Wine and Chocolate... in one?

I was wandering through my local wine shop today and happened upon this odd-looking bottle. Not that the bottle itself was odd-looking, but rather, the contents. I just had to get it and share it. No food pairing on this one, but then again, it's kind of a pairing unto itself. Won't be doing the usual scoring breakdown either, because... well... it's just not that kind of wine.

Wine: Europa ChocoVine dessert ...wine...

Yes, it is wine. Sort of. It's kind of a wine cocktail, I suppose. Europa Winery, from what I can gather, is a winery in Holland. This beverage is made from a blend of red wine (don't know which varietal) (Cabernet Sauvignon), dutch chocolate, and cream. On opening the bottle, it just smells exactly like a mudslide, so I'm looking forward to this.

It looks exactly like chocolate milk. Chocolate milk with 14% ABV. This is not your kid's chocolate milk. On the nose, as I mentioned, mudslide. Maybe a white russian. It's really lovely - the chocolate is powerful, but you can definitely smell "generic red wine" in there. The nose is a little hot - the alcohol is definitely present.

Taking a sip - wow, it's thick like chocolate milk, too. And hot. The mudslide theme continues, except it's like mudslide with a little chambord in there. Every percent of that 14% definitely shows up, so it's rather sharp across the palate and down your throat. REALLY tasty though.

After the heat goes away on the finish, there's just a lingering taste of chocolate and orange rind. Yeah, I dunno where that came from, but there it is. Apparently, the owner of the wine shop puts a little of this in her coffee every morning. I can see why.

So there you have it, chocolate... wine... thing. It's quite tasty, and makes a really nice after-dinner treat. Or a spoil-yourself-day treat. If you can't take the heat, though, stay out of the bottle. A little air tempers it, but don't run this through your Vinturi! Now, I'm going to sip on my ChocoVine and watch a little Jeff Dunham.

Enjoy!

Surf 'n Turf

It's surf. It's turf. And they're complete opposites for pairing. So the challenge tonight was to find one wine that would appropriately pair with both the surf of lobster and the turf of NY strip steak. Seafood is traditionally paired with a white. Steak, traditionally, with a red. My immediate thought: Find a dark rose as a compromise. So I went searching through the cellar and came up with this - and it worked just as I had hoped.

Wine: 2007 Quinta da Alorna Vinho Regional Ribatejano (Rose of Touriga Nacional)
Meal: Surf 'n Turf

Color: 5/5
Deep pink, like the flesh of wild-caught Alaskan salmon

Nose: 14/15
Lovely nose of rose hips, tangerine, thyme, mint, fresh herbs and florals. A little sweet, a little tangy.

Taste: 8/10
Summery berries - raspberries, strawberries, mulberries, with earthy undertones, and just a touch of tannin. A wee bit thin on the mid-palate, but otherwise a nicely structured wine.

Finish: 7/10
A little plain - a touch of oak, perhaps like vanilla creme. Short. Pleasant, but not a whole lot there.

Aging: 2/5 - drink now - 2011

Overall: 4/5
I like this wine a lot. I first tried this one at a local wine store with a number of friends. We all walked out with a bottle or two each.

Total: 90pts

How did the pairing go? Really well. Heavy enough that the steak doesn't overpower it, light enough that it doesn't overpower the lobster. Very nice! Definitely the kind of wine you'll want when you have mixed fare like this.

Want to make this meal?

Boiled Maine Lobster

Fill a large stockpot with water and set it to boil. This may take a while. You want a good roiling boil. Pour in a few teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning. When the pot has come to a full boil, drop the lobster in head first, and let it boil for 10-13 minutes (the bigger the lobster, the longer it should cook). Afterwards, pull it out, crack the carapace and allow any liquid to drain out.

NY Strip Steak
No big surprise here - fire up the grill and toss on the steak, and cook to your tastes.

Pile it up on a plate with your favorite veggies, and enjoy! And look who found her camera!