Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Blog

The Future of Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Bar

2011-10-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Fans,

I wanted to give you all an update on the past, present and future for Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Bar. I conceptualized the idea of starting a business that specialized in pairing chocolate & wine in 2008. Since then it's been a journey that has been both challenging and rewarding at the same time. The original business plan called for Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Bar to be located in a lounge atmosphere for chocolate & wine lovers. We still have that goal in mind to open a chocolate, wine and cocktail bar specializing in chocolate themed drinks and paired with decadent chocolate truffles. Unfortunately, the economy and banks did not agree with providing the capital for opening a chocolate & wine bar. So, I did the next best thing and launched my company online.

The decision to launch online has allowed my company to provide chocolate & wine products to customers all over the country. Our strategy for the next three years is to focus on driving our gourmet chocolate sales in wine shops and specialty stores. We will continue to participate in festivals and various chocolate & wine events throughout the Bay Area. We have had great success sampling chocolate & wine at The Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Mills College, Somar Bar & Lounge, The Essex Building, The Art & Soul Festival, The Fillmore Jazz Festival and Suisun Waterfront Festival.

We depend upon our loyal customers and fans to spread the word and give us support. You have done a great job and we would not be here if it weren't for you! Now, we are focused on the future and we are excited about creating new opportunities with other entrepreneurs. We have introduced our new chocolate tins in six different varietals, we have "I Love Wine & Chocolate" T-shirts and a variety of Diva Wine Purses and Totes. We are getting ready for the holiday season to retail our products at gourmet stores in the Bay Area and from our website. Things are moving in the right direction and with hard work and perseverance we will open our chocolate & wine bar when the time is right. Thank you for your support and encouragement, we love chocolate & wine and most of all we love all of you!

Cheers,
Cocoa Diva

Summer Wine Tasting on Piedmont Ave.

2011-07-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Owner Brian, say hello!

The art of wine tasting is a special one that should be enjoyed in the company of others. Informal wine tasting is a great way to taste new wines and learn about them. I had the pleasure of sampling Spanish wines at Wines on Piedmont near Oakland, Ca. I walked in with minimal understanding and walked away with a better sense of experiencing wine. We sampled four varietals of wines and examined the complexity, color, aromas, flavor and character of each.

Map of Spain

2010 Sete Cepas Albarino, is a light and crisp wine with grapefruit and mineral aromas. It tastes like jasmine, spice and everything nice on the tongue. It's a dry wine which I always get confused with being a sweet wine. It goes well with light dishes such as; fish or shellfish. It also makes as a great aperitif, not bad for $14.99 price point.
2010 Garciarevalo Casamaro Verdejo, is a real bargain for what you get in taste at $9.99. The grapes are harvested in Rueda, Spain and has a deep caramel color. To the nose it smells floral, like a nice summer day. It's well balanced and the acidity compliments this white wine well.
2008 Carro Tinto, is a dry red wine with all the spices, fruit and earthy aromas that remind you of grandma's kitchen. It tastes like blackberry and plum, very fruity for red wine. It pairs well with roast pork and vegetables. The best part is how affordable this great wine is at $10.99
2007 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Grizama was the best red wine I've had from this region. It was the most expensive wine that we tasted at $24.99 but, it tasted like a $50 bottle of red. This wine is as complex in aroma as it is in flavor. Everything is well balanced and full bodied, it just fills you up inside. It pairs well with hearty beef because it likes to stand out! Best tasted after aeration to smooth it out, becomes less harsh on the tongue.

Inside the wine shop

Caution: wine tasting on weekends can be habit forming! It's fun, informative, a great way to meet people and talk about traveling. These Spanish wines brought me back to my trip to Spain last year. Tasting wine is an affordable means of taking your taste buds on a world tour. First stop Spain perhaps, the next stop will be France or Italy. All you have to do is close your eyes, sip and imagine!

Cheers,

Cocoa Diva


Wine Tasting every weekend 2-5pm!

Summer of Love BBQ June 4th 2011

2011-05-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Diva's at Rosenblum Cellars on June 4th, 2011. Club members, 12-4pm Public 1pm-4pm

Have you tried Cocoa Diva's Chocolate pairing with Rosenblum Desiree "Dessert Wine"?

If not, your chance has finally come! Cocoa Diva's will be pairing four of her gourmet chocolate drops with Rosenblum's signature wines in Alameda. Join us for the party, there will be food, fun and music!

For admission click here to Purchase Tickets
Ticket cost in advance - Club member price $25 Public $35
Ticket cost at the door - Club $40 Public $50

Location - Rosenblum Cellars 2900 Main Street, Alameda, 94501

Live Music
Lombardi's catered BBQ with 4 different BBQ stations of assorted BBQ
Featured Taylors Sausages of Oakland with live instructional Demo
Rib eating contest
Rub mixing contest
40+ wines poured
Many growers present
Wine maker appearance

Spread the word to friends and family, this event will sell out fast!

