Noir de Noir Mignonnette, 54% cacao. Most sweet wines work with chocolate -- provided the former is sweeter than the latter. Port is a no-brainer, but the fruitier Taylor Fladgate First Estate Reserve ($16) and Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Port 2001 ($18) fare better than a nutty 10-year-old tawny. Another great match worth trying is Southbrook Vineyards Framboise ($16/375 mL), a delicious fruit wine that's made from Ontario raspberries.
Noir 70% cacao. Look for New World wines aged in American oak, such as the jammy Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz ($16) from Australia or the spicy Rosenblum Zinfandel ($20) from California. Avoid the tart, lighter reds of France's Bordeaux and Burgundy regions, as well as the Tuscany region of Italy -- those reds tear the heart out of chocolate, leaving only a bitter bite.
Noir 86% cacao. The smoky, tobacco flavours of this extra-dark chocolate play beautifully in concert with a well-aged cognac like the profoundly complex Courvoisier XO ($200). Another spectacular match you may enjoy: Mort Subite Framboise ($4/372 mL), a Belgian fruit lambic beer.
Noir Orange, 70% cacao studded with candied orange peel. These tiny crunchy specks of candied orange zest embedded in dark chocolate would clash with most combinations, but here are two they sparkle with: Ice Bees ($40/375 mL), a vidal icewine produced by the 20 Bees winery in Ontario, whose sweet, peachy, apricot flavours accentuate the chocolate's citrus notes; the other perfect pairing is Grand Marnier ($46/750 mL), the ever-popular orange liqueur.
As with any food and wine combination, it pays to experiment on yourself before doing so with guests, so enjoy your wine and chocolate.
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