For The Love Of Port

Some people adore Port and chocolate; while others don't particularly like the pairing.

For those that do, what types of Port would you suggest with a milk chocolate and what would you suggest with a bittersweet or dark chocolate?

What about Madeira, do you think any would complement these types of chocolate?

I am a chocoholic and fancy port/madeira as many here may have guessed. Not sure how I would pair the two together? My hunch is to not go too strong (under 50% cocoa) for the Madeira. Typically, I would want Madeira for "custardy" desserts and go with port for chocolate desserts.

Then again, the dried/exotic fruit notes of Madeira may pair well with the intense taste of a strong chocolate. I just got 2 - 6 packs of Frey Noir Special 72% I'll try with 1996 Broabent Colheita Madeira & 2005 Dow LBV and report back.

I generally don't eat milk chocolate. Other chocolates I'll pair with Vintage Port and LBVs, typically younger ones.

The classic pairing - dark chocolate and Vintage Port - doesn't usually work for me. I find that while the Port does enhance the chocolate, the chocolate does not enhance the Port and usually makes it seem a little bitter.

However, chocolate paired with an aged Tawny Port is pretty good. It tends to work best for me when the chocolate isn't too intense unless the Port is also really intense. (Which probably means very old, in which case why not just enjoy it on its own?)

I love dark chocolate and I love Port, but I don't do the two together... Couldn't begin to guess on combinations.

While I like dark chocolate and of course I love Port, I've never been a fan of the two together. The chocolate always coats my mouth and takes away from the intricate nuances of the Port.

While I love port and I like chocolate I think I prefer my chocolate with porter rather than port! Now that is an interesting combination.

Paul Fountain wrote:While I love port and I like chocolate I think I prefer my chocolate with porter rather than port! Now that is an interesting combination.

While off topic, stout is a great pairing too.

While I love both chocolate and these wines, I would never eat a piece of chocolate with wine. That's why God made milk!

I do like these wines with chocolate-based desserts, primarily Port. I tend to pair Ports from lighter to heavier as the chocolate goes from lighter to heavier. Think of it as a continuum, such as:

* - Tawny port with German chocolate cake or red velvet cake
* - Ruby port with devil's food cake
* - Vintage or LBV port with flourless chocolate cake or a chocolate torte.

For my palate, I prefer nut-based desserts with Bual or Malmsey.

Excellent post John!

My favorite pairing for Vintage Port has always been Lindt dark truffles. The creaminess inside the truffle offsets the acidity in the port, and you get a nice balancing act. Also, the Lindt dark truffles are not so intense as to overpower the port.