Wine and Chocolate… pretty much everything I need to make me happy {oh, and my family… hehe} but all things aside, it’s a pretty heavenly combination. So when brainstorming fun things todo at home on New Years Eve, I thought back to the Wine and Chocolate Pairing I did with my girlfriends with this TCHO kit and Uproot Wine and decided I definitely need todo it again.

The key point is starting with amazing wines. I have featured Uproot, a Napa based company on several occasions {like here and here}, and aside from the fact that their wines are delish, their alcohol content is actually higher than most wines so for NYE it’s kind of a no brainer.

So what do you need to make this happen? Well the actual TCHO kit with gourmet chocolates and notecards is sold at Williams-Sonoma as well as on their website TCHO.com. No time to buy, no problem. You can DIY this fun game at home… you simply need an array of chocolate bars and a variety of wines for pairing. The main point to take home before you get started is that there is no right or wrong answer. Let your tastebuds do the talking and try more than suggested {hey, it’s New Years anyways!}, like restauranteurs say red wine goes with steak, a white wine drinker may beg to differ, so see what works for you!

What you need:

• A fudgy chocolate paired to Uproot Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, or Shiraz
• A fruity chocolate paired to Uproot Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Port
• A nutty chocolate paired to Uproot Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet
• A chocolate with Sea Salt paired to Uproot Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir
• Rather do cheese? Baked Brie paired to Uproot Rose or Uproot Grenache Blanc
• A set of wine glasses {a separate glass per person per wine}
• Notecards and Pens to take Notes

What todo:

Hand out a bite-sized chocolate to each guest along with a small taste of the suggested wine. Allow each guest to taste and sip. Go around and discuss what each person thinks of the combinations. Are there any flavors that stick out? Take notes with the pen and paper if you would like. Once done, head to the next chocolate.

Want some fun reading material after or during the game? Browse these fun wine facts in my interview with the founders of Uproot Greg Scheinfeld and Jay Levy in this post.

This post was sponsored on behalf of Uproot.  Items have been gifted to me, but opinions are my own.