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Red Wine and Chocolate — A Yakima Valley Wine Country Weekend

Each February, Yakima Valley wineries welcome Red Wine and Chocolate enthusiasts with special hospitality. Winemakers match premium red wine with irresistible confections, creating a romantic reason to visit the beautiful Yakima Valley countryside. Make the short journey to Yakima Valley over Presidents' Day weekend for wine, chocolate, and time together.

Red Wine and Chocolate

A February Presidents Day Weekend Tradition

February 12-15, 2027

Plan a winter wine country getaway designed around red wine and chocolate. Wineries throughout the Yakima Valley are preparing one of the year’s most tempting weekends, with tasting routes featuring Yakima Valley red wines alongside delicious chocolate creations.

Held each Presidents Day weekend, Red Wine and Chocolate is an annual February tradition in Yakima Valley Wine Country. The weekend works equally well for time with friends or a romantic escape. Valley wineries are preparing special tastings, thoughtfully developed pairings, and additional experiences.

Find the chocolate pairing that suits you best. Possibilities include wine-infused chocolate brownies, chocolate fondue, chef-crafted artisan desserts, and chef’s brunch selections created to complement the wine. The offerings extend beyond chocolate, too, with savory options such as artistic back and cheese boards and a luxe winemakers dinner. Participating wineries may also feature live music, special activities, food trucks, charcuterie, and other house-made wine country fare.

The calendar will continue to grow as more events are added ahead of the weekend.

Make the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center Your First Stop

At the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center, collect Yakima Valley wine maps, details about the special treats available at wineries, winery hours, and a complete entertainment guide for your stay. The gift shop also carries Yakima Valley made products and distinctive souvenir items.

Visitor Centers Hours

Main Visitors Center
Tues - Sat 10:00am - 4:00pm

Closed Sunday and Monday Presidents Day.

Check back regularly, since event listings are updated and expanded as information arrives from participating wineries.

The event listings include only members of Yakima Valley Tourism. For information about membership, contact the Director of Member Services at (509) 575-3010.

Member Wineries of Yakima Valley Tourism participating in Red Wine and Chocolate can submit their event here to have their food and wine pairings added.

How Do You Pair Red Wine and Chocolate?

Learn the Basics

Wine and chocolate each offer plenty of complexity. Begin with three straightforward principles:

  1. The wine you select must be perceived as sweeter than the chocolate.

Chocolate leaves a coating in your mouth, so choose a wine with enough body to move through its richness. Similar flavors in the wine and chocolate can be a useful starting point. As with every food-and-wine pairing, your own palate makes the final decision about what works best. Use these suggestions as a guide, then allow your taste buds to take over.

What to Pair With White Chocolate

White chocolate is not technically chocolate because it contains no cacao, but its combination of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter makes it especially sweet. Riesling or Gewürztraminer are good options.

What to Pair With Milk Chocolate

Because it has a high sugar content and only a small amount of cacao, milk chocolate is the sweetest among the true chocolates. Apply the first rule by selecting a wine sweeter than the chocolate; otherwise, the combination may create a rubber band-like taste in your mouth. A sweet, flavorful tawny port may be the ideal choice, although the right bottle of pinot noir can also make an excellent match.

What to Pair With Semisweet Chocolate

Semisweet chocolate contains approximately 50 to 70 percent cacao and is the sweetest variety of dark chocolate. Its nutty, spicy, or earthy notes lead to a balanced finish that is less sweet than milk or white chocolate. Cabernets or Bordeauxs can highlight the chocolate’s fruity or peppery characteristics, while ruby port remains a classic companion for semisweet chocolate.

What to Pair With Bittersweet Dark Chocolate

Bittersweet dark chocolates are the most concentrated in flavor. They contain the least sugar and the highest cacao levels, ranging from about 71 and 100 percent. Their intense roasted bitterness calls for a powerful red wine to create balance. Zinfandels are the go-to when pairing wine with bittersweet dark chocolate. Because these chocolates have the lowest sweetness, you have a broader range of choices and can also try sweeter wines such as ports and muscats.

  1. Taste the wine, then the chocolate.

After choosing a promising match, begin with the wine and let its flavors spread fully across your palate. Follow with a bite of chocolate and allow it to melt gradually on your tongue.

  1. Sip the wine once again.

That final taste may make wine without chocolate seem unimaginable.

Annual Wine Country Events

Yakima Valley Wine Country Experiences

Visit the Red Wine and Chocolate - Yakima Valley Wine Event page →