rolled his eyes and told me, "The only people who drink White Zinfandel are people who don't know how to drink wine." I laughed it off, but I made a mental note to learn more about wine! That was almost 15 years ago, and since then, I've learned a lot about wine - most importantly, he was right. Drinking White Zinfandel in a bar or restaurant is no better than brown bagging a bottle of Boone's Farm.
So now that I am a grown-up wine drinker, I want to share a little secret with you: red wine is better with smooth dark chocolate.
As you might recall, I went to Napa Valley for the first time last year. It was an amazing trip, full of good food, good times with my girlfriends that I don't get to see very often, and the wine? Of course that was the best part! One of my favorite experiences in Napa Valley was visiting Repris Winery, which was actually more in Sonoma. The wine expert was probably the best I've ever met, the wine was so incredible that I bought three bottles to take home with me, and the views? Almost as breathtaking as the wine itself.
One of my biggest takeaways from that trip was that I actually like zinfandel - the red kind! I've always shied away from Zinfandel, Cabernet and Merlot because I felt that they were too dry. Of course, drinking wine in a winery - as opposed to grabbing a bottle off the shelf at the grocery store without knowing anything about it - opened my eyes to everything that I've been missing all of these years.
Have you ever nibbled on a piece of smooth dark chocolate while sipping a glass of red wine?
It will change your life!
I received a super fun box of BROOKSIDE Crunchy Clusters and the first thing I did was run out and buy a bottle of wine. I've been traveling quite a bit lately and now that I am home, it's time to tackle spring cleaning and my taxes. If that doesn't call for a quiet night of wine and smooth dark chocolate while catching up on my DVR, I don't know what does!
So I did a little research on pairing dark chocolate with wine and what did I find? A very interesting discovery!
If you're a fan of milk chocolate, go ahead and pick up a bottle of sweet wine, like port or madeira. I love dark chocolate myself, so that is mainly what I eat.
When pairing wine with smooth dark chocolate, look for a wine with a fuller body and robust flavors. According to Food.com, Dark chocolate pairs particularly well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Merlots, depending on the ratio of cocoa in your chocolate. As BROOKSIDE Crunchy Clusters have a smooth dark chocolate taste and a slightly fruity element, I decided to go with a Zinfandel.
2012 was a great year for California wines! I learned in Napa that there was a horrible fire near the area in 2012, and while the fire didn't actually destroy the vineyards, the smoke absorbed by the grapes led to one of the best harvests they've ever had. Naturally, I picked up a bottle from 2012!
When creating a wine plate to compliment dark chocolate, steer clear of meats. I normally have prosciutto in my wine & cheese plates, but I skipped it and kept it simple so that the wine and BROOKSIDE Crunchy Clusters were the star of the show. As they have crispy multigrains right in each cluster, I skipped the bread and crackers too. I added a little fresh fruit and sharp white cheddar and I had the perfect snack plate for my evening of relaxation!
BROOKSIDE Crunchy Clusters is a delicious blend of crispy multigrains, fruit-flavored centers and smooth dark chocolate. These are so perfect for snacking, having as dessert or creating a fun appetizer platter like I did with my wine pairing. These little crispy multigrains clusters are chocolaty and rich, and I love that while you can definitely taste the fruit, the chocolate is the real star of the show!
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
This is great to know. I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to pairings, so this helps.
Sara P. (@SensiblySara) says
I haven't tried the Brookside Nut Clusters, but they look GOOD!! I have tried other Brookside products and I they are amazing!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly says
I prefer white wine to red to be honest and prefer true Champagne to both of them! LOL
I actually paired my Brookside Dark Chocolate Crunchy Clusters with my favorite icewine! I have attended a few pairing tastings in NYC that were totally non-conventional and chocolate and wine was one. We were offered a variety of wines and chocolates to pair and taste and some of the most oddball combos were the best ones. I even attended a Tequila with Chocolate tasting once which was fun also!
Pam says
I've never heard of pairing chocolate with wine before! That's the kind of pairing that I like to see 😉
Joyce Brewer says
I was 37 when I first tasted wine & chocolate together and it blew.my.mimd!!!
More people need to know this so they don't miss out for years like I did!
Nina Say says
Oh yum, those look absolutely delicious. I love nothing more than dark chocolate.
Liz Mays says
Oh wow these sound like perfection. This makes me crave that combination!
Rosey says
The crunchy clusters sound good. I'm a big fan of dark chocolate. As for pairings, that's my hubby's dept. :)Rosey
Sarah L says
I'm willing to give this pairing a try. I don't drink much wine anymore, but I'll make an exception for this...
nicole dz says
I love pairing dark chocolate with my wine, especially the covered berries. The cheese and fresh fruit is also a great choice. SO divine!
Kay Adeola says
I would love to try these together,I am not so good at pairing.
Amanda says
Chocolate and wine are two of my favorite things. 🙂 This was a perfect post! YUM!
Penelope says
These look really good, but I happen to love, love, love dark chocolate
Donna says
No, I haven't tried the Brookside Nut Clusters, yet. I love dark chocolate and I love other Brookside candies, so I can't wait to try them!
Christie says
You had me at chocolate and wine. I would definitely enjoy both of these!
Jeanine says
I dont drink wine however I really enjoy Brookside! They have such great treats!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
I would eat that whole bag of clusters! They look so good and would be great with a merlot.
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
Hubs and I do wine tastings through the year. We love the local wineries and enjoy giving back to our state. I dont think I follow the rules when it comes to pairings. There are just some wines out there that we don't like no matter what we pair it with.
Toni says
I went on a trip last year, that taught me all about wine pairing. It was super cool and very informative.
Tammy Litke (@threedifferent) says
Oh yes! I always pair my Brookside chocolate with a Red Wine Blend 🙂 My favorite are the pomegranate ones.
Latoicha says
Now you are talking my language: red wine and chocolate! Yum! I have to try these.
Andrea Kruse says
No, haven't had a chance to try the Brookside crunchy clusters... they sound good. I do love the Ravens Wood wines though and can imagine the pairing. Will have to give it a try!
Jennifer says
I've never tried these before, but I'm adding them to my grocery list right now!
Jeannette says
Wine and dark chocolate are a perfect paring for any occasion and I may have totally stocked up on Brookside the last time I was at the store;-) I'll be trying out your snack plate ideas soon!
Kelly Hutchinson says
I have paired wine with fruit and cheese but never with chocolate. and Ravenswood is my favorite wine!!
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says
Mmm, I love that with the cheese and grapes! I usually give the chocolate to the kids and keep the wine for myself! Haha!
tammileetips says
Oh that sounds like an amazing combination. I cringe when I think back to all the not so fab whines I have had in my life.
Ginger Mommy says
I am learning about wine. I never eat chocolate with wine and think it is time to change that!
Mistee Dawn says
Yum! I want all the chocolates and the wine! lol. Looks so good, and after the week I had... I think I so deserve both.
Christina says
I don't drink--but I"M LOVING the brookside chocolate. I think my equal would be Chocolate diet coke pairing, or water and chocolate, or just chocolate. YUMMM!
Stephanie @ Pinafores and Pinwheels says
My little brother is huge into wine, I'll have to pass this on to him!
Chelley @ A is For Adelaide says
What delicious pairings! I love that your choices are light- great ideas for get togethers with the girls.
Coralie says
I have seen these but never tried them, They sound so good. I don't drink wine- but I am still going to try them out 🙂
Tiffany C (@sweetmatcha) says
Wow I had no idea dark chocolate goes with Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Merlots! I will have to try the Ghirardelli intense dark chocolates I've been eating with one of these, it'd be an interesting experience. Thanks for all the tips!