Two of the world’s most popular substances: wine and chocolate… Both so ancient that their origins are shrouded in mystery. But did you know that the two have a shared history? The elder of the two is wine, and we would challenge anyone who says they can find a date for this marvellous invention. For chocolate, too, there can be no set date– only an estimate of around 1900 BCE.
Surprisingly, wine features in how chocolate was originally served. Chocolate, before it was a solid, chewable bar, was a bitter, fermented drink, featuring a kind of wine as its base. It may have been utilised for its supposed aphrodisiac properties, rather than its taste at this stage. Their convergence in modern times, as a liqueur, did not come until much later– liqueurs had to be invented first…
Liqueurs have a remedial history, too. Monks in Europe crafted them in monasteries, beginning around the 13th century. Perhaps the most famous is Chartreuse– supposedly created as an elixir for a long and prosperous life. It’s naturally green, as it’s produced from a complex concoction of herbs. In fact, even Chartreuse is blended with chocolate: at French ski lodges, you will find something called Green Chaud. It’s the simple combination of hot chocolate and Chartreuse.
Chocolate liqueurs aren’t quite that old– around four-
hundred years at most! Even then, the evidence is tenuous…. There are some 17th-century cooking manuals that allude to the combination of wine and chocolate, but nothing explicit.
But it’s not exactly a brand new idea and we can’t claim to have invented it. But our liqueurs are a reflection of a special relationship with a fellow Echuca local– the Echuca Chocolate Company. Their Belgian chocolate is the very best, and this makes for the very best blend. Belgian chocolate is chosen for its complexity of flavour, and its smooth texture: it’s the standard against which all chocolate is measured. And it is the perfect match for our beautiful Tawny.
It’s for chocolate lovers, wine lovers, and anyone with a sweet tooth. We even have white chocolate, and chocolate-orange variations made with the same respect for its fine ingredients.
We’ve worked hard to craft a quality to be proud of– something you can be proud to put on the table when friends come around. We hope you love it as much as we do.