For the Love of Wine and Chocolate

At the start of the year, a group of us that included our winemaker, chef, myself and a few others from our team met up one early morning with Rachel and Michael Dunn. We shared a cup of coffee and then sat down to a table heaped with chocolate, spices, salt, nuts, dried fruit and plenty of wine, ready to get to work. Our task was to come up with the best chocolate flavor combinations to pair with our wines. It’s a tough job, especially at 9am in the morning, but we were up for it! Rachel and Michael Dunn have been making chocolate in the Bay Area since 1984. They have built a reputation behind their beautiful confectionary chocolates. Recently, they started making bean-to-bar chocolate. When we looked to find a partner for our own chocolate bars, we were thrilled to connect with the Dunns. Their attention to every detail of the chocolate making process from sourcing to the final molding of the bars shows their love for chocolate and their passion for making the most flavorful chocolate they can. We set out to create small batch chocolate bars with flavors developed by Chef John McConnell that would pair perfectly with our wines. We didn’t want to just think about the classic Cabernet and Dark Chocolate pairing. We wanted a chocolate for any wine, from our Chardonnay to our Zinfandel. The end result is five flavors with interesting and unique flavor profiles. Although getting the flavors right was a top priority, we were also focused on ensuring that the bars were made from ethically and sustainably sourced cacao beans. The chocolate for our bars comes from the Rainforest Alliance Certified Finca Elvesia farm in the Dominican Republic and from Kokoa Kamili, a co-op located in Tanzania. The chocolate is organic and we do not use any genetically modified ingredients. Try all five flavors! 33% Cacao White Chocolate Lemon & Ginger Creamy white chocolate with zesty lemon peel and a kick of ginger. Try pairing with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate Cacao Nibs & Sea Salt Rich milk chocolate with toasted cacao nibs and hand harvested sea salt. Try pairing with Grenache or Syrah. 58% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Smoked Pimenton Almonds 58% dark chocolate with smoky Spanish Pimenton almonds and a touch of heat. Try pairing with Zinfandel. 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate Cabernet Sea Salt 65% dark chocolate with hand harvested sea salt infused with Cabernet Sauvignon. Try pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon. 74% Cacao Dark Chocolate Espresso 74% Elvesia dark chocolate with coarse ground Equator Coffee espresso. Try pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon. Purchase Our Bean-To-Bar Chocolates