Wine match for chicken in chocolate sauce

Randy, you may not agree with my choice, but I'd go for a Pinotage with the spices you list there - the reason is that I actually use cinnamon and tomato paste for one of my beefsteak rubs, so add chocolate to that (which can show up as cocoa in some Pinotages) and it was a no-brainer.

However, I think that a savoury Syrah should work too.

Is this a mole sauce you're talking about? I just had some for the first time on Wednesday, and ended up splattering it all over one of my favorite, snow-white sweaters. It ain't comin' out!

Sorry to digress - I have no idea what type of wine might go well as I wasn't really a big fan to be honest, but I do know that Shout isn't worth a darn with it

We would go with Zindandel, pork or not.

K,

The sauce is not mole. Indeed, there is no resemblance to anything Mexican. I could go on about Mole - having made them from scratch. But basically, Randy's recipe has no chiles, nuts, seeds, fruits, Mexican herbs, etc. that are essential to Mexican Mole.

This is not to criticize the recipe, which may indeed be tasty.

Wine-wise, I concur on Pinotage. You may have trouble finding that in Paris, so why not go back to the roots of pinotage? Buy a bottle of Cinsault and one of Pinot Noir. Try them separately and try them blended. Maybe something in the combo will work.

Doesn't sounds like any mole I've had either. Is it fairly sweet? If so, I concur with the Zin, although that may not help given that you'll be getting it from a specialist in Southern France. The Cinsault idea might be intriguing.


Mike

Southern Rhone -- the more rustic the better. Here's a place where the maligned '03 vintage might be a very good fit.

Pinotage would be good.

As a Californian, I would default to Zin or Syrah, thinking on picking out one that's not overwrought. But even I might think of Cotes du Rhone.

Actually, Joseph Swan Cotes do Rosa (Rod doesn't say what's in it and I'm sure it varies from year to year) would probably tickle my fancy.

How's that for stream-of-vinousness?

I hate to even say it to somebody in France, but a decent Malbec might set off the sweet chocolate very well. They are not spicy, so they are not likely to conflict with the rest of the recipe, but they have enough earthiness to balance it out.

See...another Malbec Hound speaks. I would not have thought of that match DH!!

I hate to even say it to somebody in France, but a decent Malbec might set off the sweet chocolate very well

Why do you hesitate to say that to someone in France?

The choice ended up being a 2003 Clos de l'Escandil, Minervois La Livinière. At 14.5% alc (2003 being the big heat wave) it was an excellent match for the dish. This wine is made from Syrah, Carignan and Grenache, but looking around the web, the percentages given are different..

Sounds good, and I think the Languedoc was probably a very good fit, so you were lucky in your choice of stores to pose the question

GMTA.