Brookland Valley: Chocolate & Wine Tasting for 2

The clever part of this Margaret River tasting is the one-to-one pairing: five premium red wines meet five chocolates made specifically for their styles. This is not simply a wine tasting with a chocolate square on the side. Temper Temper created combinations such as Tempranillo with white chocolate, apricot, black sesame, and sea salt, then matched Shiraz with dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and pink peppercorns.

I like the educational format, since you can taste how sweetness, fruit, salt, spice, and cocoa change a wine. I also like the calm setting and warm service, especially if one person in your party is unsure about red wine. One consideration is that all five wines are reds, so this may not be the right pick if you mainly want white, sparkling, or dessert wine.

Five details worth knowing before you book

• Five wines, five chocolates: Each tasting is built around a deliberate pairing rather than a general wine and chocolate sample.
• Tempranillo gets a lively match: White chocolate, apricot, black sesame, and sea salt bring several contrasting flavours to the wine.
• Shiraz goes darker and spicier: Dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and pink peppercorns create a bolder combination.
• The tasting is made for red wine newcomers: Clear guidance and friendly help make the format approachable.
• It costs $20 per person: That is a modest price for five wine samples and five bespoke chocolates.
• It suits a relaxed couple’s outing: The experience is in English at the Brookland Valley and Houghton cellar door in Margaret River.

Why the chocolate pairings make this more than a standard tasting

Wine and chocolate can be a clumsy match. Both may be rich, sweet, or intense, and a random piece of chocolate can make a wine taste flat or sharp. This experience avoids that problem by using chocolates designed for particular wines from the Brookland Valley and Houghton range.

You are not being asked to guess why a plain chocolate works with every red. Instead, each wine has its own chocolate partner. That gives the tasting a clear purpose: notice what changes when you move from one pairing to the next.

I find this especially useful if you are still learning wine. You do not need to identify obscure aromas or know the language of professional tasters. You can simply compare the wine on its own, taste the chocolate, and then try both together. The contrast may help you notice fruit, spice, bitterness, salt, or texture more easily.

The chocolate comes from Temper Temper, a Margaret River artisan chocolatier. That local connection adds meaning to the tasting. You are sampling wine from the region alongside chocolate made for these particular wines, rather than adding a generic confection at the end of a cellar door visit.

Starting with five premium Margaret River reds

The tasting focuses on five premium red wines. The available information does not provide the full wine list, so you should not expect a detailed varietal guide in advance. What you can count on is a guided tasting built around five red wines and five matching chocolates.

That red-wine focus matters. If you already enjoy Shiraz, Tempranillo, or other full-flavoured reds, the format gives you room to compare different styles. If red wine is not your usual choice, it may also be a gentle introduction, since the chocolate gives you another way into each sample.

A guided tasting should help you pay attention to the order of the experience. You can taste the wine first, then the chocolate, then the combination. The point is not to drink quickly. The value comes from slowing down long enough to notice how the pairing behaves.

For someone new to wine, this structure can take away some pressure. You are not expected to have the perfect answer. The staff can help explain what you are tasting, and the experience has been designed around flavour combinations that are easy to discuss.

For experienced wine drinkers, the interest lies in the comparison. You may already know what you like in a red wine, but chocolate can bring out different features. A salt note may sharpen the finish. Fruit can make a wine seem softer. Dark cocoa may reinforce a wine’s bitter or roasted side.

Tempranillo with white chocolate, apricot, sesame, and salt

One of the most distinctive pairings is the Tempranillo combination. The wine is matched with white chocolate, apricot, black sesame, and sea salt.

This is a busy little flavour set, in a good way. White chocolate brings sweetness and a creamy texture. Apricot adds fruit. Black sesame brings a toasted, nutty note, while sea salt gives the pairing a sharp edge.

You may find this combination helpful if you think red wine always tastes heavy or serious. The fruit and sweetness make the pairing more open and approachable, while sesame and salt keep it from becoming one-note. It also gives you several flavours to compare against the Tempranillo.

