The wine consumer is inundated with a choice of chocolate & wine parings. Whilst the presence of tannin in both red wine and dark chocolate may cause these two not to marry up, people still love the combination.

To entice the sweet tooth, the Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate have launched their take on chocolate and wine called Sweet Senses – a tasting journey that includes the basic tastes of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness and umami (savouriness). The Sweet Senses tasting is priced @ R160pp.

These five tastings suggest the sublime balance between food and wine. The tasting is also set up to honour the special terroir and sustainability at the Estate while giving the guest a bespoke chocolate and wine experience.

Sweet Senses:

The tasting includes a macaroon, a chocolate rock and three chocolates presented on a soil made from dark chocolate, sea salt, nori and olive crackling as a bow to the terroir and environment.

1. Ode to the Fynbos: Dark green macaroon with apple ganache, fynbos jelly and dried pineapple, served with a tasting of the Benguela Cove Sauvignon Semillon 2016. The sweet & sour combination of the macaroon highlights the fruit in the wine that shares a similar earthy character. Guests are encouraged to tear off a piece of pineapple to add acidity or dip a finger into the soil if they want some extra sweet, salt or bitter notes.
2. Benguela Boulder:  This chocolate boulder celebrates the estate’s proximity to the ocean – milk chocolate with Turkish apricots, hazelnuts and edible moss. This is accompanied by a tasting of Benguela Cove Chardonnay 2016 that mirrors the tangy apricots with a nutty hem that trails behind.
3. Pretty Perfect:   Who would’ve thought? This pairing illustrates how the impossible can be made possible. Twenty years ago no one would’ve considered planting vines here. Now the pinot Noir 2015 is proof that wines of elegance and finesse can be produced here. It is paired with a white choc dome filled with litchi and rose ganache, served with dried strawberry. The silky marriage between cocoa butter and Pinot Noir are one of those big secrets whilst the litchi and rose echoes the aromatic qualities of the wine. The pairing celebrates the gentle power of wines made here.
4. Savoury spells: The word savoury is often misunderstood. It refers to the subtle thread of saltiness that supports the fruit in the wine and adds another flavor dimension. A periwinkle shaped chocolate introduces a creamy ganache with olive crackling, served with a tasting of the Benguela Cove Syrah 2015. The combination lays the foundation for a well-poised wine with a nod to both the ocean and the olive trees that adds character to the farm.

We’re smokin! As genteel the wine from Benguela Cove can be, so can they also portray masculinity with broad shoulders and a solid backbone. The treasure box shaped chocolate is filled with a smoky ganache that adds to the intensity of the Benguela Cove Cabernet Sauvignon while illuminating the dark fruit core.