Editor's note: Putting wine and chocolate together is an unusual culinary experience but if you follow Maggie Beale's suggestions you could be in for a pleasant surprise.

Derived from cocoa beans, chocolate has a colorful history; it appears in folklore, religious symbolism and in medicine.

Chocolate fondue

The pre-Columbian Aztecs of Central America loved a bitter-tasting drink mix of chocolate and chili called xocolat served only to men as it was classed as an aphrodisiac.

It reached Europe via the Spanish explorers, and the Italian Casanova rated chocolate above champagne for its seductive qualities.

Introduced into Britain by the Quakers, followers Joseph Fry and John Cadbury became rich on it and so did the Rowntree family.

It wasn't until the 19th century that it was served as a drink. And more than a century later it was found to be compatible with wine.

Wine is liquid sensuality: the color and clarity delight the eye, the aromas stimulate the appetite and its velvet caress soothes the spirit - however jaded.

Wine is voluptuous, velvety, silken and smooth - and so is chocolate. Put them together and the luxurious combination is impossible to resist. So long as you follow a simple formula.

Pair a less intensely flavored chocolate with lighter-bodied wines. Similarly, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be.

For chocolate desserts and cakes, try with Tawny Port, German or Austrian Trockenbeerenauslese, or fortified wines such as Madeira Malmsey or Bual, Beaume-de-Venise, Italian Marsala, Hungarian Tokay or a 'sticky' as the Australians like to call their Muscat wines.

Fruit driven Cabernet Sauvignons with low tannins are the perfect alternative to dessert wines and ports. The variety pairs well with dark or bittersweet chocolate which needs wine with a roasted, slightly bitter flavor such as Cabernet Sauvignon with a hint of spice in the middle notes or a gutsy Zinfandel.

Not being a lover of sugary dishes myself, I asked Thomas Meier head of Lindt & Sprungli in Hong Kong how to identify low-sugar chocolate from the selections on the shelves of supermarkets, "Our (Lindt) dark chocolate has a very high percentage (85 percent - 90 percent) of pure cocoa that leaves room for little else - including sugar." Simple really.

One recent event in Hong Kong confirmed a match of sweet wine and flavoured dark chocolate.

"We do like to encourage people to try food and wine for themselves, but realize that for most people it's difficult to predict tastes in isolation. It is easier to weed out the wrong matches, and concentrate on the best. The most popular match of the evening was an orange flavored chocolate from Lindt and a Botrytis Semillon," said Sally Fisk, GM of the commendable wine education centre, AWSEC, located in Sheung Wan. Tel: 2964-0188.

"And a fortified Muscat wine from Australia with pronounced nutty flavors went well with the Lindtor Haxlenut Ball. And a Cabernet Merlot matched with Lindt Mint Intense really brought out the eucalyptus flavors," she added.

While we all have different preferences in wine and food, most guidelines will work for us all. I prefer rich, full-bodied, Burgundy style Pinot Noir together with dark chocolate of 85 or 90 percent cocoa - that chocolate also works for me with a good Pu Erh tea.

As sweet concoctions chocolate is on every supermarket shelf, but it's also a prized ingredient in different savory dishes. In Mexico there is the famous mole' sauce made from chili varieties, nuts and spices with cacao beans or chocolate, that is often cooked with chicken.

If you are not familiar with wine and let's face it, you have to be to match successfully - it can be safer to keep to wines made from low tannin grapes such as Beaujolais (not nouveau) and Italian Dolcetto.

Some sparkling wine and champagne can be successfully paired with chocolate, although I wouldn't consider drinking vintage Krug champagne with a chocolate truffle! But sweeter versions such as Asti Spumante, Charmat method sweet sparkling, and demi-sweet or doux traditional-champagnes can be matched successfully.

Around town: simply-styled, the tiny neighborhood diner OLA in Sheung Wan, tel 2851-0012, makes the most delicious chocolate pudding I've tasted in years, order ahead.

Speciality restaurant Mozart Stub'n in Glenealy in Central, tel 2522-1763, is featuring chocolate fondue until the end of April. Check opening times for both.

Maggie Beale can be contacted at: wineexpert1@hotmail.com

(HK Edition 03/31/2008 page1)