Try tasting the wine before eating the chocolate. Then let the chocolate soften in your mouth before returning to the wine. You may notice the wine change in texture or fruit character. That simple sequence is the heart of the experience.

This pairing also shows why the chocolates are bespoke. A plain square of white chocolate would tell you very little. The apricot, sesame, and salt are there to create a more specific conversation with the wine.

Shiraz with dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and pink peppercorns

The Shiraz pairing takes a different path. It uses dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and pink peppercorns.

Here the darker cocoa gives the combination a firmer, more grown-up character. Toasted coconut adds a warm, roasted flavour, while pink peppercorns bring a gentle peppery note. The pairing should appeal to you if you prefer less sweetness and more spice.

It is also a useful contrast with the Tempranillo pairing. The first uses white chocolate and apricot alongside savoury elements. The Shiraz match turns toward dark chocolate, toast, coconut, and pepper. You can compare not only two wines, but also two very different ideas about what chocolate can do.

If you do not usually choose Shiraz, this may be the point where a staff member’s guidance helps most. The chocolate gives you something familiar to focus on, while the peppercorns and toasted coconut add detail. You can ask which flavour the pairing is meant to highlight and then taste again with that in mind.

The pink peppercorns are a nice reminder that chocolate pairings do not have to be built only around sweetness. Spice and savoury notes can be just as important.

A relaxed cellar door setting in Margaret River

The tasting takes place at the Brookland Valley and Houghton cellar door in Margaret River. It is an easy format to add to a day of wine visits, though the supplied details do not state how long the session lasts or whether transport between venues is included.

That means you should plan your wider day around the cellar door rather than assume this booking covers a full regional tour. The experience itself is focused on the tasting, not on transfers, vineyard sightseeing, or a meal.

The setting sounds best suited to an unhurried visit. One review describes a relaxing environment, and another highlights warm, welcoming help. Those points matter because wine and chocolate need a little time. A rushed tasting would reduce the experience to five quick sips and five quick bites.

I would treat this as a compact stop for two rather than a full-day activity. It can work before lunch, after another cellar door, or as a quieter change of pace during a Margaret River wine itinerary. Since the exact duration is not provided, check the booking details if you need to fit it tightly between other plans.

Why first-time red wine drinkers may enjoy it

You do not need to be a serious red wine fan to get value from this tasting. One attendee specifically found it a good fit despite not being a big red wine drinker. The helpful staff and clear explanations made the experience easier to approach.

That is important for couples with different tastes. One person may be enthusiastic about wine while the other mainly wants the chocolate. Five planned pairings give both of you a reason to participate.

The chocolate also acts as a bridge between wines. You can discuss whether the Tempranillo works better with apricot and white chocolate or whether the Shiraz suits the darker cocoa and pepper. Even if you do not fall in love with every red, you still have a set of flavours to compare.

I would not expect the experience to turn every white-wine drinker into a red-wine convert. It is still a red-wine tasting, and all five samples belong to that broad category. But the format is more welcoming than a technical tasting built around wine alone.

The staff’s role is central. The available feedback points to service that is both informative and warm. You can ask questions without needing to know the right vocabulary, and you can use the explanations to understand why each chocolate was chosen.

The value of $20 per person

At $20 per person, the price is reasonable for a guided tasting of five premium red wines paired with five bespoke chocolates. You are paying for more than five small wine samples. The price also covers the planned pairing work, the tasting guidance, and the chance to compare local wine with locally made chocolate.

The value is strongest if you enjoy tasting rather than simply consuming. A box of chocolates and a glass of wine could cost less, but it would not give you five designed combinations or an explanation of how they interact.

It is also a manageable price for a couple. Two people pay $40 in total, which makes this a relatively affordable special occasion during a Margaret River visit. The romantic angle comes from the shared tasting and the chocolate, not from a meal or elaborate private setting, so keep your expectations in line with the price.

