Some wine experts insist that red wine and chocolate is a “match made in hell,” while others, like Jancis Robinson, assert that dry reds can be “surprisingly good matches for good quality, high cocoa content chocolate.”

Enter Joseph Jewell wines and Dick Taylor Chocolate, definitely a match made in heaven — I mean, Humboldt! California, that is.

Joseph Jewell winery is based in Sonoma County and produces a series of fantastic Burgundian-like Pinot Noirs with grapes grown in Humboldt County. This small wine-producing area, 280 miles north of San Francisco and close to the Pacific coast, is filled with forests of ancient redwood trees. The area is buzzing with cannabis farms (pun intended!), and has an artisanal wine, chocolate, and cheese scene like no other — after all, the munchies do need satisfying (and this is way better than a bag of cheetos)!

For a recent Zoom seminar and tasting, three Joseph Jewell wines were paired with Dick Taylor Chocolates (both sent to me as samples). Dick Taylor is a small batch chocolate producer in Humboldt County that specializes in single origin, two ingredient chocolate bars that combine the finest fairly-traded raw cacao with a small amount of sugar. By using some of the best cacao in the world, the need for fillers (cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla) is eliminated, and the true flavors of the cacao shines through.

During the seminar, I learned that making chocolate, like making wine, involves many steps.

Did you know that cocoa beans go through a fermentation process right after they are harvested, just like wine grapes do?

According to scienceofcooking.com, fermentation is the first critical process in the development of the beans' natural flavors. “The principal effect of fermentation is to eliminate or drastically reduce astringency and to develop the full cacao flavor. Without the fermentation process, there will not be any chocolate flavor.” (from the article, “How is Chocolate Made”). Similar to winemaking, fermentation is the first of many processes that lead to the final product. In the case of chocolate, the path to creating a rich and creamy bar includes drying, roasting, and tempering.

Owners Adam Dick and Justine Taylor have a background in boat building, hence the nautical theme of the labels. They say that the common threads they saw in working with wood drew them to crafting chocolate from bean.

The Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting

Three Pinot Noirs

Joseph Jewell’s owner Adrian Jewell Manspeaker works closely with the grape growers from which his Humboldt County Pinot Noirs are sourced. His goal is to create delicately delicious, marine-climate wines that “celebrate the singularity of the vineyard.”

Joseph Jewell Eel River Valley 2018. Medium bodied with notes of dark and red fruits—black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, red currant, raspberry compote, orange peel—highlighted by earthy notes and a hint of licorice. (93 points, Eel River)
Joseph Jewell Alderpoint 2018. Super light and delicate with loads of fresh red fruit flavors like raspberry, pomegranate and red currant. Hints of thyme, mulling spices and red soils ramp up the complexity of this elegant wine. (94 points, Wine Enthusiast)
Joseph Jewell Ryan Vineyard 2018. Less tannic grip than the Eel River Valley but darker-fruited—wild black cherry and dried fig—and more intense than the Alderpoint. An interesting mix of fruity and savory notes, the wine has a bit of green pepper, tarragon, cardamom and tingling spicy notes. (96 points, Wine Enthusiast)

Three Bars of Chocolate

All of the Dick Taylor chocolates had an extremely creamy texture with a slow, smooth melt-in-your-mouth quality that paired well with the red wines. Most notable was how the hint of bitterness in the chocolate brought out the fruitiness of each wine.

Madagascar. Organic cane sugar is used in this chocolate, which highlights the classic citrus and red berry notes of the single-estate Madagascar cacao. Tart and almost sour (in a good way), this is a unique bar for fine-chocolate lovers.
Jamaica. With notes of apricot, graham cracker and dates, this super smooth and rich chocolate is made from the finest single-estate cacao in Jamaica.
Belize. A mild yet complex chocolate that is wonderfully nuanced with both floral and dried fruit notes. Fruity and with the least amount of bitterness of the three.

Find Joseph Jewell Wines by visiting JosephJewell.com or wine-searcher.com. Dick Taylor Chocolates are available (free shipping and no order minimum) on DickTaylorChocolate.com.

Tasty or terrible? Let me know what you think.

In addition to chocolate, Joseph Jewell Pinot Noirs go well with many dishes, like a shrimp stew with spinach and peas, and pasta with andouille sausages and roasted red bell peppers.

Take note of the beautiful, bright red, yet translucent, color of the wines.