Wine, chocolate and romance are forever linked in our hearts and minds and with good reason. Since the Middle Ages, each year on Feb. 14th, the date of the death of Saint Valentine, young men have courted the objects of their affection with gifts.

In 1528, when Hernando Cortez first brought chocolate to Spain from the Aztec Empire it was considered the ultimate gift to bestow upon a loved one. Its rarity and seductive powers made it a true expression of passion and devotion. The Aztecs believed chocolate to have aphrodisiac qualities-they called it the food of the Gods.

Of course we've long known that wine has romantic qualities of its own. The secret for romance is to combine the wine and the chocolate. Science tells us that chocolate has stimulants to energize and induce feelings of well being and wine sets the mood, relaxes us and lowers inhibitions. Science aside, it's really about slowing down, relaxing and indulging your senses.

When pairing wine and chocolate, elegant, soft reds that go easy on the oak will meld beautifully with milk chocolate. Think Merlot or supple valley floor Cabernets like our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

For dark or bittersweet chocolate, full bodied reds, especially if they have a bit of roasted or chocolate character of their own make irresistible partners. Again, our Napa Cabernet is a tantalizing match because of the slight cocoa character in the 2001 vintage. The bitterness of dark chocolate with the massive, unbridled fruit in our Howell Mountain Cabernet is another marriage that's meant to be.

When we released our 20th Anniversary Sparkling Rosé it didn't take long to discover its intense love affair with chocolate. Our tasting room staff has become addicted to chocolate dipped strawberries with the Sparkling Rosé!

Colleen, our proprietor and in-house chef has designed the following menus, including a little chocolate in each course for all of you romantic chocaholics. Cheers!

All chocolate menu for the romantic chocaholic..
first course
Cocoa seared scallops
Serve with Goosecross Sparkling Rosé

entree
Short ribs with coffee-cocoa sauce
Polenta (side-dish, recipe listed along with Short ribs)
Serve with Goosecross Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

dessert
Chocolate crazy cake
Serve with Goosecross Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon