The famous cheese tray for a party appetizer always shows up and we enjoy it.  I don’t eat any milk products, so always have goat and sheep cheese as there is now a wonderful assortment of them.  But why let cheese hold court one more time.  Why not have a chocolate tasting party, along with your wine tasting.  What chocolate goes best with each wine.  It is such an easy and fun idea!

You could put together a selection of chocolate desserts as done in many elegant restaurants, but since chocolate bars  have gotten a lot more intriguing lately ,why not just offer several of the wonderful ones now available.

Last year we took my granddaughter on a tour of Theo Chocolate, made locally in Seattle.  the diversity of what they offer was remarkable.  I personally like the Scotch Chocolate.  I brought it home and my sweet husband ate every last one.  I laughingly told my son that accompanied me on the tour and brought me a gift of it next time he came to visit.   Cocoa beans like wine grapes taste different depending on where they’re grown, with soil, weather and other elements playing a factor as some beans and the resulting single-origin chocolate may taste bright and fruity, while others might be deep and smoky, .

Here is one suggested way to have the tasting:

1. Choose four or five chocolates. Much more and  you will overwhelm your guests and their palate.
2. To keep it more interesting Pick different styles of chocolates . I might suggest that you have one dark, one milk, one white, one 100 percent and one infused.
3.  It does not take much and this is not a contest to see how much chocolate you can eat. Break up the bars before serving and keep the plates small and simple.
4. Choose traditional accompaniments like fresh and dried fruit, but maybe add a little cheese & crusty bread.
5. it is good to include palate cleansers like green apple and lemon water. You can decorated each plate with scatter coco nubs, curled or grated  chocolate.

You can taste and compare any way you think might work. You can taste it like wine with out the swirl.  Smell a piece, take a small bite, chew it a couple of times, then let it melt on your tongue.

As you let the chocolate melt in your mouth, add the cheese, bread or other food, and chew slowly. See which one works best ( for you) with which chocolate. Take a sip of lemon water or a bite of green apple between chocolates to clear your palate.

This is not serious stuff!  This is meant to be fun.  Now add a little wine and you have a party.  Since I personally like wine I would have as many types of wine as I have chocolate to see what works together best.  It is always interesting, because no two people taste everything the same.

Have fun and happy tasting!  Bet you’ll like it!