Wines from SICILIA DOC and Chocolate for Valentines Day

This year for Valentine's Day, have a romantic getaway in the comfort of your own home. Be transported to sun kissed skies and lush vineyards when you share a glass of wine from Sicilia DOC, a consortium of 90 wine producers committed to innovating and diversifying the taste and flavors of Sicilian wine.

As one of the most popular global destinations for wine lovers, wines from Sicilia DOC will pleasure your palate with the rich flavors of one of the island's most regal red wines, Nero d'Avola. This one grape expresses a multitude of rich and diversifying flavors depending on its island location.

The elegance and versatility of this "little black grape" has become the staple statement wine to outfit every date night. Its wide array of flirty flavors and tempting tannins allow you to seek pleasure without sacrificing complexity.

Satisfy your sweet tooth and indulge the people you love with a chocolate pairing menu this Valentine's Day. You will experience a harmony of decadent flavors as you move from lighter-bodied to fuller-bodied grape varieties of Nero d'Avola that mirror a shift from light to dark chocolate. Whether it's an intimate sweet treat with your valentine or a festive and chic wine tasting with friends, set the mood with these perfect pairings for Nero d'Avola.

White Chocolate Dipped Pecans with Cayenne

White chocolate contains buttery flavors with a creamy texture that highlight fruit flavors concealed within the chocolate. The silky tannins of a lighter-bodied Nero d'Avola and its aromas of ripe cherry arouse the natural fruit flavor of the creamy chocolate, while the grape's aromas of sweet spices perfectly pair with the pops of cayenne that top off the dessert.

Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Varieties of Nero d'Avola produced on Sicily's hilly, limestone-rich terrain, offer pleasant tannins and marked acidity that are rich in red fruit aromas, particularly strawberry and sour cherry. The milk chocolate's smooth character and cocoa butter makeup not only compliment the red fruit of the strawberry but also highlight the ripe, red fruit aromatic flavors of the lighter-bodied, fruit-driven Nero d'Avola.

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffles

Dark chocolate exudes drier flavors, which are amplified with the addition of salt. Nero d'Avola's fuller-bodied variety is the perfect match for this higher cacao content dessert. Grown on clay and deep soils of the island, the food-friendly wine produces indigenous chocolatey nuances through robust aromas of cocoa, rose and licorice to make a natural union with the drier flavor components of dark chocolate.

Look to the label to discover Sicilia DOC wines at your local wine shop and on restaurant menus.

Photo Credit: Chocolate and Nero d'Avola

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