Intrigue Blog & Chocolate Shop!

Intrigue Chocolates Co. Blog – coverage of news, events and chocolate histories.

Night at the Aquarium

Jul 4

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

Sea Otter

Sea otters are some cool critters, and we got to hang out with them at the Seattle Aquarium’s “Debuts and Discoveries”, June 24th, 2010. Additionally cool was that money raised from the event will be used for marine conservation projects.

This was a special event for wineries that are “new and emerging” (that is; less than three years old). There have been so many new and wonderful creators of wine in the Seattle area, that this event was a chance to see many of the up and coming sommeliers together (so as to make proper comparisons).

We lucked out and were seated next to our friends from Davenport Cellars and got to get creative with our wine-chocolate pairings. Our experiments were met with enthusiasm by people who visited our tables. It’s so cool to see our “audience” get excited about the same stuff we do (that’s us taking a bow! thank you, dear fans! we’d be nothing without you….really, we mean that.)

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Meridian Market Chocolate and Wine Tasting

Jul 3

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

Merdian Market

On a Wednesday evening last month (June 23rd, 2010) we hung out with some real nice people at Meridian Market. Five bucks was a great deal that bought tastings of Intrigue truffles, appetizers and five different specialty wines.

The Meridian Market is the best example of good things coming in small packages. “Just” a little corner grocery store, but oh-so-much-more. The level of quality and gourmet foods that they are able to fit into their tiny square foot-age is hard to believe.

We are happy to support this family-operated enterprise with Intrigue’s truffle-sampling for the Meridian Market patrons. The people are friendly, super helpful (which is nice to be around!) and the place manages to pull off small-town and cosmopoliton all at once. A big selection of organic (or what we heard someone else call “normal” food-we like that!) and environmentally friendly products.

We felt like we fit right in!

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Slow it down for Father’s Day…

Jul 3

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

Did you know?….. Father’s Day fought a valiant battle to become official, and it had its humble beginnings in Spokane, Washington! A one Sonora Smart Dodd hatched the idea in 1910 out of love for her father on the heels of the newly inaugurated Mother’s Day (she wanted to balance the scales of parenting appreciation).

Father’s Day didn’t really hit it big until much later. Thank Nixon in 1972 for signing fathers over their own permanent national holiday. Spokane is still claiming 2010 as the Father’s Day Centennial.

It was a break from the weekday hustle and hurry out at Woodhouse Family Cellars, www.woodhousefamilycellars.com (in Woodinville) for us during Father’s Day weekend.  We at Intrigue did (of course!) remember to call our dear ol’ dads, and we did not buy them tacky ties. So we think we did alright.

We enjoyed seeing some of you with your fathers out at the Wine & Chocolate Tasting on June 19th & 20th (2010). As usual, our darkly delicious truffles paired fantastically with Woodhouse’s  great wines.

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Our 1st “Third Thursday Wine Walk”

Jul 1

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

Chocolate, Cheese and Wine

This was the first time we joined Woodinville Warehouse Wineries for their monthly event. Self-guided tours of 15 wineries, live music, artists and craftsmen came together to make this particular Thursday (June 17th, 2010) very special. We were the guests of Davenport Cellars in their lovely tasting room. (Thank You, Davenport! You are great hosts).

The theme was set for pairing wines with chocolate, and cheese (that is, wine with chocolate, and wine with cheese. We may have to think about that chocolate-cheese idea…uh, maybe not.)

With a flat entry fee at the gate, visitors were free to roam and taste at their will. And will they did! We were surprised (and delighted) to greet twice the expected number of people in the crowd (around 250) and were happy to have Davenport Cellars as our “neighbors”. The pairings we came up with together seemed to make everybody happy:

*Coriander Truffle + Snowflake Wine
*Smokin’ Scotch Truffle + Semillon Wine
*Basil Truffle + Syrah Wine
*Orange-Rosemary Truffle + Continuity Wine
*Hibiscus Truffle + Rose of Cabernet Franc Wine
*Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle + R.H.D. Wine

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Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon 2010 – Survival Guide

Jun 30

Posted by Karl in Events | 2 Comments

At Intrigue Chocolates Co. we believe in getting the most out of every experience.  This will be our 3rd year at the Chocolate Luxury Salon.  We wanted to pass along our tried and true tips to making the Salon a fantastically delicious experience!

Before you get there:

  • Eat a healthy, light meal.  You’ll thank me later!
  • As with all tastings, please avoid wearing cologne/perfume; they interfere with the tasting experience.  (“Why does this one taste like Old Spice?”  “It reminds me of Chanel No. 5.”)
  • Wear comfy shoes and dress in layers.
  • Plan your day.  We suggest getting there early, plan a lunch break, get some air, stretch your legs, and then return to taste the rest of the chocolates.

What to Bring:

  • A water bottle.  Perhaps some milk for the little ones.  Skip the soda and other sweet drinks.  Again, you’ll thank me later!
  • Crackers or a protein bar.  This helps to balance your energy and clear your palate.
  • A comfortable bag.  This is great for toting goodies and information home.
  • Camera, notebook, pen, and lots of questions.
  • Cash, checks, or credit cards!  Your ticket fees don’t go to the chocolatiers.  In fact, we have to pay to be there, too.  Reward the companies you like the most by proving how much you like their work.  It may be hard to imagine eating more chocolate after working your way around the room, but—trust me—tomorrow is a new day.  [grin]

When you arrive:

  • Get a voting card to keep track of the chocolates you like best.
  • Take a walk around the room to survey the tables first.
  • Tasting wine?  Scope out which chocolatiers can pair their chocolates with your glass.
  • Try to taste everything.  Ask for smaller samples or bring a friend to share, so you can be sure enjoy the large variety.  The chocolatiers want you to sample every flavor!  How else will you know which one is your favorite?  And it may not be the one you expect.
  • Patience and moderation.  We want to take time to talk to each of you, and we need to make sure there are enough samples to go around.  You won’t get to hear (or taste) what’s special and unique about each confection if you just take a piece and run!

Before leaving:

  • Cast your vote for your favorites at the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon.
  • Share your feedback with the organizers.  What did you love?  What would you change?
  • TWEET!  TWEET!
  • Facebook
  • Yelp!

HOT TIP: Bring a small plastic container.  Some chocolatiers have samples left at the end of the show.  If you ask nicely, they might let you take some home to share with your friends.

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