Chocolate and Port wine: how to pair

The golden rule for pairing chocolate and Port: the wine should be as sweet and intense as the chocolate, or more. A delicate Port beside a very dark chocolate is lost; a full-bodied Port with a mild milk chocolate overwhelms it. You are looking for balance.

Tawny with praline and caramel. The nutty, fig and vanilla notes of an aged Tawny (10 or 20 years) mirror the caramelised hazelnut of a praline — one of the happiest pairs we know.

Ruby or LBV with fruit chocolate. The red fruit and freshness of a Ruby or Late Bottled Vintage accompany raspberry or passionfruit bonbons without smothering them.

Vintage with intense dark chocolate. Only a Vintage, structured and powerful, can hold a very dark, bitter cacao. Serve the Port lightly cool, in small measures, and take a sip before and after each bonbon — the order changes everything. For a full flight, see the Chef's Selection.