A Perfect Pair

Photo courtesy Manoa Chocolate

What do you think about when you hear the word chocolate? I bet they are all happy memories. Does it transport you to when you were a young child licking your fingers from a melting chocolate ice cream cone? Is it that decadent chocolate soufflé you had at that Michelin-starred restaurant? Do you think about wine with chocolate? The funny thing is that we normally have chocolate as a dessert and at the same time we do not always have dessert wine with our desserts. But with chocolate pairing, a dessert wine is only the tip of the iceberg.

Wine and chocolate have so many parallels. Both have different varieties of fruit material (varietals), go through fermentation; and have different styles, characteristics, flavors and even a sense of place. Chocolate connoisseurs even refer to Old World versus New World chocolates just as sommeliers do with wine. There are the mass-produced brands, and then there are the artisanal, crafted, estate-grown, family farmed and individualistic ones with flavor profiles that can only come from that single vineyard or estate. Each has their place but fine chocolate, like fine wine, is a gourmet product and experience. We are no longer talking about simply milk and dark chocolates. Fine chocolates indicate their origin, exact cacao content and if there are any added flavor aka inclusions. We are not talking about candy anymore; this is taking pleasure to a higher level.

My palate and mind were blown after visiting three local Hawaiian chocolate growers and producers to see and taste for myself this new wave of origin-specific chocolates and to formulate my idea of the best wine pairings. Kahuku Farms on the North Shore of O‘ahu has three different iterations: Hawaiian Dark, Milk, and Dark Milk with Coffee and Nibs all grown on their 140-acre farm. My favorite of the three is their Hawaiian Dark 70% chocolate, which is utterly smooth with hints of blueberry and acai, not as bitter as others with the same cacao content and has a touch of earth. For pairing, I recommend a Catena Malbec from Argentina, which would mirror the blue fruit components along with its touches of vanilla and mocha. The rich texture would marry well with the velvetiness of the chocolate. 21 Degrees Estate in Kahalu‘u produces some amazing chocolate. I did a harvest at this estate in the pouring Windward rain and loved every minute of it. 21 Degrees is not only an estate-grown chocolate but they even vintage date their limited-edition bars with the season and year of the harvest. The 2020 Autumn 70% chocolate is intense and robust with caramel notes, bitter cherry, and a long and lightly savory finish. This chocolate requires something just as intense such as Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. This Cabernet offers all the dark rich flavor along with the density of structure to match this complex and deeply flavored chocolate.

Visiting Mānoa Chocolate in Kailua, sitting at the chocolate bar and tasting their origin specific Hawaiian chocolate is a true Master Class. Chocolate sommelier and co-owner Tamara Butterbaugh’s passion and knowledge for all things cacao is electrifying and inspiring. This tasting is something akin to tasting the First Growths of Bordeaux. They are all 70% dark chocolate, so the major difference is its origin. First comes Hawai‘i island, which hails from the Hamakua region. So refined and pure, toasty with a light coconut bark, fudge and dark berries. She recommends a pinot noir pairing. For me, perhaps a Rioja like Marques de Murrieta Rioja Reserva would work well because of the coconut flavors from the aging in American oak. The next chocolate is Kealakekua, which is a touch sweeter, super creamy and even a touch nutty. Butterbaugh likes chardonnay with this one. I was thinking of an Amontillado sherry from Lustau with all of its nuttiness and tangy character, the creaminess of the chocolate might create contrasting sensations yet with similar flavors. The next chocolate was Ko‘olau Poko, which has a definitive yet pleasant bitterness, more tannin here with a fruity and floral retro nasal experience that makes it unique. Sparkling rose is a great call here and I cannot disagree. A beautiful bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose Champagne would lift the fruitiness and only enhance the floral component in the chocolate.

Hawai‘i already produces world-class chocolate. It will hopefully one day become the Napa Valley of chocolate producers. And as it grows and matures, more chocolate lovers from around the world will come to find their perfect chocolate and wine pairing.