What wine goes with chocolate?

Chocolate needs a wine at least as sweet as it is: a sweet sparkling red for milk chocolate, and Port for dark chocolate, because dry wine next to chocolate tastes sour and bitter.

Red wine and chocolate is one of those Valentine's ideas that mostly doesn't work. Chocolate is sweet, and sweetness makes a dry wine taste thin, sour and bitter. The fix is simple: pick a wine that is sweeter than the chocolate. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate want different bottles.

4 bottles that actually work with chocolate

• 1. Banfi Rosa Regale

  about $22

  Brachetto · grocery and wine shops

  Sweet, sparkling, ruby-red Italian wine that tastes like raspberries and roses. The best milk chocolate wine there is, and amazing with chocolate-covered strawberries.

• 2. Stella Rosa Black

  about $13

  Red blend · nearly everywhere

  Semi-sweet, lightly fizzy and berry-sweet. It meets milk chocolate and brownies on their level instead of turning sour next to them.

• 3. Graham's Six Grapes Reserve Port

  about $24

  Port blend · grocery and wine shops

  Rich, sweet and strong, with dark plum and berry flavors. This is the dark chocolate wine. Small pours: it is about 20% alcohol.

• 4. Apothic Red

  about $11

  Red blend · nearly everywhere

  Smooth and a little sweet, with a mocha edge. If you want a regular red with dessert, this is one of the few that does not fall apart next to chocolate cake.

Depends how you are cooking it

Milk chocolate

Sweet and creamy. Rosa Regale, a sweet red like Stella Rosa Black, or a Moscato.

Dark chocolate (70% and up)

Bitter and intense. Port, or a ripe Zinfandel if you want something less sweet.

White chocolate

Very sweet and buttery. Moscato d’Asti or a sweet sparkling wine.

Chocolate cake or brownies

Sugar plus chocolate. Port or a sweet red, never a dry Cabernet.

What to skip

Dry Cabernet or Merlot with dessert

The chocolate makes the wine taste sour and the tannin turns bitter. It is the most common Valentine’s mistake.

Dry sparkling wine

Brut bubbles with chocolate tastes tart and thin. Pick a sweet sparkler instead.

Also worth a look

• What wine goes with cheese?

Last checked 2026-10-04.