Perfect Pairings: Wine & Chocolate with Murrieta’s Well Wines
Our favorite wine & chocolate pairings
Wine and chocolate make a timeless pairing, with each enhancing the other’s flavors in unique and delightful ways. Whether you’re indulging in a quiet moment or hosting a special gathering, pairing the right wine with the right chocolate can transform the experience. Here, we focus on three of our remarkable wines: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Each wine offers its own distinct character, which pairs beautifully with different types of chocolate.
Murrieta’s Well 2021 Tempranillo & Dark Chocolate with Berries
The 2021 Tempranillo is a wine with depth and balance, opening with inviting aromatics of dark plum and cinnamon graham cracker. On the palate, it delivers flavors of sweet vanilla, cocoa powder, and dark berries, which meld into a well-rounded mouthfeel with firm tannins. The wine’s combination of fruit-forward flavors and rich textures makes it an excellent match for dark chocolate, especially those with a higher cocoa content (70% or more).
The slightly bitter taste of the dark chocolate enhances the wine’s rich berry notes, while the cocoa in the chocolate complements the Tempranillo’s cocoa powder nuances. To take the pairing to the next level, incorporate fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries, whose acidity balances the richness of both the chocolate and the wine.
Perfect Pairing:
- Wine: Murrieta’s Well 2021 Tempranillo
- Chocolate: Dark chocolate (70% or higher) with raspberry or strawberry-infused chocolate truffles
Murrieta’s Well 2021 Merlot & Chocolate with Cherries or Caramel
The 2021 Merlot from Murrieta’s Well opens with beautiful aromatics of candied black cherry, anise, and violet, complemented by warm vanilla. On the palate, the wine has a delicious mouthfeel with beautiful concentration and texture, making it an excellent match for chocolates that feature fruit or caramel. The rich, velvety texture of Merlot works wonderfully with chocolate that has a similar smoothness, such as those with a cherry or caramel filling.
Pairing this Merlot with chocolate containing cherries brings out the wine’s candied black cherry notes, while caramel-filled chocolates highlight the wine’s vanilla and soft, textured finish. This pairing strikes a perfect balance of sweetness and depth.
Perfect Pairing:
- Wine: Murrieta’s Well 2021 Merlot
- Chocolate: Cherry-infused dark chocolate or caramel-filled chocolate truffles
Murrieta’s Well 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon & Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts
Murrieta’s Well 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of great depth, with fruit-driven notes of ripe black cherry, black currant, anise, and a touch of cocoa. The expansive mouthfeel and broad midpalate lead to a finish of rich, structured tannins. This bold wine pairs perfectly with milk chocolate, whose creamy sweetness balances the wine’s tannins and fruit-forward flavors.
The addition of hazelnuts in the chocolate creates a harmonious pairing. The nuttiness of the hazelnuts enhances the deep, fruit-forward notes of the Cabernet Sauvignon, while the creamy milk chocolate complements the wine’s richness. The combination of flavors in this pairing creates a complex and indulgent tasting experience.
Perfect Pairing:
- Wine: Murrieta’s Well 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chocolate: Milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts or hazelnut praline truffles

Pro Tips for the Best Pairing Experience:
Experiment with temperature: Serve red wines slightly cooler than room temperature—around 60–65°F—especially for the Cabernet Sauvignon. A slight chill softens tannins, enhancing the wine’s flavors.
Balance is key: When pairing wine and chocolate, aim for a balance between the sweetness of the chocolate and the structure of the wine. Avoid pairing overly sweet chocolates with overly tannic wines.
Let the wine breathe: Especially with the Cabernet Sauvignon, allow the wine to breathe for 30-45 minutes before tasting. This helps the wine open up and reveals its full complexity.
Mind the chocolate’s cocoa content: Dark chocolate (70% or more) works well with bolder reds like Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, while milk chocolates are best suited for wines with softer profiles like Merlot.
Just to Summarize
These wine and chocolate pairings with Murrieta’s Well wines offer a rich, indulgent experience full of depth and complexity. Whether you’re enjoying a quiet evening or entertaining friends, these pairings are sure to elevate the moment and bring out the best in both the wine and chocolate. Cheers to discovering new combinations of flavors that delight the senses!
2021 Tempranillo
This wine delivers appealing aromatics and a complex palate. Our 2021 Tempranillo opens with aromatics of dark plum and cinnamon graham cracker. On the palate, flavors of sweet vanilla and cocoa powder merge with dark berries to form a balanced mouthfeel and firm tannins.
$602021 Merlot
Our 2021 Merlot has beautiful aromatics of candied black cherry, anise, and violet complemented by notes of warm vanilla. This wine has a delicious mouthfeel, with beautiful concentration and texture.
$652020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Our 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of great depth and concentration. It is a fruit-driven with notes of ripe black cherry framed by black currant, anise and cocoa. The mouthfeel is expansive with a broad midpalate that delivers rich tannins in the finish.
$100