Some of these more complex chocolates include truffles, pralines, and bonbons. The key difference between them is that chocolate truffles, created in the city of Chambéry by the pastry chef Louis Dufour, are typically small, soft, and creamy. Made with rich ganache filling and usually hand rolled in cocoa powder, their name derives from their resemblance to truffles, a tuber fungus. Pralines, on the other hand, owe their crunchy texture to a combination of nuts and caramelized sugar, while bonbons are moulded chocolate that contain a variety of fillings, from fruit and caramel to liqueur. Essentially, chocolate truffles boast a smooth, rich chocolate texture; pralines are highlighted by their nutty crunch; and bonbons offer diverse filling possibilities encased in a chocolate shell.
In my excitement of pairing such complex chocolates - rather than the basic white, milk, and dark -with wine, I came up with the idea of adding the wine directly to the chocolate itself. This way, the pairing experience comes by way of a single bite. Driven by curiosity, I asked Chef Louis Tahuhadi, a chocolate expert and Executive Pastry Chef of the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts (APCA) Indonesia, to explore the possibility.
I chose four wines for him to explore and for me to taste. The first was Gato Negro Dulce Blanc, which I selected for its sweetness. Produced by Sand Pedro in Central Valley, Chile, it is a white blend wine with topical aromas, such as peach, pineapple, and hints of banana, with the sweet notes of vanilla. The wine's acidity heightens the sensation of fresh fruits and perfectly balances its sweetness, giving it a pleasant, long finish. I imagined the aromatic and fruity Gato Negro Dulce Blanc would pair well with white chocolate.
Next, I chose a medium-body wine with ripe, black fruit flavours and a medium tannin, which I thought would go perfectly with a medium dark chocolate. The Cusumano Merlot Terre Siciliane IGT presents itself in a beautiful cherry-red hue and inviting aromas of dark berry fruits, such as blackcurrants and blueberries, accompanied by accents of cherries and plums. The wine has an elegant tannin and a well-balanced acidity.
The third wine I chose was the D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz from McLaren Vale, South Australia. Full-bodied and high in tannins that are ripe and velvety, this wine is dominant in black fruits, plums, and blackberries, with hints of cured meat, mocha, and peppery spices, as well as a plush coat of red cherries. It offers an impeccable balance of acidity, oak, and alcohol content, boasting a long finish that I think would pair perfectly with darker chocolates.
I chose the final wine for its fully body, sweetness, and high alcohol content. The Offley Tawny Porto, a port wine, emanates an attractive red-tawny hue that is typical of an older wine. Its delicate aroma is reminiscent or ripe red fruits, enhanced by nutty notes that give it an added complexity. In the mouth, the Offley Tawny Porto strikes a fine balance between soft tannins and natural sweetness, which work harmoniously towards an elegant and fine finish.
It was time for the talented Chef Louis to create the final fusion of wine with chocolate truffles with an inspiring recipe that I can't wait for you to try:
Gato negro Dulce Blanc
Ingredients:
- 250gr Dark chocolate 65%
- 225gr Sweet White Black Cat
-15gr Glucose
Procedures:
-Melt the chocolate to around 45 °C
-Add in wine and glucose, emulsified with a hand-blender. Fill in the chocolate truffle shell, let it set.
-Roll into the tempered 65% dark chocolate Let it set.
CUSUMANO MERLOT 2021
Ingredients:
-250gr 33% white chocolate
-150gr 2021 Cusumano Merlot
-30gr cream
-15grglucose
Procedures:
-Melt the chocolate to around 45 °C
-Add wine and glucose, emulsified with a hand-blender
-Fill in the chocolate truffle shell, let it set.
-Roll into the tempered 33% white chocolate Let it set.
FOOTBOLT SHIRAZ 2021
Ingredients:
-255gr 56% dark chocolate
- 225gr Footbolt Shiraz 2021
-30gr glucose
-40gr unsalted butter
Procedures:
-Melt the chocolate to around 45 °C
-Add wine and glucose, emulsified with a hand-blender. Fill in the chocolate truffle shell, let it set.
-Roll into the tempered 56% dark chocolate Roll into cocoa powder, let it set and sieve.
OFFLEY TAWNEY PORTO
Ingredients:
-250 gr 34% milk chocolate
-225grOffley Tawney Porto
-15gr glucose
Procedures:
-Melt the chocolate to around 45 °C
-Add wine and glucose, emulsified with a hand-blender.Fill in the chocolate truffle shell, let it set.
-Roll into the tempered 34% milk chocolate Let it set.
Though each pairing is exquisite, my favourite is the Offley Tawney Porto truffle. Each bite is an explosion of flavourful fruit, and the sumptuous combination of sweetness, high alcohol content, and milk chocolate present a perfect balance of flavour and a long finish that lingers nicely on the palate.
The interesting combination of Gato Negro Blanco Dulce and 65% dark chocolate accentuates the sweetness of both components while highlighting the wine's fruity tones and even creating added flavours. I tasted hints of banana and candied orange that were not separately found in the wine and chocolate.
The Footbolt Shiraz 2021 was pungent and bold in flavour. Paired with 56% dark chocolate, the wine's black fruits and spices shone in the backdrop of a super silky and delicate tannin.
The Cusumano Merlot 2021 and white chocolate combination surprised me by emphasizing the acidity and red fruit characters of the Merlot. The chef gave me the idea to balance the entire collection with this type of truffle.
Well done, Chef Louis! It's no wonder that his school has gained the stellar, international-level reputation of being one of Indonesia's top-scoring culinary institutions. I highly recommend anyone interested in haute cuisine to check APCA Indonesia's programs.
Here some additional tips for the exquisite pairing of wine and chocolate: it is important to explore their flavour profiles, balance the tannin, match the intensity of both components, be considerate of their sweetness, and embrace the contrasts.