Just a couple days into the New Year and I’m getting my butt kicked on the resolutions.
Number One: play chess. With about 10 games under my belt, it is still somewhat aggravating when my boyfriend checkmates me and jumps out of his chair in a victory leap, arms raised overhead like a World Cup goal scorer. “Hiya!” Now you see what I mean. But persist I will. I’ve realized that small allowances for childishness are part and parcel of life, but one must rise above these moments in search of greatness and checkmates, whatever the playing board.
Of a sub-zero temperatured evening, in our non-televisioned home, the chess board sits encircled by wine glasses and chocolate bars. Not so bad, eh? Resolution 2 and 3: develop a palate for wine and chocolate. I wish I could say this was about heart health, and that I am part of some study that believes in the absolute goodness of such things at levels above what is currently considered moderation. My own take on these foods is that products of some fermentation history and cultural importance dating centuries in the past absolutely must be decent for you.
The goal is three-fold: develop a different mental acuity (chess), and sensorial awareness of taste and smell (wine and chocolate). As the saying goes, use it or loose it, be it your mind, your tongue, your physical abilities. Awareness comes with perception of detail, paying attention, patiently sifting through the myriad things we see, hear, taste, smell and touch every day. It’s of course up to you to decide what’s worth your while.
And then there are the inlaws that help you along such paths. An absolutely lip-smacking glass or two of Mouton Rothschild was shared with me during the recent Christmas day dinner. Justin and I cooked up a feast of roast lamb filled with chorizo stuffing, citrus spiked kale salad, cheese and olive plates and more, yet this wine took my breath away. Whenever anything does that to me, I’ve learned to live that moment, memorize that moment for all that it is. That wine will stay with me, illuminated by soft candlelight reflecting off red Christmas table linens, a light east Texas twang, and a new family surrounding me with love.
The wine palate building has proven only slightly distracting to the chess playing resolution. Having purchased whole cases from various Valley wine distributors, we are realizing the potential for resolutions to become hobbies. Despite the discount on purchases of such size, there will be no ski season passes in our wallets this winter. Contemplating my knight’s next move while sipping alternately on a Washington Cabernet followed by a French Bordeaux . . . one just simply must make choices.
And then there was chocolate. More of a winter cleaning moment, we once pulled every bar out of the cabinet, sweet teeth aching from lack of any homemade desserts. Tasting a section of each bar in succession proved fascinating, and so began our own Willy Wonka experience down the river of chocolate enlightenment. Here is a sample itinerary for an evening, though I’d suggest trying just three or so to start:
Moonstruck milk chocolate mayan bar. Velvety smooth with just enough almond and cinnamon to make you wonder at the odd deliciousness.
Green & Black 60% dark chocolate with crystallized ginger. I’m a sucker for ginger, and this combo is succulent.
Endangered Species 72% dark chocolate with hazelnut toffee (or their 72% intense dark chocolate with cacao nibs). Clearly I’m a nut fan, and hazelnuts shine in this one chocolate that uses beet sugar for sweetening instead of cane sugar.
Madécasse 70% cocoa. Very distinct, perhaps due to Madagascar cocoa?
Moonstruck 72% Dominican Republic dark chocolate. The ultimate finisher, in my current opinion. This chocolate, once you have tasted the others, offers hints of citrus, berries and flowers, all with a richness that is completely unique. This bar defies my description, but did so after a full round of tasting. Only then does it seem like the nuances reveal themselves more clearly.
As for wines, we’re into big reds that blow everything else out of the water. It appears that this particular taste leaning will continue for some time, as we are repeatedly disappointed by attempts to drink anything else. As with chocolate, start with something less dominating.
The Washington state wines listed below work better to start, according to my taste, as their fruity notes are sweeter to me. I like having the French or Italian afterwards, as their flavor comes across as more robost and earthy. All of these have big taste and smell great. Open the bottle(s) and let sit for at least a half hour, and try to sip your glass over the course of some time. The taste and smell will keep developing with these, making the whole experience more interesting.
Here are some big wines that go perfectly with an evening of chess and chocolate:
French
Chateau Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc,2004.
Chateau Beaumont Haut-Médoc, 2002.
Italian
Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco, 2007.
Inama Carmenere blend, 2007.
American
Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon.
Syzygy Cabernet Sauvignon.
