Thornton Winery’s new Chocolate Wines Delight the Palate

By Guest Wine Chix Barbara McCabe

 

Chocolate Lovers Dream

If you love chocolate – and who doesn’t – and you savor the taste of fine wine, you’re in for a treat when you sample the selection of chocolate wines that are now available at the Thornton Winery in Temecula.

By popular demand, Thornton Winery, renowned for its production of fine sparkling wines, is now offering its customers four new chocolate wines – each with its own distinct taste.

Crème de Cocoa is a decadent blend of rich, velvety chocolate, fresh cream and fine wine.  Upon first encounter, a glass of Crème De Cocoa looks and tastes a bit like Baileys Irish Cream. However, instead of the traditional whiskey that fuels the Irish Cream, Crème De Cocoa is made with red wine.  With an alcohol level of 14 percent, Crème de Cocoa has a lower alcohol level than Baileys which has an ABV of 17 percent.

Aromas of black cherry and dark chocolate invite you to taste The Chocolate Lover’s Wine, a blend of red wine and natural dark chocolate flavoring that linger surprisingly long on the palate.

My personal favorite was Coco Rosso, which seduced me with its chocolate-covered cherry aroma – a promise this seductive blend of red wine and natural dark chocolate flavor faithfully delivers on the palate.

The sweetest of the four new chocolate wines Thornton is offering is Chocolate Strawberry, a bright ruby-colored wine with high tones of freshly-picked strawberries and an undercurrent of dark fruit and cocoa.  This blend of the finest red wine, dark chocolate and natural strawberry flavors does not disappoint, delivering another level of decadence with layer after layer of intense ripe strawberries and deep, dark chocolate.

If you’re thinking these indulgent wines are strictly for dessert, think again.  Thornton Winery’s Executive Chef Steve Pickell paired the wines with appetizers such as Sonoma Dry Aged Jack Cheese with a chocolate casing; Braised Boneless Beef  Short Ribs with a mole sauce and Smoked Duck in Brine.  While Pickell dressed these appetizers up with chocolate and cherry sauces that complemented the wines, only the Chocolate Strawberry wine was paired with a dessert – a cocoanut almond macaroon cake.  This demonstrates that these indulgent wines are a sweet accompaniment to any meal or dessert or simply enjoyed on their own.

Produced and bottled in Walla Walla, Washington, these sweet wines are available at Thornton Winery’s Café Champagne and at the new tasting bar the winery will open this coming spring.  They can also be purchased for $16 a bottle in the winery’s gift shop.

*Photo Credit:  Linda Kissam / The Wine Chixs

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