I find that Merlot often presents a note of cocoa behind blackberry and cherry fruit, complimentary of milk chocolate. Blackbird Vineyard's Arise is a wonderful Merlot based wine from Napa Valley.

which is why it works so well with a darker wine like a Claret. "Its bold tannins round out the chocolate's slightly bitter notes," says Andrea. Plus, "its intense cherry flavors" really pop.

A chocolate cherry dessert wine and an imperial chocolate stout each received grand champion honors during judging at the 2022 Schleswig Wine and Bier Club's annual home brewing and winemaking ...