Hello!
I apologize again for the extremely long delay between posts. Summer is supposed to be a time of endless relaxing, or so I was told, but in real adult work must be done year round. And my work has been very hectic. At any rate, my post today will be a special pairing for the premiere of Dark Knight Rises.
Yes, I realize that this movie premiered a week ago. Perhaps, you think, I should do a pairing for the premiere of the Olympics. And maybe I will (peach rings anyone?). But for now, we will deal with what we have, however belatedly.
I asked my Twitter followers what I should pair the wine with for The Dark Knight Rises premiere and multiple people suggested dark chocolate. I’ll admit, I cringed a bit because pairing wine and chocolate is rather obvious. When considering my options though, dark chocolate is the best and only choice. It’s a great pick because it’s dark as well as complex. Really delicious dark chocolate contains many flavors and Batman is also a complicated character. He is civilian and vigilante, loved and hated by many, ordinary and extraordinary. So please, sit down and enjoy, and no spoilers in the comments please.
The Wine: Ravens Wood, Zinfandel, California 2010
Ravens Wood’s sequel performance
The Candy: Rapunzel, Swiss Chocolate. Organic Extra Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa) / Organic Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts (55% Cocoa)
The Dynamic Duo
The Dream:
Honestly, I did not plan this one out too much since dark chocolate and red wine is almost always good. Also, my chocolate needed to be soy free so my friend could go us. I grabbed the hazelnut to add some variety, which ultimately was the best chocolate. In terms of wine, I didn’t want anything too smokey or rich. I went with the zinfandel because of its fruit-centric flavor pallet. Some of you may notice this is Ravens Wood second appearance on this blog. I chose it because of the quality as well as the label. A black bird with wings is just about as close to a bat that I could get.
Dark chocolate on the left. Hazelnut on the right.
The Reality:
If you have not tasted this zinfandel, you really should do it right now. It is smooth and mild with a light citrusy taste. A slight smokiness is present, but it does not overwhelm the fruitiness. The flavors of boysenberry and strawberry are drawn out, staying with you until it finishes gracefully.
The dark chocolates is very rich and has an espresso flavor to it which surprises me. It’s a very dark chocolate, so perhaps the bitterness reminds me of a good espresso. It’s also smooth and not too bold. Combined with the zin though, it lays a bit heavy on the tongue. It’s perfectly fine since it is a red wine and chocolate pairing, but it’s really nothing to write home about.
The hazelnut, however, has the right combination of flavors. The hazelnut adds a unique sweetness to the dark chocolate, but it does not becomes overwhelming like milk chocolate. Each bite is a little different since the hazelnut is distributed unevenly. The zin is refreshing and maintains its integrity when sipped with this chocolate.
I have inspired myself to do an Olympics themed post, so hold onto your medals and mount your dressage horse. Go (insert your country here) !
Uncorked, Unwrapped 
