Love is in the air...

Well we sure have been busy with weddings this month! Seeing the requests for favors, wedding desserts and cakes have prompted me to re-write the wedding/catering page on the web site, http://www.thechocolateseason.com/wedding_event_catering.htm

The re-construction will continue with new product photos of favors and truffles featured on the bride's cake table as well as pricing options to order these cute lil' guys yourself on our shopping cart! So no matter if it is a wedding, baby shower, graduation, or just as a special thank you gift, these 1-piece, 2-piece and 4-piece options will be available for you!*personalized ribbon is available for any event

*custom box with wedding colors from our latest wedding this month

*my good friend Jess got married this June and gave out her favorite Chocolate Season treat...a mudball!

*4-piece boxes are always a great gift

*a new "purse" complete with handle, is one of my favorite boxes!

*seriously...how cute is this?

I am also narrowing down my choices for one or two more fun boxes to share with you (maybe "something blue"...a baby blue box with polka dots?) When they are available, I will be sure to announce our newest addition to the vast array of products already offered! :)

These are all new and exciting things, but bear with me, I won't be able to get the web site updated in the next day or two, but when those items are updated, I'll be sure to let you know!

On the home front, my husband Brad has officially become a full-time photographer! He's been shooting professionally for several years now, but always with a web design job as his "full-time" work. Well, it got to the point where is was soooo busy with photography, that he was working two full-time jobs. After much thought, he pursued his passion and we are so excited for this new stage of our lives!
http://www.bradleyjensen.com
Also at home, a new project is underway...the floors. 108-year-old floors are being sanded down, stained and "finished"....a task my husband is undertaking and wow...I'm impressed. I'll put up some before and after photos when he's done...it should be quite the project with great results!

I have another exciting announcement as well...but i will save that for a post later this week ;)

Best wishes to all!

Wine and Chocolate

I'm back!!!
Europe was amazing and I can't even begin to tell you about all the places I went, chocolate I ate and people I met :0)
I will try to post very, very short stories after this one with random tidbits of information from Switzerland, France and Italy. But before I tell you about new chocolate flavor combinations, the most sinful drinking chocolate ever, or just about the beauty of Europe, I must tell you about an amazing small business owner I met while in wine country.
My friend Jonathan and I were out dining when we met David Clark, of Domaine David Clark, Vins fins de Bourgogne. He is a passionate man full of infinite wisdom regarding types of vineyards and soils, methods of growing grapes and the whole process of producing a fine bottle of wine. His wealth of knowledge is only surpassed by his kindness and genuine spirit.
Long story short (ok, not that short), David invited Jonathan and I out to his winery in Morey-Saint-Denis, in the heart of Burgundy, for a personal and informative tour. He is a native Englishman who started his own winery about 5 yrs ago. He produces 5 wines from his vineyards, (Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains, Bourgogne, Bourgogne-Grand Ordinaire, Cote-de-Nuits-Village, and Morey-St-Denis...all of which basically tell where his grapes are grown...) and this is where he hand prunes and personally tends to all 20,000 of his vines!!!

He is strictly organic and believes in old-style wine making, with no added enzymes for saturated color or other additives to change the most important part of the wine...the grape. David operates the whole winery himself, with added help during harvest. Fun fact about harvest, he will personally look over all the grapes and pick out any grapes with defects or bruising...using only the best for his wine....wow. :)

I could go on and on about David and they way he tends to his vines, but I also wanted to point out that he was even nice enough to not only explain the history of Burgundy wine making and about different soils and grapes, but he shared his very exciting 2007 vintage with us, which is currently aging in oak barrels. Yup, you're right...I was able to experience my very first pipette! Being the professional he was, David swirled and swished and spit...Jonathan and I...well...it was so great, we just swallowed! I couldn't get enough! Even though it was young, I could already see the differences and characteristics of the wines we tried!
And if that weren't enough, David even gave us a bottle of his 2006 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, which I think will age beautifully....if I can practice enough self-restraint to not open the bottle next week.

The only bummer is that David does not personally sell his wines, they are sold by other companies and stores. Lucky for us, he is sold in the USA, but sadly again, he isn't found in NE. So I am currently "googling" Domaine David Clark in hopes to snag more of his very special wines! (perfect for that family dinner or a relaxing night home...reading my favorite book as of yet...The Other Boleyn Girl...oh, the combination would be sinful!)

So please check out his web site, http://www.domainedavidclark.com
and drop him a line or read his blog, where you will learn a load of interesting wine information from a true source...perfect bits of info to impress your in-laws or your boss at the company party!

Lastly, I receive many requests about what wine to pair with chocolate. Personally, I have never tasted a wine I liked that would not compete with the different notes found in chocolate, so I often tell people to try a port or sherry. But, while in France, I tried a dessert wine that was phenomenal, and I can vouch that the source who recommended these two wines to me is top notch! (a writer for Robert Parker!)
So next time you're having a tasting party, try Mas Amiel- Maury and Dr Parce- Banyuls!

Best wishes to you all and more to come!!