Chocolaterie Wanders offers you the world's finest handmade gourmet chocolates.

This week our Open House is coming up and although it is “Invitation Only” there is still time to give us a call and to inquire about information on this event. If you are a business representative or owner and looking for a nice gift for your customers or employees, you might just want to come by - we will have savory items, a good choice of wines and of course lots of chocolate and other confectionery items to try. You will also have the opportunity to meet us - the chocolatiers - and to tour our production facility.

You can reach us at 1.866.792.6337 or by email. See you in a few days!

I want to provide you with some information about what the percentage on bars and chocolate products means. I am sure that most will say: “This is the cocoa content in chocolate!” This is true - but do you really know what it means? The cocoa content consists of cocoa liquor and cocoa butter.

A 70% dark chocolate for example consists of 70% cocoa content and about 30% sugar. Of those 70% cocoa, about half is cocoa butter and some manufacturers add cocoa butter to the equasion, so that it might end up being 70% cocoa content, 30% sugar and 40% of the whole weight cocoa butter (located in the cocoa content). This is not easy to figure out just by looking at the package, but you can if you look at the nutrition facts. In Germany couverture is labeled (in professional environments) like this 70/30/40 (like the example above). This does not only indicate the cocoa content (70% rich, dark) but also the approx. viscosity (40%), so that it is easier to judge if the couverture is good for using in your application.

Generally you cannot say if a chocolate tastes bitter, the higher percentage the bar has. True, that it will have less sugar - but depending on the beans themselves, the area they came from and the manufacturer that roasted and ground them, they can have a whole different flavor profile. This is another topic though and I’ll cover that in the upcoming posts

Now, if I got you in the mood for some excellent chocolate, go ahead and give our assortment a try. We use mostly Valrhona’s dark chocolate couvertures and make ganaches with ingredients from your backyard.

Have a nice weekend!

We got away for a weekend to visit our parents in Ohio and since I have never been up to the lake that close, we decided to drive up to one of the islands and have some wine and enjoy ourselves there. Regarding the wine … well - it really makes you appreciate Pearmund Cellars and the Winery at La Grange I won’t call any names up there though … Later that day we went to a winery called Mon Ami and their Cabernet Sauvignon tasted really good along with the orange crusted salmon I had.

Anyway, what I wanted to mention is that we were walking across the island and found a chocolate museum. Skeptic as I am we went in and although I won’t spent any time describing the chocolate confections (more traditional, cream based american style) I have to say that the ‘museum’ is kind of cute and interesting. It is very small (one room) but it showcases a lot of older candy boxes from the US and it is nice to see the development of chocolate and candies here. I walked out surprised and was wondering if I would ever want to remind people of chocolate history in a future retail space - just another thing to add onto my wish list

Back at home I tried a new red from Australia (Red Belly Shiraz) and it paired quite
well with our Liberty Squares whiskey chocolates.

Oh, and although I did not make any pictures of the chocolate museum, I have some nice ones here from a guy telling us about the battle of lake Erie in 1813.

We have been doing classes with TasteDC since we started late last year. Charlie became a close business partner and we are continuing to educate people through him about fine chocolate from all the world and how to work with it. Our next class is on July 18th and I think it is already sold out (call to make sure if interested!). We usually try out new things and flavors to see how people like them and to have some fun from the ordinary. A snippet from our next class:

• -Lavender Truffles
• -Vanilla Ice Cream with Orange Scented Chocolate Sauce
• -Spiked Iced Chocolate with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
• -Strawberry-Basil White Chocolate Fondue
• -Quick Chocolate Whiskey Cake

In our October class we will be making a Rum-Raisin praline, ‘Wanders-Pharisaer’ (a drink featured in a book this summer - have to look after the publishing date — anyways, delicious stuff), White Chocolate Eggnog Fondue and Mulled Wine Pate de Fruit.

Now, if that doesn’t wake the spirit for christmas, I don’t know what does

Oh, for everyone wondering how it is to be a chocolatier, you may find out with a special class though TasteDC in our production facility - you get to play with chocolate ALL DAY long. And you actually make fine confections (thats what I meant by ‘play’) to take home …

And something completely different: Chocolatier - the computer game. I kid you not You can download a free trial too - I haven’t tried it yet and probably won’t (time flies!) but you can give it  try here.

… it was yesterday. We were out and about at The Winery at La Grange and gave a tasting of our Wine Pate de Fruit and the Libertysquares. Everybody enjoyed them and we actually stayed longer than planned - not only because of all the hungry mouths to fill, but also to get some goat cheese, crackers and wine and to sit outside in the shade, on the grass and just relax for a little bit. Now this is how I like working

Today we made more Pate de Fruit, because we were completely out. We will probably be at both wineries again on July the 4th to celebrate and enjoy Independence Day. Melanie and I will split up, but only for 3-4 hours or so, then re-unite to enjoy the fireworks in Manassas. Step by and have some wine and chocolate, or see if you can spot us in Oldtown Manassas.

Happy 4th of July everyone!