Chocolate Drops from Noosa Chocolate Factory
Looking for more ways to enjoy the handcrafted goodies from Noosa Chocolate Factory, resident drinks dude Tony Cox shares his tips for the perfect tipples to team with their favourite drops.
The IN Noosa Magazine team assembled for an INdulgent session at print HQ to combine two of most people’s favourite consumables – wine and chocolate with the chocolate provided by everyone’s favourite, Noosa Chocolate Factory.
Firstly, chocolate can be a tricky item given its mouth-coating tendency, so we gave careful consideration to the order of service of the chocolate before the traditional order of service of the wine. I surprised the team by starting with the Black Cherry Slab of plump, semi-dried black Douglas cherries in 70% cocoa dark chocolate.
The key reason was the natural acidity of the dark chocolate would not coat our palates, leaving it in better condition for the subsequent offerings. Wine selection was the 2021 Paxton MV Shiraz from McLaren Vale. The dark fruits of the wine harmonised with the fruit profile of the cherry, with the acidity of the wine matching that of the chocolate to awaken the senses and leave the palate ready for the next match.
Next up was the Mocha Slab, freshly roasted and ground coffee beans from around the corner at Padre mixed with 36% milk chocolate. This was combined with Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port. The splintered coffee beans minimised the palate coating effect of the milk chocolate and the mid-palate breadth and texture of the port offset the splintering effect of the coffee beans. The perfect combination for lovers of coffee and port and just the right balance to keep you awake enough to stare into an open fire on a cool night…
Things were getting a bit nutty so we went with it… pairing the Queensland Macadamia of this season’s fresh roasted Sunshine Coast Macadamias in 36% cocoa milk chocolate with a 2023 Champteloup Rosé d’Anjou from France’s Loire Valley. This chocolate was a touch more mouth coating and rich so the acidity in the rosé combined with the red fruit profile combined well. A little tannin grip at the end further helped to prepare the palate for the final combination.
Ending with a zing, the Smashed Raspberry Slab ignited our senses with freeze-dried raspberries smashed into creamy 29% cocoa white chocolate. White chocolate has a tendency to be more palate coating than dark or milk, so we deliberately served it last.
What was fantastic was the tartness and freshness of the raspberry offsetting the cloying nature of the white chocolate. The wine match was Innocent Bystander Moscato Rosé which was fresh, lively and reminiscent of sherbet, with the tartness of the raspberry supporting the freshness of the Moscato – delicious and really quite smashing!
We added the remaining chocolate to a cheese platter, proving its versatility to add transform any occasion. Overall, the team had a bit of indulgent fun and somehow managed to finish all the chocolate by revisiting their favourite combinations as well as experimenting with new variations.
Try it yourselves, just remember to start with the dark first and work your way to white and don’t forget to consider the textures and flavours of what is in the chocolate as they have a considerable impact.
Next time you’re entertaining, consider adding fresh, handcrafted natural chocolate to sweeten the occasion.
Cheers and good imbibing!
Get your fix!
Visit Noosa Chocolate Factory where every batch is made fresh using local produce and traditional methods.
And, in exciting news, you can now peruse the Noosa Chocolate Factory range online and order your goodies to be delivered to your door for eligible areas!
Visit www.noosachocolatefactory.com.au
