Winter’s Sweetest Hour

By Cara Williams | Photography by Clay Dolan
Photographed on location at Katherine’s Chateau in Collingwood

A refined take on après, where handcrafted chocolate and thoughtfully chosen wines turn winter gatherings into something unforgettable.

A près-ski has long been defined by familiar rituals—a mug of mulled wine, a wedge of cheese, conversation shared around a fire. But winter on the Escarpment also lends itself to quieter indulgences. The kind that slow the pace and sharpen the senses. Chocolate and wine pairings offer a different expression of après: one that is intimate and decidedly decadent.

Like wine, chocolate is shaped by where it comes from. Single-origin cacao carries the imprint of climate, soil, and craft, revealing flavours that can be bright and aromatic or deep, savoury, and complex. When thoughtfully paired, wine doesn’t overpower those subtleties—it draws them out, creating moments of harmony, contrast, and surprise.

Set against the warmth and elegance of Katherine’s Chateau in Collingwood, handcrafted chocolates from YF Patissier·Chocolatier in Creemore meet a carefully chosen mix of wines—including expressive local bottles from Adamo Estate Winery in Hockley Valley and standout international selections from Katherine’s cellar. What follows is less about rules and more about pleasure: a winter gathering designed for tasting, sharing, and discovering something unexpected, one pairing at a time.

A Closer Look at the Chocolate
Cacao trees grow only in specific regions of the world, requiring precise climate, soil, and care to flourish. Single-origin chocolates are made using beans from one defined place, allowing terroir to shape flavour— much like wine. Climate, soil composition, tree variety, and post-harvest methods all influence aroma and taste, resulting in chocolates with distinct personalities and depth. These are premium expressions of cacao, meant to be savoured slowly and thoughtfully paired.

The Pairings

Mexico 66% Cacao + Santomè Prosecco Rosé
Crafted from Forastero cacao grown in Mexico’s Tabasco region along the Caribbean coast, this chocolate opens with a bright lift before revealing fragrant nut notes and subtle hints of cinnamon and liquorice. Paired with Santomè Prosecco Rosé, the wine’s red fruit character— strawberry and cherry—complements the chocolate’s fruity notes, while its fine bubbles and refreshing acidity cleanse the palate, keeping the pairing light and energetic.

Tanzanie 75% Cacao + Adamo Lenko Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon Appassimento 2019
Produced near Lake Malawi using a rare blend of Criollo and Trinitario beans, this Tanzanian chocolate delivers complex vegetal and woody notes with remarkable aromatic depth. Adamo’s Appassimento, made from hand-harvested, dried Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Lenko Vineyard on the Beamsville Bench, brings rich flavours of dried fig, cocoa, espresso, and black liquorice. Its natural sweetness and bold, layered tannins soften the intensity of the 75% cacao, creating a luxurious, fireside-worthy pairing that lingers long after the last bite.

Saint Dominique 70% Cacao + Roger Perrin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020
This single-origin chocolate from the Cibao Valley of Hispaniola offers striking
notes of olive and floral spice. A Grenacheled Châteauneuf-du-Pape mirrors those
savoury elements beautifully, with classic garrigue, wild herbs, and earthy undertones weaving seamlessly through the chocolate’s aromatic profile. The result is bold, layered, and deeply satisfying.