Vine to Bar - Chocolate Covered Almonds with Chardonnay Marc, Himalayan Pink Salt - June 4, 2024

Chocolate of the Day

Vine To Bar
Chocolate Covered Almonds with Chardonnay Marc, Himalayan Pink Salt
Good ++ 
Weight: 2 oz. (56.6 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) in total package 
Calories: 340 calories in 1/2 package
Cost: $10.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #10 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week, featuring chocolates with several different fruits, including cherry, cranberry, marionberry, blueberry, strawberry, orange, lime, and now...Chardonnay (grape) Marc.*

Today's Chocolate Covered Almonds were manufactured for: Vine to Bar (Healdsburg, CA).

Aroma notes included: dark chocolate and subtle fruit (peach, lemon, white grape and cacao fruit) and nut notes.

Texture and flavor notes included: crunchy almonds surrounded by rich, smooth and sweet (65% cacao) dark chocolate with faint fruit/fruit cookie notes. 

The diffuse fruit notes added subtle flavor depth. The judicious touch of Himalayan Pink Salt was appealing; and it helped balance and complement the sweetness, and also tipped this snack into the addictive chocolate zone.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate (Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors), Roasted Almonds, Wellvine (TM) Chardonnay Marc, Himalayan Pink Salt.

Allergen-related information: "Contains: Soy, Almond. May Contain: Tree Nuts, Peanut, Wheat, Milk, and Nut Shell Fragments."

* Chardonnay Marc is a byproduct (or "co-product") of the Chardonnay juice extraction process in winemaking. The marc, also known as pomace, may include grape skins, seeds and stems--and is often discarded or used as compost. Vine to Bar founders were interested in sustainability and upcycling the marc.

Vine to Bar chocolates contain Wellvine--a substance that incorporates their Chardonnay by-product-with-benefits (including dietary fiber and polyphenols/flavonols). Cacao and dark chocolate contain fairly high levels of beneficial antioxidants; and adding a few more in fruit form might be even better.

The USDA and the University of California at Davis were consulted/ involved in researching this product. UC Davis researchers helped confirm potential bioactive compounds and health benefits.

Vine to Bar - Dark Chocolate Chardonnay Marc tasting square - July 9, 2023

Chocolate of the Day

Vine to Bar
Chocolate Tasting Squares
Chardonnay Smoked Salt and Cocoa Nibs
Good +
Weight: .777 oz. (22 g.) in 2 squares
Calories: 120 calories in 2 squares
Cost: $2.58 for 2 squares
Purchased from: The Market at Edgewood, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate with Chardonnay Marc chocolate tasting square(s) were from Vine to Bar. (There was no HQ location listed on packaging or website.) 

The chardonnay grape marc* used in the company's chocolates was from "coastal vineyards." The company uses pressed wine grapes that might otherwise get discarded to use in chocolates.

Aroma notes included: naturally sweet dark chocolate, soft, diffuse fruit, and slightly floral botanical (including very faint vanilla-like, sweet green) notes.

The chocolate was fairly smooth, with a very slightly granular texture (likely due to chardonnay grape marc). A light sprinkling of cocoa bean pieces (nibs) added a crunchy element.

The flavor was a blend of very light dark chocolate and soft fruity (grape) notes, with a bit of salt. The flavors were relatively gentle, and well balanced.

I also tasted a few other Vine to Bar flavors, including a "plain" Dark Chocolate flavor. It shared some of the same aroma and flavor notes as those mentioned above. Relatively subtle, sweet flavors. It had slightly more dark chocolate oomph to it, but was otherwise very similar.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural flavors)

Allergen-related information: May contain tree nuts, peanut, egg, wheat and milk. Vine to Bar Chocolates "contain no alcohol."

*Chardonnay Marc is a by-product of making wine. It's what's left after wine grape juice has been extracted. (According to the company, this by-product represents "up to 10 billion pounds of waste a year.")

