Chocology Today

What happens when Chinese tea, fine chocolate, different cultures and a little curiosity gather around the same table? An afternoon of unexpected pairings, shared knowledge and discoveries we never could have planned.

Long before Chocology, our home had a name: The Gathering Place. This week, I realized that perhaps the Gathering Place simply moved—and these days, there's a lot more chocolate on the table.

As Chocology in Bloom comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about all the discoveries we’ve made this summer—and a few of my favorites weren’t planned at all. From unexpected moments in the shop to a very personal chocolate journey, Bloom reminded me what happens when we slow down, stay curious and notice. And now, something new is beginning...

From My Table

I couldn't let Chocology in Bloom come to an end without bringing wine into the conversation.

So this week's discovery didn't happen at Chocology.  It happened at my own table.

Last night, I opened a bottle of Josh Seaswept, a California blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, and paired it with three very different chocolates...

🍋 Castronovo White Lemon + Sea Salt
🌸 White Passion Fruit
🍫 Goodnow Farms Dark Passion Fruit

I generally gravitate toward a big, bold red, but this lighter, brighter wine seemed like a fun way to begin wrapping up a season that has been all about slowing down, noticing, and trying something unexpected.

And what interested me most wasn't simply which chocolate paired best.

It was what happened when I tasted the two passion fruit chocolates with the same wine.

Same fruit.
Same wine.
Two very different chocolates.

The white passion fruit brought out the brighter, more tropical side of the pairing. It felt light and lively alongside the wine.

Then I tasted the dark passion fruit.

Suddenly, the experience changed. The cacao brought depth and contrast to the passion fruit, and the wine seemed different right along with it.

Nothing about the wine had changed.

The fruit hadn't changed.

The chocolate had.

And that's the part I find fascinating.

We often approach a pairing looking for the answer to one question:

Which one is best?

But sometimes that's not where the discovery is.

Sometimes it's noticing how changing just one element can alter everything else we taste.

That's what we've been doing throughout Chocology in Bloom—with flowers, fruit, honey, cheese, olive oil, balsamic, salt and aroma.

Not looking for a right answer.

Just slowing down long enough to notice.

There's Still Time to Join Us Sunday

And speaking of noticing...

This Sunday, we're taking that idea even further.

Awaken Your Senses

Chocolate + Aromatherapy
Sunday, August 23 • 11 AM
$39 per person

Tara of Amadeus Aromatherapy and I are bringing our two worlds together for a hands-on sensory experience.

You'll begin with aroma—exploring different scents and creating a custom aromatherapy blend that's uniquely yours.

Then we'll bring in the chocolate.

We'll smell.
We'll taste.
We'll compare.

And we'll explore what happens when aroma begins to influence what you notice in chocolate.

This isn't about being able to identify the "correct" flavor.

It's about discovering what you notice.

Create a blend.
Smell.
Taste.
Compare.
Discover.

Your Blend. Your Chocolate. Your Discovery.

We still have a few spaces available for Sunday and would love to have you join us.

And Then... One Final Weekend

Before we say goodbye to Chocology in Bloom, we're bringing some of our favorite discoveries of the season back to the table.

Chocolate. Cheese. Honey. Aroma. Olive oil. Balsamic.

A little tasting.
A little experimenting.
A little Chocolate Trivia.

Some familiar favorites may return—and perhaps a surprise or two.

After a summer of smelling, melting, tasting, pairing and discovering, it seems only right to finish where we began:

being curious.

And you may discover that you know more about chocolate than you think.

More next week...

Until then...

Notice • Discover • Savor

Linda

Sometimes the most interesting chocolate stories begin long before the chocolate.

One of the things I love most about what I do is watching someone taste something they thought they knew—and suddenly discover something completely different.

It happens often when I lead a chocolate tasting—and this week, it happened more than once.

First, with three chocolates that were all 77% cacao. Then again on Sunday, when we discovered what chocolate, olive oil and balsamic vinegar have in common.

Three fruits. Three very different journeys. And so much to discover when we slow down long enough to notice.

When 77% Doesn't Taste Like 77%  ...huh?

77% • 77% • 77%
Same percentage. Different origins. Different chocolate.

This week I had so much fun leading a Chocology 101 experience at Syosset Library.

We tasted three Goodnow Farms single-origin dark chocolates side by side—all 77% cacao.

On paper, they sounded almost identical.

