Wine and Chocolate Tasting at Home: How to Set Up the Night (2026 Guide)
A wine and chocolate tasting at home needs four chocolates, three or four bottles and one rule. Here is the shopping list, the tasting order and what to tell your guests.
zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix
Four bars from milk to 70 percent dark, a ready-made tasting flight.
The Essentials
Pick chocolates that run from milk to dark, and wines that are at least as sweet as the chocolate: a Ruby Port, a Tawny Port and a Demi-Sec sparkling wine cover most of it. Add one dry red so guests can taste why the sweetness rule exists. My pick for the chocolate is the zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix: four bars from milk to 70 percent dark, premium tier, shipped from France by express courier. Through December 31, 2026, zChocolat doubles the chocolate on every order at no extra cost.
Top Chocolate Picks for a Tasting in 2026
→ Best Filled Chocolates: zChocolat Dark Chocolate
→ Best Extra Dark: zChocolat 70 Percent Madagascar Trio
Double the Chocolate Through December 31
zChocolat states on its product pages that it doubles the amount of chocolate on all orders until December 31, 2026, at no extra cost. Order the four-bar Chocolate Bars Mix and you receive four more bars, which is plenty for a bigger group. Christmas delivery to the United States closes on December 17. After that, you can still order through December 31 and pick an early January delivery date at checkout.
On This Page
Why Host a Wine and Chocolate Tasting?
Because most people have tried wine with chocolate once, picked the wrong bottle and decided it does not work. A tasting shows them, in about two sips, that the bottle was the problem.
WSET, the wine education body, warns that very few wines pair well with chocolate, since the sugar can leave a dry wine tasting bitter and hollow. Its rule is simple: sweet foods need sweeter wines. Set the table so guests can taste both sides of that rule, and the night runs itself. For the full rule, see our chocolate and wine pairing guide.
What You Need for a Wine and Chocolate Tasting
Three or Four Chocolates, Milk to Dark
Choose a spread of sweetness: a milk chocolate, a nut or praline chocolate, and a plain dark around 70 percent. Plain bars are easier to judge than filled chocolates, because a filling adds its own flavors to the test.
The zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix covers all of that in one box: a 36 percent Ivory Coast milk bar, a Milk Praline bar with Piedmont hazelnuts, a Dark 70 Percent Hazelnut bar and a 70 Percent Madagascar dark bar, according to zChocolat.
Three or Four Wines
- A Demi-Sec sparkling wine for the milk chocolate. WSET suggests demi-sec or doux sparkling wine for sweet treats.
- A Tawny Port for the praline and hazelnut bars. WSET says the best Tawnies show dried fruit, caramel and coffee notes.
- A Ruby Port for the 70 percent dark. WSET names Ruby and Tawny Port as wines to try with high-cocoa chocolate.
- One dry red, as the control. This is the bottle that shows guests why the rule matters.
Not sure which Port to buy? Our Port and chocolate guide explains Ruby, LBV, Vintage and Tawny. For the sparkling side, our Champagne and chocolate guide shows how to find Demi-Sec on a label.
Glasses, Water and Something Plain
One glass per guest per wine is ideal, but rinsing between wines works fine. Put out water, and plain crackers or bread so guests can reset between pairs.
Important Consideration
Check for allergies before you buy. The zChocolat praline and hazelnut bars contain nuts, milk and gluten, and the labels warn of possible traces of other nuts, peanuts and sesame. Read the allergen list on each product page.
How Much Wine to Buy
Tasting pours should be small. WSET says fortified wines are usually served in smaller measures than still wine, about 75 ml for sweeter styles, and that a 750 ml bottle gives about five servings at a standard 150 ml pour. A tasting pour is smaller still, so one bottle of each wine covers six to eight guests with room to spare.
Our Top Pick
zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix: four bars that run from milk chocolate to 70 percent dark, with two nut bars in between. That is a full tasting flight in one box. Premium tier, so it fits a planned evening or a gift.
Which Wine Goes With Each Chocolate?
Milk Chocolate: Demi-Sec Sparkling
Milk chocolate is the sweetest bar in this flight, so it needs a clearly sweet wine. A Demi-Sec sparkling wine keeps fresh acidity while matching the sugar.
