My husband and I frequently have “date nights” but we don’t always leave the house. I know that sounds weird, but with 4 kids, 2 dogs, and frequent chaos, going out isn’t always a viable option. Many mothers can relate to that with the economy, concerns about job security, and just budget tightening.
So, what can you do during that time together? Well, you can do an in home tasting. My husband thought it was sort of silly at first but went along with the idea. As it turned out, we had a blast. There are lots of different types of tastings that you can do, but we did a wine and chocolate tasting. They happened to both be excellent which is why it made the evening even more fun!
We cracked open a bottle of Big Red Monster and shared a box of ChoclatiQue’s Napa Valley Wine Chocolates! I was so excited when I saw the names of the chocolates. My husband, the natural skeptic, was not as sure. We started with the Zinfandel Cuvee chocolate and had a glass of wine. One taste of each, and we were both hooked.
The chocolate was smooth, rich, and was an excellent compliment to the wine. My husband, who typically does not like “flavored” chocolates, instantly changed his mind with these chocolates. We both agreed that a box of ChoclatiQue would be an excellent wedding or engagement gift. The chocolates come with tasting suggestions and a recipe. My favorite chocolate was the Old Oak Barrel-Aged Port. You could just taste the fruity power of the port. My hubbie liked the Late Harvest Cabernet the most and said that if I bought it for him, he wouldn’t be sharing it! There are different packages through ChoclatiQue, so prices vary. I find the prices of their gift boxes and larger Boutique Boxes, to be in-line with specialty food items. These boxes would also make great anniversary and Valentines Day gifts (hint, hint, for those of you that always scramble at the last minute).
As for the wine, Big Red Monster it is a powerful red. We decanted it for a half hour as suggested. Big Red Monster is a mix of Syrah, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. If you like any of those varieties, then this wine is a great pick for you. Personally, it reminded me of a Zinfandel (dry red wine with bold flavor and deep red, almost purple in color). We also had it with some steak and feta cheese – it was fantastic. The wine has a very fruity aroma and the mix of the wine, cheese, and steak was excellent. My husband liked Big Red Monster even more with the chocolates. Another nice aspect to the wine is its price; it is available for just under $10. I would take this bottle with me to a gathering of friends, family, or a barbecue. The label design is a spinoff of an old movie poster and horror film – your guests will be talking about the label and the wine.
Some other ideas for a “date night in” could be making your own fondue (and ChoclatiQue sells their own bars of chocolates as well as sauces), or you could set up wine flights if you have some different types of wine. Wine flights were really designed for those that are new to tasting wine to help them experience wines and determine what they like. It could be fun for both of you to each pick one or two wines and create your own tasting. You may even want to have some cheese or snacks on hand to go with the wine. There are numerous possibilities here!
Having a chocolate and wine tasting at home, gave us much more to discuss then “how was work”, “what did you and the kids do today”, “what do you want for dinner tomorrow” etc. I know we both enjoyed our date night in and I hope you use the idea for yourselves too!
For more information on ChoclatiQue, visit:
http://www.choclatique.com/
For more information on Big Red Monster, visit:
http://www.totalbeveragesolution.com/bigredmonster/
Late Harvest Cabernet, by ChoclatiQue
About The Wine Mom:
I am a writer and a stay-at-home-mom. Lover of travel and a passionate but recreational foodie. You’ll find me on cruises to warm places, or in restaurants all over. I’ve traveled extensively and have visited wineries from Napa and Sonoma to New England and Niagara on the Lake. Come join me as I talk about wine, food, and travel.
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Tags: chocolate, food and wine, food reviews, wine, wine reviews
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That’s so cute! I appreciate a good ‘date’ night idea. We, also, hardly leave the house and this is something I will try out. Thanks and have a great weekend.
Thanks for your great review of our Choclatique Napa Valley Wine Chocolates. It is appreciated. They have been one of the most delightful flavors sets for us to develop.
Only a few years back I was a complete chocolate and wine purest (or snob). Never mix your great –tasting wines with chocolate—finish your wine, wait a period of time and then begin the dessert or chocolate course. Then I met Jack Cakebread at Cakebread Wineries who got me totally hooked on the correct pairings of wines and chocolates. Now, of course, it depends on the exact wine chosen and chocolate selected (we always like to think that the chocolate from Choclatique is always the best to taste with wine or anything else), but here are a few hints on how we developed the flavor profiles for our wine chocolates.
Chocolate & Wine Pairing
Some advice from Choclatique, based on the chocolate’s cacao content:
Why Chocolate? Why Wine? Why Chocolate and Wine? Why Now?
Chocolate is the original feel good food, loaded with all the things that make you feel like you’re in love, plus antioxidants. It’s a simple, small pleasure that won’t break the bank! Wine plus chocolate is a double whammy of good stuff for your body and mind that have been proven to help lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and elevate your mood. Here’s a toast to a sweet, powerhouse pairing! Salud!
California Wine & Chocolate
Cabernet Sauvignon: (64% cacao) Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate
Merlot: (32% cacao) Milk Chocolate
Sangiovese: (64% cacao) Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate
California Sparkling “Blanc de Blanc:” (33% cacao) White Chocolate
Aged Port: (64%-76% cacao) Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate
Fumé Blanc: (33% cacao) White Chocolate or (32% cacao) Milk Chocolate
Chardonnay – Yes, Chardonnay: (32% cacao) Milk Chocolate
Zinfandel: (64% cacao) Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate
Blush or Rosé: (33% cacao) White Chocolate
Champagne: (55-70% cacao) Single Origin Dark Chocolate-Columbian
Please consider following the Choclatique blog: http://choclatique.wordpress.com/
That’s a super cute and creative idea of dating at home!
I always do in-house tasting with my friends too. We always do chocolate, wine, and cheese tasting. Next time you might wanna do the cheese tasting. I recommend 2 very good cheese boutique. One is called Frog’s Breath and another is called Venissimo (this one has many branch). Or you might wanna go to Wine Pavillion. Pair the right cheese with the right wine and you’ll be extremely amazed of the taste!
Thanks for sharing the lovely story.
Belle
Sounds like you had a fabulous night. Everything sounds delicious and the label looks really cool. I love all three types of wine that are in the bottle so this wine sounds like it would be delicious!!
Hope your next date night will be just as fun….. Have a great weekend.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I will have to check them out.