The company describes their process to upcycle this marc as follows: "...After experimenting many times over, we transformed this by-product into WellVine (tm) Chardonnay Marc, a new ingredient full of natural sweetness, flavanols, and beneficial nutrients. It is also alcohol free.

This is one of several relatively new "upcycled" chocolates I've tasted that have become popular in recent years. This trend sounds practical and economical. I'm also interested in how these by-products will be monitored (e.g. how they're tested for pesticides and herbicide residues).

Reel Chocolate - Handmade Fantasy Chocolate 70% with nuts, fruits (bar) - Nov. 19, 2022

Chocolate of the Day

Reel Chocolate
Handmade Fantasy Chocolate
70% Belgian Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Freeze Dried Fruits (bar)
Good ++
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 4.06 oz. (115 g.) in total bar
Calories: 151.6 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift from a friend 
Purchased from: N/A - gift from a friend (Thank you Toni!)

Welcome to Day #2 of International Chocolate and Nuts Theme Week, featuring bars and blends of chocolate and nuts from around the world--including countries such as Greece, Slovenia and Serbia. Thank you to to traveling friend Toni, and local international markets.

Today's "Handmade Fantasy Chocolate" Wild Cabernet 70% dark chocolate with nuts and freeze-dried fruits (bar) from Reel Chocolate was made in Serbia.

This well-tempered bar broke with a hard snap (at 65 degrees F. (18.3 C) room temperature); and the aroma notes included: smooth dark chocolate (dark fudge), and subtle, authentic nut and fruit(s). 

Flavors: smooth, rich dark chocolate, fruit (red/dark berries (blueberry), currants, faint dark dried cherry), and faint vanilla spice and nut. Very thin threads intermingled with fruits topping this bar added a very faint chili flavor.

Note: While I could smell nuts in the aroma, and the chocolate had a fruit + nut flavor, I couldn't detect what nuts might be present when I tasted the chocolate. I paired this with a handful of organic, California almonds. 

Suggested beverage (red wine) pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients: liofilizovana nisnja; borovnica (blueberry), chili u vlaknima (chili in fibers/thin strands); cacao mass; sugar; cocoa powder (S.A. red, contains fat); emulsifier (soy lecithin); vanilla aroma. Contains at least 72% suvih kako-delova; at least 33% suvih namasnih kakao-delova. (Note: This is my attempted English translation of the ingredients list in Serbian. I apologize for any errors and omissions. The original ingredients list item names remain where translations were not available.)

Allergen-related information: Contains soy (lecithin).

Brookside Dark Chocolate Vineyard Inspired Merlot Grape, Black Currant (pieces) - May 23, 2021

Chocolate of the Day

Brookside Chocolate
(Distributed by The Hershey Company)
Dark Chocolate Vineyard Inspired Merlot Grape and Black Currant Flavors 
Good 
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories in 1 serving (16 pieces)
Cost: missing information
Purchased from: missing information 

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate and VWXYZ Theme Week, featuring chocolate items that have origins and/or flavor inclusions that start with the letters V, W, X, Y and Z.

Today's Brookside Dark Chocolate Vineyard Inspired Merlot Grape and Black Currant Flavors (pieces) were distributed by The Hershey Company (Hershey, PA).

The grapes in today's wine grape and fruit flavored chocolates were part of a festive, sweet sangria-colored, fruit punch filling, with vineyard roots. (It was great to see wine grapes featured in something other than wine.*) The "velvety" fruit center had a soft gummy chew, and was enveloped in dark chocolate and confectioner's glaze.

The blend of merlot grape and other juice concentrates, plus a hint of vanilla in the dark chocolate, resulted in a tart-sweet brightness, natural fruit colors, and a sugary warmth.

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate [sugar; chocolate; cocoa butter; milk fat; cocoa processed with alkali; lecithin (soy); milk; salt; natural vanilla flavor]; sugar; deionized apple juice concentrate; corn syrup; fruit juice concentrate [merlot grape juice concentrate; cranberry juice concentrate; black currant juice concentrate; lemon juice concentrate]; maltodextrin; natural flavor; pectin; malic acid; confectioner's glaze; canola oil; sodium citrate; baking soda; dextrose; citric acid; ascorbic acid.