Milk Praline and Hazelnut: Tawny Port
Nuts and praline add richness. A Tawny’s caramel and dried fruit notes are a natural flavor match, and it is sweet enough for milk chocolate too.
70 Percent Dark: Ruby Port
Plain high-cocoa chocolate is the classic Port match. WSET’s history of Port says young vintage styles have a great affinity with chocolate, and a Ruby gives you that fruity style for less. Our guide to dark chocolate and wine goes deeper.
The Dry Red: Your Control
Pour it with the 70 percent dark. WSET says sweet food can make a dry wine taste less fruity and bring out bitter notes. Let guests taste that for themselves, then hand them a salted cracker and try again: WSET says salt makes wine taste sweeter and softens bitterness.
Tasting Order and Pairing Chart
Go from the lightest chocolate to the darkest, so the bitter dark pieces come last and do not flatten everything after them.
| Round | Chocolate | Wine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 percent milk | Demi-Sec sparkling wine |
| 2 | Milk praline | Tawny Port |
| 3 | Dark 70 percent with hazelnuts | Tawny Port, then Ruby Port |
| 4 | Plain 70 percent dark | Ruby Port, then the dry red |
The Wine Cellar Insider
New reviews and buying advice from Ms. DuPont, straight to your inbox.
How the zChocolat Picks Compare
Quick Comparison: zChocolat for a Tasting
| Pick | What Is Inside | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Bars Mix | 4 bars: milk, milk praline, dark hazelnut, 70 percent dark | A full tasting flight |
| Dark Chocolate box | 15 filled dark chocolates, 70 percent blend | A second round with filled pieces |
| 70 Percent Madagascar Trio | 3 plain 70 percent dark bars | A dark-only Port tasting |
See Each zChocolat Pick
zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix
4 bars: milk, milk praline, dark hazelnut, 70 percent dark. Best for: a full tasting flight.
zChocolat Dark Chocolate Box
15 filled dark chocolates, 70 percent blend. Best for: a second round with filled pieces.
zChocolat 70 Percent Madagascar Trio
3 plain 70 percent dark bars. Best for: a dark-only Port tasting.
Product photos: zChocolat.
What You Get, and What to Watch For
- Recipes by Pascal Caffet, whom zChocolat lists as Meilleur Ouvrier de France (1989) and World Champion Chocolatier (1995)
- zChocolat states zero alcohol, zero preservatives and zero palm oil
- Ships from France by FedEx Express, with import duties prepaid at checkout for United States orders
- Premium tier, priced as a gift
- No wine included
- Contains milk, nuts and gluten in some bars. Check the allergen list
- zChocolat says its chocolates are sensitive to heat, so order with time to spare before the party
How to Run the Tasting, Step by Step
Step-by-Step Tasting Guide
- Chill and rest the bottles: sparkling wine cold, but WSET warns that below 6 degrees C (43 degrees F) can mask flavors. Serve the red at 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F), the range WSET gives for full-bodied reds.
- Pour small: WSET says a small pour leaves room to swirl, which mixes the aromas with air in the glass.
- Taste the wine alone first: sniff, swirl gently with the glass on the table, sniff again, then sip.
- Let a square of chocolate melt, then sip the wine again. This is where guests notice whether the pairing works.
- Reset between rounds with water and a plain cracker.
- Score each pair: a simple 1 to 5 on each card keeps the talk going.
The Wine Tasting Party Kit gives you printable score cards and games for the night, and our guide on hosting a wine tasting party at home covers glasses, timing and how many people to invite. A wine decanter is worth setting out if you open a Vintage Port, since WSET says vintage ports throw a sediment.
How Should You Keep the Wine and Chocolate Ready?
For the wine, WSET recommends storing bottles at 10 to 15 degrees C (50 to 59 degrees F), away from light and vibration. A dual zone wine cooler lets you hold the sparkling wine colder than the Port and red, and the Wine Temperature Zone Matcher helps you set each zone. If you keep bubbles on hand for nights like this, see the best wine fridge for Champagne.
