Port & Chocolate Hook-Up

February is now upon us – the month that promises hopes of spring and love – or at least a satisfying hook-up. Speaking of hook-ups, while those of the flesh can at times be disappointing (who knew?), one pairing never seems to disappoint: port and chocolate.

Why is that?

For starters, phenethylamine is the natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and  psychoactive drug stimulant found in chocolate – especially very dark chocolate – that acts as a neurotransmitter in the human brain. The result? Heightened romantic feelings and an overall euphoric mood. Cool, eh? Now, combine that with port wine and you have the ultimate holiday aphrodisiac … not to mention a foodie delight.

Where to find such a marvelous mating, you ask?

Try Fran’s Chocolates, Ltd. – the European-style chocolate shops founded by none other than Fran Bigelow herself in 1982. (She named her company after herself at the prompting of a cousin, who told her it was important that her customers knew that it was her personally making those chocolates in the back room.) About a week ago, your Hedonista was invited to sample some of Fran’s port-paired chocolates, as well as to sit down with the legendary Fran herself and discuss her labor of love: the chocolate business.

Why an artisan chocolate business?

Fran has her grandmother to thank for that, for Fran – who obtained her business degree at the University of Washington, with a focus on accounting – comes from an entrepreneurial family. Her grandparents owned a trucking company, but her grandmother had always wanted to open a boutique gift shop. As a child, Fran would go on road trips from Vancouver to Portland with her grandmother en route, they would sample all the local, artisan chocolate shops along the way. So she started her R&D at an early age, followed by a trip to Paris, France – and the recognition that nothing like the chocolate shops of Paris existed in Seattle. Fran undertakes a small batch production, sources quality cacao from such regions as Venezuela, Madagascar, and Ecuador, and uses fine, local organic ingredients whenever possible. She started with her dark chocolate truffle, but it was a long-time customer of hers in the second year of the business that made her create her signature confection: her caramel chocolates, in particular her salted caramel chocolates (which took her almost a year of trial and error to meet her customer’s specifications; it’s lucky for Fran that her caramel-crazy customer bought up all of her trial chocolates). Although she began with the addition of nuts (think almonds and pecans) to the chocolate-covered caramels, the salt came later – in 1998/1999 – when Chef/Vintner/Food TV Host/Organic Farmer Michael Chiarello informed Fran that salt was all the rage. The rest, as we say, is history…. This is also a true family business, for Fran’s son Dylan and daughter Andrina are also in the business; Dylan is a chocolate maker and Andrina works on the business and marketing side of things. Fran’s chocolates can also be found at Metropolitan Market, Whole Foods Market, and PCC Natural Markets as well as some boutique grocers.

But back to port and chocolate hook-ups: the point of the port and wine pairings is that – like a good, long-term union between two sexual partners – although each is good on their own, together, they become a formidable force. Fran’s current offerings – with tasting notes – include the following:

- Chateau Lamourette 2005 Sauternes, paired with Fran’s classic milk caramel. The spicy and hint of lychee fruit of the Sauternes plays nicely on the palate with the buttery milk caramel. (Alternate chocolate pairing: Frans’ pure milk chocolate truffle.)

- Porto Rocha 10 Year Old Tawny, paired with Fran’s milk chocolate smoked salt caramel. The orange, almond, caramel, and sweet coconut notes of the port pair well with the milk chocolate, caramel, and Halen Mon Welsh-oak-smoked sea salt caramel confection. (Alternate chocolate pairing: pretty much all of Frans’ chocolate offerings.)

- Porto Rocha Lagrima White Port, paired with Fran’s organic candied ginger enrobed in 64% dark chocolate. The sweet notes of citrus and lemon verbena balance the acidity and complement the spicy-sweet bite of the chocolate-covered candied ginger. (Alternate chocolate pairing: Frans’ white chocolate truffle.)

- Dona Matilde 1991 Colheita Tawny, paired with Fran’s dark chocolate gray salt caramel. The coffee bouquet, dried fruit and caramel notes, and nutty finish mate marvelously with the dark, salty caramel candy, which sources its salt from France, from the coast of Brittany. (Alternate chocolate pairing: Frans’ chocolate-dipped apricot.)

Want to try even more port and chocolate pairings?

Then sign up for the February 7th, 2011 Port and Chocolate Tasting, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF) – of which your Hedonista is a Board Member. This event takes place this Monday, February 7th at the Madison Park Café at 7:00 p.m., with a cost of $25 for both AIWF members and non-members (plus tax/gratuity). The ports featured will be a total of six, and include some of Fran’s port offerings, as well as her paired chocolates.

Seating is limited (I hear that there are only a few spaces left); to sign up for this event, click here. (And please consider becoming a member of the NW Chapter of the AIWF – for example, an individual annual membership is $75 and $125 for a dual membership. For PNW AIWF member benefits, click here.)

After all, hook-ups come in all shapes and sizes, dear hedonists.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the give venue/meal/performance/product/service.