Chocolate wine? Anyone?

Anyone have any ideas on how to make a chocolate wine or chocolate fruit wine combination?

I have made a chocolate wine and am making a chocolate mead. Best to use Dutch cocoa and roasted cocoa nibs... and be prepared to wait months and months for the cocoa to clear. You might also consider adding cocoa (or nibs ) to wine from oranges...

go to Jack Kellars web site and blog. He has great recipe for strawberry and orange chocolate wine.

I attempted making a Chambourcin/Rougeon blend that I had fermented into a wine with a 'hint' of chocolate. My attempt was not overly successful. I used a Ghirardelli 100% Unsweetend Cocao candy bar and in one gallon I broke off 4 squares of chocolate and the other 1 gallon, I used 2 squares of chocolate. I would stir each on occasion and after two months, I decided to taste a sample. Neither one had even the slightest hint of chocolate flavoring. After a few more weeks I racked each one over to another 1 gallon carboy and the chocolate squares looked untouched. When I broke one open, the red tint of the wine had not even been absorbed the whole way through.
Anyway.. if I try this experiment again, I will use a different chocolate source. Just passing on my experience.

I have two different types.
A. chocolate covered cherry wine and
B. orange juice wine racked onto chocolate.

In B. I used Lindt 85% dark chocolate. Left the wine on it for 2 weeks and it has a nice hint of chocolate on the finish.

I think I had stumbled across jack killers article, that is what gave me the inspiration to try. I added cherries and blueberries. Racked out of primary today and the chocolate smell and flavor is strong! I don't really notice the fruit flavors so much? Can I add some cherry juice at this stage? Anyone have any good flavors come from a finished wine? Details?

Have v you had one finish with good flavors? Was it very chocolatey? Boulevard makes a chocolate beer, not a huge fan of beer, that I tried and didn't care for. The hops were strong and I didn't really get much chocolate flavor. Hoping wine is different!

Goose said:

I think I had stumbled across jack killers article, that is what gave me the inspiration to try. I added cherries and blueberries. Racked out of primary today and the chocolate smell and flavor is strong! I don't really notice the fruit flavors so much? Can I add some cherry juice at this stage? Anyone have any good flavors come from a finished wine? Details?

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Meant to say Keller! Auto correct on my phone changed it to Killer! Sorry!

I think what counts for "chocolate" in beer is a particular type of malting of the grain. I am sure too that cocoa (or perhaps nibs) may be added but the real chocolate comes form the malt itself

BernardSmith said:

I think what counts for "chocolate" in beer is a particular type of malting of the grain. I am sure too that cocoa (or perhaps nibs) may be added but the real chocolate comes form the malt itself

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Ah, see, not being a beer drinker I wouldn't have appreciated it in that way. I was expecting chocolate in the form of nibs or cocoa. Expected a real chocolate flavored beer.

I have sooooo much to learn!

Me too but "chocolate malt" is one of the darker roasted malts. But again, I think nibs may be added too but the real chocolate flavor is coming from the malt. Otherwise the aging time would be in months and not two or three weeks.

I combined 6oz Ghirardelli 100% dark cocoa chocolate, brandy, and a finished cherry wine in 1 gal carboy for 1.5 months. The chocolate was bland when I racked the wine off it in January. It overwhelmed the cherry flavor to begin with. After sampling and topping off it is excellent.