Red Wine and Chocolate: A Perfect Pairing

Red wine and chocolate tastes like a match made in heaven. Learn why with our Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting offered daily at Biltmore Winery in Asheville, NC.

How it works

“Pairing red wines and chocolates is an exciting way to discover nuances in both of them,” said Tim Rutherford, one of our outstanding Winery hosts who will guide you through the Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting.

Meet your Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting host at the La Farge Window display inside Biltmore Winery.

Your experience begins inside Biltmore Winery where you’ll meet your host at the La Farge Windows and kick off your experience with a glass of Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. Bubbles in hand, follow your host down Scholar’s Walk with its view of the clock tower that once kept Biltmore’s original dairy operation running on time.

A sparkling start

Your experience begins with a glass of Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Noir bubbles!

As you walk–and sip your sparkling wine–your host offers a fascinating glimpse into the Biltmore’s past, from its champion Jersey dairy cows to George Vanderbilt’s grandson’s vision to develop vineyards and a winery for his family’s estate.

Pairing red wines and chocolates

Biltmore red wines and artisan chocolates await each member of the group.

Upstairs* in the Clock Tower Room, you’ll have a chance to look over into the Tank Room where our still wines are fermented and the Champagne Bottling Room where our sparkling wines are bottled, corked, and labeled. You’ll also learn more about today’s production methods and winemaking philosophy under the direction of Executive Winemaker Sharon Fenchak.

Next, take a seat at one of the bistro-style tables where your red wines and chocolates await your tasting experience.

“Biltmore partners with Asheville-based Timothy Maguire Chocolates for the artisan truffles that we pair with a selection of premium Biltmore red wines,” Tim said. “This local chocolatier is able to create flavor profiles that highlight characteristics in our wines.”

We pair red Biltmore wines with stunning selection of decadent artisan chocolates from Timothy Maguire Chocolates.

This is the current tasting list featuring four premium Biltmore red wines and the delicious artisan chocolates selected for each pairing:

• Vanderbilt Reserve® Sonoma County Pinot Noir paired with a milk chocolate-roast pear truffle
• Biltmore Estate® Limited Release Malbec paired with bourbon-pecan chocolate
• Antler Hill® Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark chocolate fudge-filled truffle and a dark cranberry chocolate
• Antler Hill® Rockpile Zinfandel paired with a red raspberry chocolate

You’ll taste the wines one at time in order of body style, beginning with the light-bodied Pinot Noir and moving through to the full-bodied Zinfandel.

Before you begin the tasting, your host will walk you through the “4 S” method that you’ll use for each wine: See (look at the wine for color, depth, and body), Swirl (carefully swirl the wine in the glass for a few seconds to release its bouquet), Sniff (get your nose in the glass and smell the different aromas in the wine), then Sip (delicious!).

Your host will have you see and swirl the wine before you smell it and sip it.

What do you smell and taste in each wine? There are as many different answers as there are participants. This is a great opportunity to compare notes with the group and see what everyone else is experiencing.

“While there are classic aromas and flavors associated with each wine, every person has a unique palate that reflects their individual taste buds and the types of things they’ve tasted as a reference,” said Tim.

Your Winery host will guide you through each step of the Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting.

After you’ve tasted a wine, you’ll try the delightful chocolate selected to pair with it, and then you’ll taste them together and see how wine elements like mouthfeel and tannins are affected by cocoa levels and flavors in the chocolates.

“We’ll take each wine and its corresponding chocolate one at a time for this guided tasting,” Tim said, “but afterwards, if you have any wine or chocolate left over, you can try an impromptu pairing to see how they work together.”

Discover the delights of red wine and chocolate

Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting is offered daily at the Winery at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. The cost is $75 per person, and capacity is limited to 20 guests for each 45-minute experience.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended for these popular daily tastings. To attend, you must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or be a guest at one of our hotels or cottages on the estate. Guests must be at least 21 years of age with a valid ID to participate in a specialty wine experience.

To reserve your spot, call 800-543-2961 or visit a Guest Services location on the estate.

*An elevator is also available to access the Clock Tower Room.