See you soon,
Cocoa Diva

It's Valentines Day, So What!

2011-02-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is around the corner and what comes with it is V-day craze! Every retail store, gift shop, hotel, spa, you name it there is an email blast hitting you every day “buy this”. Aren’t you tired of marketers telling you that “spending money” is the only way to show someone you care? It’s the same agenda every year about this time; buy her a teddy bear, buy her lingerie, say "I love you" with jewelry (um, keep the jewelry), buy her flowers, take her to dinner…blah, blah, blah. Can we be more creative PLEASE?

WHAT IF YOU’RE SINGLE? Heck, the last thing you want to read about, talk about, or think about is being alone on Valentines Day. There is nothing wrong with being single on Valentines Day. Be bold and “date yourself” this year! Enjoy spending quality time with yourself on Valentines Day and you just might meet someone, try it!

WHAT IF YOU’RE A COUPLE? Time is something you can’t get back, you can’t buy more of and it’s the one thing you can give someone special to say I LOVE YOU! Time is not free so, spending it wisely doing something that is fun and entertaining is recommended!

I have an alternative to the mania you want to get away from on Valentines Day, Monday February 14, 2011. Join Cocoa Diva & Smashbox Contemporary at Somar Lounge in Oakland, Ca. There will be complimentary chocolate & wine pairings, figure drawings, chocolate models, masssage by Kamau B. Love, music by D.J. Malachi and drink specials all night! It’s a FREE EVENT; donations are optional and encouraged to support the artists. If you’re flying solo, coupled-up, cupcaking, friends, group, co-workers, partners it don’t matter you’re invited. So forget about Valentines Day and let’s have an ARTgasm experience with Chocolate & Wine! Somar Bar & Lounge is located at 1727 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, Ca. 94612 the event is from 8:30pm til 11pm, be there early.

The Art of Flirting with Chocolate & Wine....

2011-01-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

Flirting is an art, a skill and when combined with chocolate & wine it ignites passion! Hold on, don't get too excited! First we must crawl before we walk and master the techniques of flirting itself.

Flirting: is non-physical sexual attraction between two people who engage in communication through body language and verbal tactics. It's a natural ritual that requires playful gestures initiated by a mutual attraction.

Got it? Now, back to our regularly scheduled program....flirting. So how do you flirt with someone? Like I said before, revealing an attraction is accomplished by Body Language. Flicking your hair (not on someone), eye contact (stop staring), brief touching (don't rest on her leg), open stances (not like you got off a horse), proximity (there is a comfort zone)...you get the picture! The challenge in flirtation to unskilled flirts is thinking that: teasing, asking lot's of questions, qualifying a persons status, playing hard to get, is all part of flirting...... it's NOT!

Cocoa Diva's FlirtFest is a fun and intimate environment for couples to flirt with each other and single people to learn some new tips. The experience of tasting chocolate and wine, dark flowing chocolate fountain, sweet and fresh fruit, music and fireplace sets the mood right for flirting. Join us for a flirt-o-matic evening amongst great people and excellent chocolate!

See you soon,

Cocoa Diva

Why Chocolate & Wine?

2011-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Many people ask me the question, why do you pair chocolate and wine? They say, I've heard of wine and cheese, wine and food but, not wine and chocolate. My first thought is why not! Think about it this way, the same way you experience and taste wine is similar to the way you experience and taste chocolate. For example, I have a nice glass of Zinfandel first, you look at it's color then, you swirl it next, you smell it finally, you savor it. Guess what, that's how you taste chocolate more or less. First, you look at the color of the chocolate to see how light or dark it is. Then, you cup the chocolate in your hand and smell it deeply. Next, you taste the chocolate and savor every delectable bite. Naturally, when two things are as similar as these they compliment each other. In fact, when chocolate and wine are paired correctly they enhance the subtle flavors of the wine your sipping and the chocolate that's melts on your tongue. My final answer on why do I pair chocolate and wine is, IT JUST TASTES GOOD!

Cheers,
Cocoa Diva

Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Bar at www.cocoadivasf.com

2011-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Banquet: ChocolateBet: October 6, 2010

2010-10-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Banquet: ChocolateBet: October 6, 2010: "Chocolate of the Day: 1 serving Cocoa Diva's Chocolate Bar 'Pairs with Port' tasting chocolates Very Good Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. ..."

Food Blog

2010-06-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

I intend to use this blog as a forum to record all my food travels around the world. I love food and I am a foodie so, I would like to share my experiences with everyone. This will be fun and I'll make sure that I keep my journals as current as possible. For now this all I want to say!

Website is Under Construction

2010-04-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Currently my new website is under construction. We will keep you updated once the shopping cart is available to take orders. Thank you for your support, see you soon!