Welcome to Cowes Fringe 2026! this weekend, I have been joined once again by Chantal Coady OBE aka The Chocolate Detective to showcase a range of her delicious artisan chocolates with some wines that were hand-picked by me. A HUGE thank you to Bar46 Cowes for hosting us and for the Jack Thompson team for their unfailing generosity and help with this event!
I’ve written before on the rules of thumb when pairing wine and chocolate (it’s a minefield!) so take a look at that article if you’re keen to know more. In the meantime, this is what we are tasting today…
Pink Prosecco + Caramelised Almonds
The Chocolate Detective, Caramelised Provençal Almonds in Dark Chocolate, £16.95, Jack Thompson
La Gioiosa Tradizione Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato Brut 2024, £10.50 (25% off if you buy 6) Waitrose
This is the pairing that opens the evening with a little shimmer. La Gioiosa is not your average Prosecco rosé. It’s brut, which means it’s drier than most DOCs and vintage-dated, which together gives it real precision and restraint. Red fruit, rose petal and a whisper of pomegranate meet the bittersweet crunch of caramelised almond and dark chocolate and the bubbles do the washing up between bites.
White Chocolate + Oaked, New World Chardonnay
The Chocolate Detective, White Chocolate with Cardamom & Foraged Fennel, £16.95 Jack Thompson
Toast & Honey Chardonnay, California, 2023, £15.50 (£10.50 mix 6 price) Majestic
Toast & Honey is exactly what the name promises: warm, generous, lightly oaked and super ripe California Chardonnay with vanilla and stone fruit that wraps around white chocolate like a cashmere blanket. It’s intense, which is why it can take the white chocolate. The cardamom and foraged fennel in the chocolate make this pairing interesting rather than merely pleasant, though. The spice lifts the wine's sweetness, the fennel echoes its herbal edge and suddenly you're somewhere more complex than either ingredient suggested on its own.
White Chocolate + Moscato
The Chocolate Detective, White Chocolate with Cardamom & Foraged Fennel, £16.95 Jack Thompson
Cantine Volpi Moscato Piemonte DOC 2025, £8 (£7 mix 6), Majestic
The gentlest pairing of the evening, Cantine Volpi Moscato is low in alcohol, floral and lightly honeyed with peach blossom, apricot, zesty citrus and a little grapey freshness. Against the white chocolate the sweetness levels are perfectly matched and the cardamom and fennel stop it tipping into cloying territory. Think of it as a dessert alternative that’s different and light on its feet! Uncomplicated pleasure, done well.
Dark Cherry Chocolate + Malbec
The Chocolate Detective, Dark Chocolate with Whole Sour Cherries, £16.95, Jack Thompson
‘Dada’ Art Malbec, Finca Las Moras, £8.25 Tesco and Sainsburys
Dada is an unpretentious, crowd-pleasing Argentinian Malbec that does exactly what it says on the tin: dark blueberries, plum a hint of vanilla and rounded tannins that don't outstay their welcome. The sour cherries in the chocolate cut through the Malbec's softness with a little tartness that keeps everything lively. It’s dark fruit calling to dark fruit, with enough contrast to stop it becoming one long purple note. An easy, very satisfying pairing.
Dark Chocolate + New World Cabernet Sauvignon
The Chocolate Detective, Madagascar Menakao 63% Chocolate Calets, £16.95, Jack Thompson
Two Hands, Tenacity Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia, £16.50 (£14.50 mix six), Majestic
Milk Chocolate + Tawny Port
The Chocolate Detective, Hazelnut Praline Puffin Eggs, £14.95, Jack Thompson
Waitrose Blueprint Tawny Port, £10.25 (25% off mix 6 price), Waitrose
This is the most classically reasoned pairing on the table and it earns that status. Two Hands Tenacity is a serious Cabernet, with cassis, black cherry, mulberry and a savoury edge that tells you old vines went into this bottle. The Madagascar 63% is pure, unfussy dark chocolate with nothing added to distract from the conversation. Tannin meets tannin, the cassis mirrors the chocolate's red fruit notes and the savoury finish of the wine finds its match in the slight bitterness of the cacao.
Want to see what we tasted with the spirits pairing? See here!
Want to read about the wine and chocoalte pairing rules of thumb? See here!