Pairing Wines with Fudge

After much research, we have come up with a basic guideline for customers who want to give the gift of wine and fudge together.

When pairing wines with fudge, it is not just the chocolate content that you should consider, but the overall flavor of the fudge and its ingredients. Dark chocolate fudge is totally different when compared to a lighter chocolate fudge that is flavored with with spices, caramel or nuts. When pairing wine with chocolate, you must seek the same flavor note as is in the wine (ie. cherry, mint, nuts). While there are no absolutes when pairing desserts and wines, there are some flavors that enhance the overall enjoyment of different flavors of wine.

In general, a sweet champagne (demi-sec) or a fruity Chardonnay would be paired with a white chocolate or a lighter sweeter chocolate coconut fudge. Look for the lighter-bodied and fruitier wine to complement the fruitiness that is natural to flavored fudge when pairing wines with them. For instance, a Chocolate Raspberry fudge would pair very nicely with a Port wine.

Because of the intensity of flavors, bittersweet and darker chocolate fudges need to be paired with stronger red wines with concentrated fruit notes. Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvigon, Bordeaux, Merlot, and Zinfandel are very good wines to pair with a dark chocolate fudge.

The sweeter the fudge, the sweeter your wine choice should be. Always pair a milk chocolate fudge with a sweeter wine or the wine may taste too tart. Tawny Port is a good match with Milk Chocolate fudge or those with caramels and nuts as it will enhance the overall flavors.

All in all, fudge and wine make a good gift now, or during the holidays. And you really can’t go wrong in pairing any wine with fudge as it is really a matter of taste! So have fun, and let us know what your favorite pairings are!