Dear Karen: Where does a chocolate flavor in wine come from?

June 5, 2026

Dear Karen: Where does a chocolate flavor in wine come from? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Dear Carly: Wine, in general, is amazing in the number of aromas and flavors it can possess, and two of the more fascinating ones in the kaleidoscope are chocolate and cocoa. Both of these characters generally come from oak barrels, the toasting of which produces a range of flavors that fall into the camp of chocolate/coffee/vanilla/spice. Tannin, too, can play a role since the flavor of tannin is “good bitterness”—like dark chocolate. For these reasons, chocolate and cocoa flavors show up in red wines far more than in whites.

Which of the following is NOT a top 3 Italian wine by volume in retail sales globally?The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Prosecco

B. Chianti

C. Barolo

D. Lambrusco

25

Percentage higher in price tomatoes are today than a year ago, according to The Economist. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.