Allergen-related information: "Gluten free; No artificial flavors; No artificial colors." "Manufactured on the same equipment that processes almonds."

*Wine table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice are almost as rare as cacao fruit/pulp and non-alcoholic cacao juice. However, these fruits can be delicious on their own if you ever have the chance to try them. 

The Wine Rayzyn Co. - Dark Chocolate Covered CabernayZyn - Sept. 17, 2020

Chocolate of the Day

The Wine Rayzyn Company, LLC
Dark Chocolate Covered CabernayZyn  
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) in one package
Calories: 60 calories in 1 package
Cost: $missing information 
Purchased from: missing information

Welcome to Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

Today's Dark Chocolate Covered CabernayZyn were made by The Wine Rayzyn Company, LLC (Napa, CA). Located in the heart of wine country in Northern California, the company specializes in food items made with wine grapes (rather than conventional eating grapes you'd see at a market).

Surprise! Wine grapes are great for high-end raisins (and grape juice) too. Normally these grapes are likely pricey enough that it's more profitable to use these for wine, but finding these grapes in their less processed, non-alcoholic phase is wonderful, rare treat.

The Wine Rayzyn Co. points out that the combination of today's dark chocolate and crunchy wine grapes offers a "double dose of antioxidants." It's true, both dark chocolate and grapes are relatively high in antioxidants--polyphenols, specifically, that are found in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine.

Today's crunchy (due to thick skins, small seeds, and perhaps a few stems*), dried Cabernet wine grapes were covered in a light layer of dark chocolate. 

These "CabernayZyns" were slightly lighter (in weight and flavor) than expected and slightly more rounded in shape than traditional raisins. 

And, even though the smooth, almost creamy* dark chocolate covering was nice and light, it was hard to taste nuances of grape flavor(s) associated with the grape used to make a bold, red Cabernet wine. (But, then again, the sugars in these raisins hadn't been converted to alcohol and aged either.)

Overall, this was a tasty, fun new snack to try, and these were not too sweet (thank you!).

*Ingredients: Dried Cabernet grapes with seeds and stems, dark chocolate (chocolate mass,  sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, milk fat (butter), pure vanilla). 

Philip Marks Chocolates - Dark 72% Raisin Bark - Aug. 12, 2016

Chocolate of the Day:

Philip Marks Chocolates
Dark Chocolate Raisin Bark
Very Good
Weight: 2.25 oz. (64 g.) / 4.5 oz. (128 g.) in total package
Calories: 320 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $5.49 for 1 package
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #5 of Chocolate, Fruit and Botanicals Month.

I was surprised and delighted to taste today's Dark Chocolate Raisin Bark from Philip Marks Chocolates (Brisbane, CA). Dried fruits such as raisins don't always get the respect, and careful treatment, they deserve.

Today's thick shards of high-quality, 72% (Arriba) cacao, dark chocolate bark were topped with jumbo-sized, plump golden raisins—that tasted more like juicy, sweet white wine grapes than the shriveled, dry raisins I recall from childhood.

This was a great elevated execution of a classic confection.

Claudio Corallo - Chocolate with grapes - Dec. 10, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Claudio Corallo
Ubric 1 - chocolate comme passas de uva
Very Good +
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total box
Calories: 255 calories (estimate) for 1/2 box
Cost: $26.00 for 1 box
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, Berkeley, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Africa Theme Week.

Perhaps no mention of chocolate from Africa would be complete without mentioning Claudio Corallo.

The man, and the chocolate maker, have merged into one, if for no other reason than his complete devotion to making great chocolate, in country, from tree-to-bar, in the small African island nation of Sao Tome et Principe, located West of Gabon and slightly north of the Equator).

