Earlier this month, some friends and I went to a chocolate and wine tasting hosted by the International Club of D.C. My buddy is a member, so we were able to get tickets at the member rate. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but we were very excited.
The event took place at Cocova, which recently changed its name from Biagio’s. It’s located in Dupont Circle, down a flight of steps.
We walked in and did not see anybody inside. All of a sudden, we were greeted by the store’s employee’s and were told that the event was taking place in the back room.
We headed to the back, and the room was packed while the owner of the shop, Biagio Abbatiello, was explaining how to sample chocolate. According to him, the best way is to crack the chocolate in half and then smell it. You then coat the inside of your mouth with the chocolate. The more cocoa butter that was used to make it, the quicker it will melt.
They had small bowls placed around the room with labels showing what it was and how much cocoa it contains. The more cocoa it has, the stronger it tastes. The ones with 70% or higher tasted very strong and bitter. There were about nine different chocolates to taste.
To pair with the chocolate, there were a variety of different wines to sample. The wines were a selection brought by Tradewinds Specialty Imports which imports wines from Spain. They had about six bottles to sample. The wines were really great, and paired well with the chocolate.
After a brief explanation about how chocolate is made, we were given the opportunity to try a selection of truffles. The truffles were true works of art.
The truffles were amazing. We all bought some to take home. I bought one made with whisky from Isle, one made with beer from Victory, one made with ghost chilis, a green lime truffle, and one cappuccino truffle. These truffles were expensive, but worth it. You can even order them online.
Overall, this was a fun event and were were stuffed full of chocolate and wine.
Hungry Like the Bear 