For the chocolate, zChocolat says its chocolates are sensitive to heat because they carry no preservatives and very little sugar, and it ships them packed to stay at 15 to 20 degrees C (59 to 68 degrees F). Keep the box somewhere cool and dark until the guests arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do a wine and chocolate tasting?
Pick three or four chocolates from milk to dark, and match each with a wine at least as sweet: Demi-Sec sparkling for milk, Tawny Port for praline and nuts, Ruby Port for 70 percent dark. Taste each wine alone, then with the chocolate, and go from lightest to darkest.
What wines go with a chocolate tasting?
Sweet ones. WSET suggests Ruby or Tawny Port with high-cocoa chocolate, and demi-sec or doux sparkling wine with sweet treats. Add one dry red as a comparison.
What order should you taste wine and chocolate in?
Start with the lightest, sweetest chocolate and finish with the darkest, so the bitterness of the dark chocolate does not flatten the rounds after it.
How much wine do you need for a tasting?
WSET says a 750 ml bottle gives about five standard 150 ml servings, and sweeter fortified wines are usually poured at about 75 ml. Tasting pours are smaller, so one bottle of each wine usually covers six to eight guests.
What do you serve between tastings?
Water and something plain, such as crackers or bread. A salted cracker is also a good trick with the dry red, since WSET says salt softens bitterness in wine.
Which Chocolate Should You Buy for a Tasting?
Final Word
Buy one box that covers milk to dark, open three sweet wines and one dry red, and taste lightest to darkest. The Chocolate Bars Mix does the chocolate side in one order.
- Best overall: zChocolat Chocolate Bars Mix
- Best filled chocolates: zChocolat Dark Chocolate (15 pieces)
- Best extra dark: zChocolat 70 Percent Madagascar Trio
- Skip if: a guest has a nut, milk or gluten allergy and you cannot set those bars aside
Related Wine Storage Resources
Chocolate and Wine Guides
Entertaining
Storing Wine for the Night
References & Sources
Every source below was opened and checked on 9 November 2026.
- WSET: A guide to Easter food and wine pairings: very few wines pair well with chocolate; sugar leaves dry wine bitter and hollow; sweet food brings out bitter notes; high-cocoa chocolate with Ruby or Tawny Port.
- WSET: Winter wine and food matching: sweet foods need sweeter wines; demi-sec or doux sparkling wine with sweet treats; salt makes wine taste sweeter and softens bitterness.
- WSET: Understanding wines: Port: Tawny Port’s dried fruit, caramel and coffee notes.
- WSET: The history of Port: young vintage styles and chocolate; vintage ports throw a sediment.
- WSET: How to serve and decant wine: about five 150 ml servings per bottle, and about 75 ml pours for sweeter fortified wines.
- WSET: How to taste wine: a small pour leaves room to swirl; swirl gently with the glass on the table; most flavors are smelled rather than tasted.
- WSET: Ideal serving temperatures and top tips for wine storage: full-bodied reds at 15 to 18 degrees C; sparkling wine below 6 degrees C can mask flavors; storage at 10 to 15 degrees C away from light and vibration.
- zChocolat: Chocolate Bars Mix: the four bars, cocoa percentages and origins, ingredients and allergens, and the double chocolate offer until December 31, 2026.
- zChocolat: Dark Chocolate: 15 filled dark chocolates and the 70 percent blend.
- zChocolat: 70 Percent Madagascar Trio: three plain 70 percent dark bars.
- zChocolat: About Us: Pascal Caffet’s titles and years, and the ingredient commitments.
- zChocolat: Worldwide Shipping: FedEx Express, duties prepaid for United States orders, heat sensitivity, and packing held at 15 to 20 degrees C.
- zChocolat: Holiday Collection: the December 17 order-by date for Christmas delivery to the United States and Canada, and early January delivery after that.
How this guide was put together: tasting, serving and pairing advice comes from WSET’s published guidance, and product details come from zChocolat’s own pages, all checked on November 9, 2026. I have not run this tasting with these specific zChocolat bars, so nothing here describes a hands-on tasting.
About Ms. DuPont
I have spent over ten years testing and reviewing wine coolers, wine cellar equipment, and wine-related gear, and tracking how it actually holds up over time.