This chocolate, with the long name (Ubric 1 - chocolate comme passas de uva e destilado de polpa de cacau) and the high price ($26 for 1 box), was worthy of attention for at least two reasons. First there is no other chocolate quite like this one, with robust chocolate and rum raisin flavor that comes from grapes and cacao pulp/fruit*. Second, it tastes intriguing and delicious.

There are only a few places in the U.S. that carry Claudio Corallo chocolates; Alegio Chocolate in the San Francisco Bay Area (Berkeley and Palo Alto) is one.

*The white pulpy fruit surrounding the core of seeds in a cacao pod, is full of flavor, but ferments very quickly, and you are unlikely to find fresh cacao pods or fruit in a store to taste. When incorporated correctly into chocolate (see also Madre Chocolate's Triple Cacao bar with cacao fruit, nibs and chocolate), and it can be wonderful.

WholeVine - Chocolate Chip Cookies - January 27, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

WholeVine Products
1.) Chocolate Chip Cookies
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 110 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Paradise Foods, Corte Madera, CA

2.) 2-Chocolates Chip Cookies
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) in total package
Calories: 120 calories in 1 cookie
Cost: $7.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Paradise Foods, Corte Madera, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week.

When baking with gluten free flours, applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin, jam with pectin, or xanthan gum, can help approximate the texture of conventionally baked cookies, and help bind ingredients together.

Today's Chocolate Chip, and 2-Chocolates Chip (chocolate and white chocolate chips), "Sonoma Style" Cookies from WholeVine Products (Santa Rosa, CA) incorporated applesauce and xanthan gum in their gluten free cookies.

However, what made these cookies special was the addition of Sauvignon Blanc grape seed, and grade seed skin flours. (The company also uses other varietal grapes.) According to the company -- based in Sonoma County, home of many fine wineries -- the unique, grape-based flours came from sustainably farmed coastal vineyards, via sister company Jackson Family Wines.

At the time of this writing, WholeVine made at least four different gluten free cookies. I previously featured their Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of the two I tried today, may favorite flavor was the Chocolate Chip (one without white chocolate chips), winner of a Sonoma County Harvest Fair Gold Medal. (Other flavors include Oatmeal Currant and Peanut Butter.)

Hats off to creative use of vineyard ingredients that add fiber and some nutritional value to baked goods like this.

WholeVine - Chocolate Chocolate-Chip cookies -: July 9, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

WholeVine Products
Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Sonoma Style Cookies
Good++
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) total bag/package
Calories: 220 calories in 2 cookies (assumes 8 per bag)
Cost: $7.99 for 1 bag
Purchased from: Molly Stone's Markets, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #12 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week. This backyard BBQ was Northern California style.

Or at least Sonoma Style...as in these gluten free Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies from WholeVine Products (Santa Rosa, CA). They were the perfect cookies for an solar cook-out and picnic.

(Solar cooker in my yard, pictured above right.) A California-style coq au vin dish (with chicken, wine, bacon and vegetables), a small glass of red wine for dessert, a BBQ chicken breast, and two of these chocolate cookies. Life was good.


A doff of the hat to gourmet wine country living; these cookies contained Merlot (red wine grape) skin and seed flours. WholeVine specializes in gluten-free cookies and flours, and culinary oils.

Thank you to Ken for tasting input.

ChocolateBet: July 26, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Zotter
Cheese-Walnuts-Grapes bar
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 grams)
Calories: 370 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $6.48 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

The English translation printed on the label of this organic and fair trade Cheese, Walnuts and Grapes bar (from Austria) stated the bar contained "Milk Chocolate filled with cheese cream." This unusual combination -- perhaps more commonly associated with a salad than a chocolate bar -- was great.

Filling ingredients include: cheese, raisins, almonds, apple balsamic vinegar, Grappa, salt and chili. Works for me. I ate this bar for lunch with a little lettuce and chicken on the side.

And, yes, if I had known about this bar earlier, I probably would have included it in "Chocolate and Cheese Theme Week" awhile back.