Welcome to Our Chocolaty World!

Chocolate Box is primarily a celebration of the best chocolatiers and Seattle wineries in the Northwest. We carry a thorough selection of Northwest wines and cheeses to pair with your chocolate. Whether it’s wine and chocolate for your own pleasure or to give to someone special, we’re sure you’ll find the perfect answer in our wonderful store!

Although we’ll definitely guide you through the wine tasting process when you join us on our Seattle Urban Wine Tour, we know that we won’t be your only host when it comes to wine tastings. So, whether you’re trekking around Walla Walla and stopping whenever you see a sign for a winery, or hopping from tasting room to bar in Woodinville, we hope these wine-tasting tips will help you enjoy your wine all the more!

• Call Ahead: Some wineries and tasting rooms are open seven days a week, and others are by appointment only or just open weekends. Call ahead to make sure you’ll get your wine tasting!
• Skip the Scents: Don’t wear perfume or cologne for your wine tasting experience, since strong scents can interfere with aromas in wine, and may ruin yours and others’ experience.
• A Note on Fees: Tasting fees are the norm, although some places will offer free wine tastings or pairings with the wine. Occasionally, the tasting fee is waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine, too, so make sure you ask about any deals!
• Sharing is Smart: Both to cut on the cost, and also to keep yourself (somewhat) sober, splitting a tasting is a good idea. A shared tasting is also acceptable at most wine tasting rooms.
• Light to Dark: Normally a winery or tasting room will designate flights correctly for you, but if you’re on your own, taste light and white wines first, then move to dark and red wines. Save the sweeter and dessert wines for last.
• How to Hold: Before you sip, set your wine glass on a flat surface and swirl the wine gently by pushing the base of the glass in small circles. When you lift the glass, hold it by the stem instead of the bowl to avoid affecting the temperature of the wine.
• Tasting Technique: Bring your senses into it. Inhale the scent of the wine first, then take a small sip and swirl it around in your mouth to taste the different textures and flavors. If you can, draw air into your mouth as you sip (the French ‘slurp’) – this will open up even more flavors in the wine. Oh, now you can swallow.
• Pace Yourself: A typical tasting is one (1) ounce of each wine. There are about four to six ounces in a normal glass of wine, so make sure you know your limits and stick to them. Use the spittoons, if necessary, and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. If you plan to taste at multiple locations, try to incorporate meals and other activities in your plans to regulate your alcohol intake.
• Take it Home: If you loved a wine (or more than one!) that you tasted, ask about buying a bottle to take home with you! Most, if not all wineries and tasting rooms offer the majority of their tasting selections by the bottle. Remember to ask if your purchase waives the tasting fee!