Books, Red Wine and Chocolate

Posted on | June 12, 2010 | 10 Comments

When I’m reading I do like doing it with a cuppa and some chocolate; I have also been known to have a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other. When I was given the opportunity to review chocolate with red wine, it was an offer I could not decline. I feel that books and chocolate are very similar in their packaging/cover; both work towards attracting you and compelling you to pick up the chocolate /book in the first place and make you want to buy it. Also a good chocolate bar, just like a good book, should excite and have an interesting beginning, middle and end with different levels of intensity, texture and enjoyment. Moreover, I think that on bottles of wine, where it tells you what meals it is best to drink with, chocolate packaging should cover which books are best to read or films to watch whilst eating… marketing departments, take note. Wine labels should extend to sharing that information too: full or medium-bodied, with hints of, best read with…

As for my review itself: I was kindly sent a bar of Zotter Chocolate Schönberger Red Wine by Lee of Chocolate Reviews. This Fairtrade alcoholic chocolate from an Austrian company is given the following description “A premium red wine from Burgenland. The Blaufränkisch (Burgundy) grapes form a complex taste spectrum, which give the exquisite dark chocolate a soft aftertaste” and retails at £3.00 a bar. More expensive than a regular bar of chocolate it tastes rich; it is potent truffle-filled bar that is not moulded into segments but is one slab. A fine bitter chocolate with red wine and chocolate inside, it is a chocolate bar with a filling as opposed to a bar of chocolate infused with red wine. The bitterness prevented me from being able to eat this bar in the one sitting -and therefore is not one to eat on the run for energy- but I enjoyed it in small nibbles and thought it worked well with a glass of wine to bring out its notes. I was impressed by how authentically like wine the chocolate tasted although that’s not surprising as it is made with red wine as opposed to artificial flavoring; the alcohol content of the bar is 2% and yet manages to be heady and taste strong. The aroma is of cocoa as opposed to wine and the packaging something of a let-down (the gold foil reminded me of the inside of cigarette packets, which instantly cheapened it for me). This chocolate was a rare treat and more decadent and rich than I am used to but if you enjoy truffles (and, of course, red wine) then this is recommended, or is perfect for a special occasion.

Whilst I prefer my chocolate less rich I do love richness in my reading; I like my wine full-bodied and the same can be said of my literature. This post and photograph also serve to contribute to Simon of Stuck in a Book’s meme. Simon called for a photograph that summed up my reading taste that didn’t include a book in it (am I ineligible as this one does, even though it is only for decoration?) and I ruminated long and hard before I realised that the photograph above was perfect. My reading taste is eclectic and difficult to fully surmise but liking my taste in books to my taste in red wine is accurate; both are great loves of my life (as are cats) and share many elements. My favourite writers -Angela Carter, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez, Colette, Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Sarah Waters- all write rich prose that I become drunk on and then require a little break from; their language, imagery, and stories are lush as am I… Like the most heady of red wines, these writers are at the top of the grape varieties and they mature with age, with hidden notes and subtle flavours detected upon further tastes. Reading a book by one of these writers is like drinking a fine wine, something I appreciate, savour, and look forward to, and yet try to do in moderation.

I also enjoy Earl Grey tea reading -Persephone Books- or Champagne reads that are bubbly and effervescent, that go straight to my head, like The Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice, but I will always return to my favourite tipple of all: red wine.

Comments

10 Responses to “Books, Red Wine and Chocolate”

Simon T
June 12th, 2010 @ 2:06 pm

Haha, cheat! But you are forgiven, because the reasoning is so good. I love the idea of The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets as being champagne-esque.
Verity
June 12th, 2010 @ 4:48 pm

Hehe – wonderful post! We had earl grey chocolate, and I’m still to review it :s
anothercookiecrumbles
June 12th, 2010 @ 8:15 pm

Chocolate and red wine are an awesome combination. However, I’m more likely to be reading with a mug of hot chocolate in my hand, as opposed to a glass of red.

The chocolate does sound delicious though – I’m a massive dark/bitter chocolate fan, and can have 2-3 bars in one go without even noticing.
Eva
June 13th, 2010 @ 4:32 pm

I’m not a big red wine fan (unless it’s semisweet, which was all over the place in Russia but isn’t to be found in the States), but I do love dark chocolate. Sounds like we’re a bit of the opposite! hehe

I often think of books in food/drink metaphors…Colette is a champagne read for me while Mary Russell’s Laurie King series is a hot black tea one (I prefer Ceylon to Earl Grey). It was fun to read your post!
Frances
June 13th, 2010 @ 5:33 pm

A woman after my own heart! Red wine and Earl Grey can fuel most any activity in my opinion.

Have been thinking of pairing wines with my reading for Paris in July next month. Just an excuse to hit my favorite wine shops. Shameless.

And maybe I should not admit this, but I am not much of a chocolate fan. Shhh!
Bellezza
June 13th, 2010 @ 6:13 pm

What a wonderful post! I love your marketing idea: which books for which chocolate bar, and the analogy of a good beginning, middle and end. You’ve hit some of my favorite things, too, with your post, except you left out a really good cheeseburger with cheddar cheese.

Does it happen to you that when you’re reading a novel you seriously crave the food from its country of origin? I read Japanese, I want noodles. I read Middle Eastern, I want a chicken byrani (sp!) and a samosa. But, I always love a cup of Earl Grey, and it doesn’t have to be with a British writer.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
June 14th, 2010 @ 4:01 pm

Great chocolate review! I enjoy red wine, but I never eat chocolate at the same time. I can’t imagine a chocolate going with red wine, but I’ll have to trust you on that.

I love your description of your reading taste -savouring favourite authors is a special pleasure. I think I may have to do that tonight, with a nice glass of red wine
Carl V.
June 14th, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

It is amazing how much better already delicious dark chocolate tastes with the right red wine. This bar you got sounds delectable. I love truffles and love bitter/dark chocolate. Couple them with reading and wine and what could be more enjoyable?
Simon (Savidge Reads)
June 17th, 2010 @ 4:42 pm

How did I not comment on this I 100% thought I had – whoops! Lovely picture and wonderfully sums your tastes up.

I can’t drink wine and read, for some reason one glass and I am a bit… well, my concentration isnt so good – lets put it like that!
jennifer Ravey
June 19th, 2010 @ 10:22 pm

Your photo fits me quite well also. I love tucking into bed with a glass of red and a couple pieces of dark chocolate. They go incredibly well together. As for reviewing chocolates, sign me up!

A glass of red wine while reading in bed, or in the bathtub, or on the back deck, is a sign of true luxury for me. I’m so glad I have a reading, red-wine drinking companion in the sphere!