Chocolate Crepes and Red Zinfandel Port for Wine Wednesday Number 13: Wine and Chocolate

I was made aware of this Wine Wednesday by reading Chocolate & Zucchini. I decided to collaborate on this Wine and Chocolate theme with pastry chef Glenn Schwabik, a nice fellow whose talent is bigger than his ego as opposed to many of today’s star chefs. After many discussions we settled on Chocolate Crepes.As he used Valrhona Chocolate and Dark Beer for the batter, I decided to try three wines: Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Port, Rodney Strong Cabernet and for contrast Bonny Doon Vin de Glaciere.
We decided that definitely the Rancho Zabaco Red Zinfandel Port was the best pairing. After a bite of the Chocolate Crepe and a little of the Port, we would get in order a milder chocolaty taste , then the fruit of the zinfandel port and last the bitter side of the chocolate.
It did manage to ring a whole range of flavors.
The Rodney Strong Cabernet was too tanic and as for the Bonny Doon Vin de Glaciere, its sweetness did not work with the crepes but was perfect with the Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse pictured on the right.

Here is the Recipe for the Crepes:
2/3 Cup A.P Flour
3 1/2 Tablespoons Valrhona Coco Powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 lg Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Cup whole milk (Room temperature)
3 Tablespoons Dark Beer
2 Tablespoons Melted Unsalted Butter

Sift flour and coco powder together, add sugar and wet ingredients. Wisk in melted butter, let batter sit 30 minutes.

Glenn Schwabik is currently the Pastry Chef at Napa Valley Grille in Paramus, New Jersey.