If you are mainly seeking a large serving of wine, this may feel less generous. The experience is about comparison and learning, not about drinking full glasses. If you want a quiet, guided activity with a clear theme, the cost makes more sense.

You can reserve and pay later, which helps if your Margaret River schedule is still changing. Cancellation is allowed up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Those terms are useful when you are arranging several cellar door stops, although you should still check the current booking conditions before committing.

Who will get the most from this tasting

This experience fits romantic couples especially well. The five pairings give you something to talk about, and the relaxed format avoids the formality of a long meal or a technical wine class.

Chocolate lovers are another natural match. The bespoke pieces are not just decoration. Each one has ingredients chosen to work with a specific wine, so you can pay attention to the chocolate as its own product.

I would also recommend it to a mixed-interest pair. If one of you knows wine and the other prefers chocolate, the format gives both people a fair reason to engage. The friendly service is helpful for anyone who feels unsure in a cellar door setting.

It may be less suitable if you want white wines, sparkling wine, a vineyard tour, transport, or a substantial meal. None of those are part of the stated experience. It is a focused red wine and chocolate tasting.

The tasting is in English. If you need another language, this may not meet your needs.

A simple way to get the most from the five pairings

Start with an open mind and do not judge the wine only by itself. The matching is the point, so give each combination a proper try before deciding which one you prefer.

A useful approach is:

• Taste the wine first and note whether it seems fruity, spicy, dry, or full-bodied.
• Taste the chocolate on its own and notice sweetness, bitterness, salt, spice, or toasted flavours.
• Try the wine again with the chocolate.
• Compare the change with the previous pairing.

You do not need a notebook, but it can be useful if you want to remember a favourite wine. The tasting has enough variety to blur together if you move too quickly.

Pay special attention to the contrast between the Tempranillo pairing and the Shiraz pairing. The white chocolate, apricot, sesame, and sea salt combination has a different balance from the dark chocolate, coconut, and pink peppercorn pairing. Those two examples give you a clear sense of how the experience moves across flavours.

Ask the staff for help if one pairing puzzles you. The point is not to prove that you have a sophisticated palate. The point is to understand why the match was made and decide what works for you.

Should you book the Brookland Valley tasting?

Book it if you want a short, affordable Margaret River activity built around five red wines and five thoughtfully matched chocolates. I would especially choose it for a couple, a chocolate enthusiast, or anyone who wants a less intimidating way to learn about red wine.

The strongest reasons are the focused pairings, the local Temper Temper connection, the relaxed service, and the low $20 per person price. The main limitation is just as clear: this is a red-wine tasting, not a broad cellar door tour or a full meal.

If that focus suits your plans, it is an easy addition to a Margaret River day. If you prefer white wine or want transport and vineyard sightseeing included, spend your budget elsewhere. For the right audience, this tasting offers a pleasant mix of flavour, conversation, and useful wine guidance without making the occasion feel too formal.

FAQ

Where does the chocolate and wine tasting take place?

It takes place at the Brookland Valley and Houghton cellar door in Margaret River, Western Australia.

How much does the experience cost?

The price is $20 per person.

What is included?

The experience includes a guided tasting of five premium Margaret River red wines paired with five premium bespoke chocolates.

How many wines and chocolates are included?

You will taste five red wines and five chocolates, with each chocolate created to match one of the wines.

Which chocolate is paired with Tempranillo?

Tempranillo is paired with white chocolate, apricot, black sesame, and sea salt.

Which chocolate is paired with Shiraz?

Shiraz is paired with dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and pink peppercorns.

Is the tasting suitable for someone who does not usually drink red wine?

It can be suitable, since the tasting includes guidance and the chocolate pairings provide another way to explore the wines.

What language is the experience offered in?

The tasting is offered in English.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can reserve and pay later, and you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.