What wine goes with dark chocolate?
The dessert rule: the wine must be at least as sweet as the food, or it tastes thin and bitter. Dark chocolate's intensity calls for fortified wines with their own dark-fruit depth.
Ruby port
Sweet, fortified, black-fruited
The benchmark — concentrated berry sweetness wraps around cocoa bitterness.
Shop Ruby port from ~$15 · Vivino ↗Affiliate link · prices vary by retailer
Banyuls
French fortified grenache
The sommelier's secret for chocolate desserts — slightly drier and more elegant than port.
Shop Banyuls from ~$22 · Vivino ↗Affiliate link · prices vary by retailer
Late-bottled vintage port
Deeper, spicier port
For 80%+ cacao — extra concentration meets extra intensity.
Shop Late-bottled vintage port from ~$20 · Vivino ↗Affiliate link · prices vary by retailer
Sommelier's tip
Milk chocolate is more forgiving — even a jammy zinfandel works there.
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