Then everyone tasted them.

The reactions around the room were so much fun to watch. People couldn't believe how different they were.

Same percentage. Completely different experiences.

That's one of my favorite discoveries to share because it opens the door to a much bigger chocolate story.

Just like wine and coffee, where cacao is grown matters. Soil, climate, cacao variety, fermentation and the choices of the chocolate maker all influence what we eventually experience as that chocolate melts on our tongues.

All 77%s are not the same.

And you don't need to be a chocolate expert to recognize the differences. You simply have to give yourself enough time to notice them.

That's why every tasting begins with The Art of the Chocolate Tasting Ritual.

Don't rush.

Take a moment to look at the chocolate first. Notice its color and appearance. Smell it before you taste it. Then let it begin to melt and pay attention to what develops.

There is no right answer. Only curiosity.

It's amazing what chocolate will tell you when you give it a little time.

Sunday's Discovery: Three Fruits

That same idea—slowing down and noticing—followed us right into Sunday's Chocology in Bloom experience.

This time I started with a different question:

What do chocolate, olive oil and balsamic vinegar have in common?

The answer surprised quite a few people.

Olives. Grapes. Cacao.

Three fruits. Three remarkable journeys. And three foods whose flavors can be influenced by where they're grown, how they're handled and the choices made along the way.

We spent the afternoon experimenting with artisan olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars and our Chocology fudge—and then the curiosity took over. We brought in other chocolates and cheeses from around the shop and started exploring even more combinations.

And experimenting really is the right word.

There were so many possible combinations between the fudge, olives, cheese, oils and balsamics that everyone could make discoveries of their own.

There wasn't a right pairing or a wrong pairing.

There was simply:

What do you notice?

And that's exactly what I wanted.

A Few Favorite Discoveries

While there were no right or wrong combinations, a few pairings had people coming back for another taste.

One was:

Chocology White Chocolate Fudge + Lemon Olive Oil = A Lemon Drop

The additional citrus from the olive oil made the fudge feel brighter and fresher and brought out something we hadn't necessarily noticed when tasting the fudge on its own.

Another combination people loved was:

Dark Chocolate + Raspberry Balsamic

The rich dark chocolate and bright fruitiness of the raspberry balsamic created a completely different experience.

Neither pairing was about deciding which one was "best." The fun was noticing what changed.

That's one of the things I love about pairing. It isn't always about putting together two things that already taste alike.

Sometimes one ingredient reveals something in another that you hadn't noticed before.

And suddenly, a chocolate you've tasted many times becomes an entirely new experience.

Those moments of discovery are why I love doing this.

Sometimes the smallest bite leads to the biggest discovery.

And We're Not Finished Yet...

Later this month, Chocology in Bloom continues as we explore Chocolate & Aromatherapy.

We'll turn our attention to our sense of smell and discover just how much aroma influences what we think we're tasting.

Join Tara Penske and me as you create your own custom aromatherapy blend—and then discover the chocolate I choose to pair with it.

We've planned two opportunities to join us—a Sunday morning workshop and, for those who can't make it during the day, a Monday evening workshop.

One of the greatest joys of Chocology in Bloom has been watching chocolate bring people together in unexpected ways. This week was filled with music, new friendships, sensory discoveries, honey pairings, and a reminder that the best experiences are the ones we share.

One of the sweetest discoveries at our first Point Reyes Cheese & Chocolate Experience wasn't on the tasting board—it was the wonderful people who shared the journey.

Discover how aroma transformed chocolate last weekend—and join us this Sunday for a special Cheese & Chocolate Pop-In inspired by Point Reyes.

Why do we always smell chocolate before tasting it? Meet Tara Penske of Amadeus Aromatherapy, Chocology's Aroma Discovery Partner for Chocology in Bloom, and discover how aroma influences flavor. Join us this summer as we slow down, engage our senses, and experience chocolate in an entirely new way.

Summer is in full bloom, and so is Chocology. Join us July 1–August 31 for a seasonal celebration of chocolate, flowers, herbs, fruit, and aroma. Through guided tastings, sensory experiences, and new discoveries, you'll learn why chocolate is something to notice—not just taste.

Chocology Unlimited is honored to be recognized as Best of Long Island 2026 – Best Chocolatier. Discover the story behind the award, our passion for craft chocolate, and why we believe chocolate is never just chocolate.