Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Delicious, sinful, indulgent, yes, but when was the last time you made chocolate? Or enjoyed a proper chocolate flight? Or savored a chocolate and wine pairing?

Chocolate has been described as being “more than a food, less than a drug” and for a good reason. Even the tree that we get cacao from, Theobroma cacao, translates to “cacao, food of the gods.” Might that be because chocolate naturally contains stimulating and mood elevating psychoactive substances?

There’s only one way to find out! And you two might have to enjoy some chocolate along the way.

For this date night, you two will head to your local chocolate spot (more on that below) to sample decadent chocolates.

Find the right spot and you might even get to pair your chocolate samples with hand picked wines to complete each chocolate selection.

If you’re in luck, you might even find a chocolate making class nearby and get your hands dirty.

Where to Taste (or Make!) Chocolate

Depending on where you live, you may find yourself heading to your local chocolate shop, chocolaterie, or chocolatier. But… what’s the difference?

A Chocolate Shop curates and sells various chocolates products.

A Chocolatier makes delicious treats out of chocolate or dips things in chocolate and sells these goods to shops.

A Chocolaterie is a shop that both makes AND sells the chocolates that they make in the same shop.

A Chocolate Maker buys beans and makes raw chocolate.

If you’re looking to actually make raw chocolate or chocolate treats, you’ll most likely be looking for a local Chocolate Maker or Chocolaterie.

Quickly searching nearby online or on Yelp for Chocolate Tasting, Chocolatiers & Shops, or Chocolate Making will help you find good options near you.

“Date Night In” Chocolate Tasting

Staying in for Date Night? You can easily host your own Chocolate Tasting right at home and if you’re up for making chocolate, you might skip working with raw beans and instead make chocolate treats to sample and share.

Head on out to your local chocolate shop, or heck, even your local grocery store’s good chocolate section and pick up a variety of unique single origin chocolates. Trader Joe’s one year around the holidays even sold a “Chocolate Passport” with 8 single origin chocolate bars wrapped up with a bow which makes this super easy.

Pair with a cobbled together at home wine flight and you’re off to a great date night in!

Like with any flight, challenge yourselves to describe each chocolate and what makes it unique as you side by side compare them. Swap notes on what you each taste and which ones you like better and why.