Open Event: Sips & Sweets at Gearharts Fine Chocolates

Wow! I was completely blown away. This was certainly my favorite Unilocal event to date. I love the Libbie and Grove area and had always wondered about Gearharts, but I had never actually made it in. I was also completely clueless about how close James River Cellars was to Richmond as well. I learned so much before I even took a bite!
The food from Sticks Kebobs was delicious! All of the sauces and dips were so heavenly and the meats were so juicy! And I’m a sucker for soft pita bread. I definitely plan on going to their shop at Willow Lawn. So so good!
And now to the tasting! Both women were extremely knowledgeable about their products and engaged the group by asking questions and opinions. My favorite chocolates were the dark chocolate ones, specifically the raspberry dark chocolate truffle. My favorite wine was the 2013 Chambourcin. While I have done many wine and cheese pairings, I had never done a wine and chocolate tasting. I definitely recommend!
Thanks so much Gearharts, James River Cellars, and especially Lauri T!

Had a blast!!! We be returning for more events! The dip was amazing and the chocolates AWESOME

This was an amazing event! From the miniature stemless wine tasting glasses, to the fantastic folks hosting us, it was a fun and interesting afternoon! Not only wasn’t it a tasty event, with James River Cellars wine, Sticks kebobs, and Gearharts chocolates, but it was an educational one as well. I learned a lot about pairing wine and chocolate – I never knew it made such a difference! Wines I had tried in the past and didn’t like became drinkable with the right chocolate. In a brief 2 hours, I found out how to make better choices and balance out 2 of my favorite treats.

A fantastic afternoon of learning to pair chocolates with wine. It was a wonderful experience with great hosts and guests that allowed us a guided tasting experience highlighting the subtle changes in flavor that wine and chocolate bring out in each other when properly combined. All in all this was a VERY enjoyable event and I came away feeling that I learned a lot from attending this event.

This was a fun way to spend a couple hours on a Sunday: delicious nibbles from Sticks (chicken kebabs, hummus and pita), wine and chocolate! The ladies from both James River Cellars and Gearharts really know their products, and the pairings were perfect! I’m not much of a white wine person or a white chocolate person, but the pairing of both they presented was incredible. I think my favorite, though was the Legend Brown with the caramel. Yes, beer and chocolate! Mmm!
If you want to impress your friends with wine and chocolate at your next dinner party or event, consult James River and Gearharts. A really nice treat for anyone’s palate!

Another awesome event! Thank you so much to Lauri for killing it once again. I absolutely love Gearharts, so I was naturally pumped for this event. The chocolates were delicious and James River Cellars seemed to be a crowd pleaser. I really loved that I enjoyed every pairing even though trying the wine/​chocolates individually in the past I did not love them. Both parties really seemed to work well together and did a great job coordinating.
The Stick’s was an unexpected surprise and really good!

Great reason to visit the charming West End. Lovely team of hosts; very informative. I discovered a new perspective on wine pairing. I had always thought about how the chocolate affected the wine, but not the other way around. They balance each other.
Tasty bites from Sticks Kabob Shop were a nice bonus. Soft fresh pita bread and crispy chips were great with the eggplant spread. Also enjoyed the kebabs. Really glad to learn about them. Will definitely go and try that restaurant now!
Cheers~