Chocolate & Vines

Category:	Wine Bar
Address:	757 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607, USA
Phone:	+1 585-340-6362
Site:	facebook.com
Rating:	4.7
Working:	Closed 4–11PM 4–11PM 4–11PM 4–11PM 4–11PM 4–11PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Paul Cicotta

C & V is now becoming the perfect date night spot for desert, wine, and cheese especially during National Wine Day. We had the opportunity to test all three out at our next event of Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Pairing Class with Hector Wine Co. and C & V. Chocolate and Vines has a perfect spot in the NOTA nestled in a beautiful Victorian styled house off University Ave. The interior of C & V looks stunning, like youre ready to eat tea and crumpets. The tables where arranged beautifully, with proper glasses and silverware in the right spots. The servers did a magnificent job throughout the class of pre-bussing any unnecessary glasses for our next course. Speaking of classes, our wine portion was led by Alex from Hector Wine Co. This girl really knows her wine, as she was extremely informative about the unique bottles of reds and whites with each cheese and chocolate course. At one point Alex busted out a vintage bottle the restaurant had not opened in years- BONUS ALEX. You can find Hector Wine Co. on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. The owner of C & V Michael tries as much as possible to get his wine locally from the growers out in the Finger Lakes region. Ann from Little Bleu Catering worked with Alex in regards to finding the perfect cheeses for the wine. ALL the cheeses knocked it out of the park for me, as I thought the cheese was the BEST part of the class. She brought with her TOP cheeses such a Jakes Aged Gouda, and Old Chatham Camembert. Finally our class was rounded out by the Owner/Chocolate Master himself- Michael. Michael gets all of his chocolate from one of the most popular chocolatiers in the United States, Norman Love, who has such a back-order that no new clients are being served. These chocolates are out of this world with truffles, and caramel chews that paired well with the wine. Before we begin, remember to See, Swirl, Sip, and Savor- the C & V motto. Hector Pinot Blanc 2014 Paired with Old Chatham Camembert Cheese: This was a smooth, soft, and creamier type of white wine that was hand-picked at the vineyard with Pinot Blanc grapes. Very dry, and has a hint of the French oak barrel within each sip. The Camembert Cheese is one of my favorite cheeses EVER; it has a soft ripened texture which makes it extremely creamy/buttery to eat. Kudos goes out to C & V for their bread, raisins, and honey dipping plates. Hector Gewurztraminer 2014 Paired with Three Village Nokkelost Cheese: Gewurztraminer is one of the best white wines you can possibly drink, and this was no exception the rule. Fermented dry with subtle hint of sweetness, kind of reminds me of myself. The Nokkelost Cheese is a hard cheese that is flavored with cumin, carway, and cloves. The pear after-taste of the cheese went well with this wine. Hector Cabernet Franc 2014 with Jakes Aged Gouda Cheese: This red wine tasted subtle and elegant as I was curious to see a red wine paired with a cheese. For a red wine, it was very silky on the pallet used with the black grape. The Gouda cheese we had was aged for 6 months, which brought a distinct sharpness with a mild saltiness. The cabernet was a perfect fit to take away from the saltiness, and bring this cheese in all together. Hector Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 with Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle: We had the opportunity to open up this limited release bottle thanks to owner Michael!! This bottle is a complete sell-out at the winery as this red-grape was well balanced, and med-bodied. It went down smoothly without the red wine harshness because it was bottled without any filtration. The raspberry truffle was completely hand-crafted outside like a work of art. Inside was this juicy red and black raspberry puree combined with a creamy chocolate ganache. Cabernet=Raspberry Truffle= AMAZING= ENOUGH SAID! Hector Soul White with Passion Fruit Panna Cotta Truffle: While this is not my favorite wine of the bunch, you can taste the crisp grape of the Cayuga with each sip. This is a semi-dry, light-bodied wine that does pair well with fruit.

Janette Heininger

First, I have heard many people complain about the small pour size of wine at this place when they are all WRONG. They serve wine in the CORRECT glassware. They come in huge 22 oz glasses(which could fit a whole bottle of wine if poured in) so you can properly smell and swirl the wine. This gives the appearance of less wine however they serve the same amount as local restaurants if not more. If you are used to getting cheap wine in tiny glassware like most of Rochester then stick with it. Chocolates/gelato imported & local desserts are amazing. Staff truly cares about their business and is excited to tell about the heart they put into creating it. They are extremely knowledgeable and are willing to share all they know about wine and their specialty "pairings." I knew nothing about pairing wine with chocolate until coming here. It was a delicious and enjoyable education. Atmosphere is classy but relaxed. Pool table is available to play during the week which is cool.

A Private User

Before I visited Chocolate and Vines I was picturing it as a swanky wine bar type place; however, with the bright lighting and formal dining seating, it was more like a restaurant. I would have enjoyed the place much more had it had some atmosphere! The chocolates are yummy, though I was disapointed they are not homemade or locally supplied. The service was verrrry slow but they were understaffed when we went - and did try to make up for it by offering us a 25% discount, which shows they care about their customers. Overall, the atmosphere ruined it for me.

Tanya M

The selection is amazing and always being updated with the season and holidays. The uniquely airbrushed chocolates are an art in and of themselves, but the desserts are no less of an indulgence. The portions are the perfect size and prices are reasonable given the quality of the menu. I would highly recommend this place for anyone with a sweet tooth or chocolate craving...there is something here for everyone and I wasnt disappointed!!! This is an ideal cozy, quiet, sweet little getaway.

Mike Tripp

Went here recently for the first time with my wife. Its a converted house on University, not much to look at from the outside, but the atmosphere and decor inside are great. The food is even better. We went for desert and coffee, everything was great. The service was excellent. Definitely going back!

Steve Horner

Beautifully rich desserts and a respectable wine list featuring both dry and sweet reds and whites and including several local wineries. I enjoyed the chocolate mousse with a bottle of Shalestone Red Legend (meritage). Cozy with helpful staff, despite taking a while to greet us and take our order.

John Lindsay

We found this place, on the Google. We wanted to continue our conversation in a quieter setting. Mike gave us quick service, nothing like sweets to quiet the nerves. I enjoyed the atmosphere and found Mike very personable. Good place , good time.

Kyle Swovick

The desserts we had were amazing and the waiter did an amazing job with helping us pick the wine that would work best with our food (they both worked amazingly well!) And the inside is very cute. Very good for an after-dinner date

Paige Satterly

We had a lovely time! The staff was fantastic, the truffles were absolutely delicious, and the wines we had were great. Im so glad I was able to try some wines I havent had the chance to try before.