When it comes to so called “impossible” pairings, the keyword is - experimentation. Anyone who wants to combine chocolate Easter eggs with wine must have a minimum amount of creativity that goes beyond every day pairings. Everyone knows that combining Nobile di Montepulciano with Tuscan T-bone steak is an historic pairing with roots that date back centuries, but how about more obscure pairings such as an Easter Egg? Not a simple question and not a simple answer.
A lot depends on the type of Easter egg. There is a big difference between a milk chocolate egg and an extra-dark 90 percent egg. The milk chocolate Easter egg has substantial fatness and sweetness so the pairing depends on the added sugars that will eventually will prevail. Then when it comes to the dark chocolate Easter egg, you have to expect persistent aromatic notes that merge into the bitter tendency. So, each pairing must be taken on a case by case basis.
If you are dealing with a milk chocolate Easter egg, the first thing you need to do is to get rid of the red wine. The tannins of a red wine and its sweet tendency are sure to clash. The best combination is a good Passito, perhaps from Pantelleria or Lipari, which with its sweet tendency softens the sugars of the chocolate, blending it to perfection on the palate.
If you prefer your Easter egg with neither too much milk nor too much cocoa, a 50 percent chocolate egg could do. The balance of sweet, pleasant and consistent does not pair well with overly delicate flavors - it will take something a bit more powerful. A Passito di Sagrantino di Montefalco will do. The sugary tendency matched with the strength of the wine blends perfectly well, making it a panacea for the soul.
And last but not least is the dark chocolate Easter egg which is typically extra bitter at 60 or 70 percent cocoa. In this case we will need a wine that, with its persistence, collects an olfactory and gustatory spectrum of great depth. And what's better than a Vinsanto del Chianti as a pairing? Hints of yellow fruit, dried fruit, plum, walnut, balsamic all create a wonderful bouquet that embraces the great aromatic persistence of an extra-dark chocolate.
Happy Easter and enjoy your chocolate Easter egg!
