Wine and Chocolate Tasting in Mijas — A Masterclass Pairing Experience

Wine and chocolate. Two of life's great pleasures, and most people enjoy them separately. But pair the right wine with the right chocolate, and something extraordinary happens — flavours amplify, new notes emerge, and both taste better than they would alone.

At Mayan Monkey in Mijas Pueblo, wine and chocolate pairing is part of our premium Masterclass experience. It's not a lecture — it's a hands-on workshop where you make the chocolate yourself, then taste it alongside carefully selected wines.

Why Wine and Chocolate Work Together

The pairing works because of complementary chemistry. Chocolate — especially dark chocolate with high cacao content — has over 600 flavour compounds. Wine has around 200. When you combine them, certain compounds interact to create entirely new taste sensations.

The key principles:

• Match intensity: Bold red wines with dark chocolate. Lighter whites or rosés with milk chocolate. Sweet dessert wines with white chocolate.
• Look for shared notes: A fruity Merlot with a berry-topped dark bar. A nutty Amontillado sherry with a praline bonbon.
• Contrast sweetness: The tannins in red wine cut through chocolate's richness, while chocolate softens wine's astringency.

During the Masterclass, we guide you through these principles with actual tastings — not theory, but palate-on experience.

The MMM Masterclass Experience

The wine and chocolate pairing is part of our most comprehensive workshop — the MMM Masterclass (2h, from €135, ages 12+). Here's what the full experience includes:

1. Welcome Drinks & Artisan Chocolates

You start with a drink and a selection of our handmade chocolates — a chance to settle in and begin awakening your palate.

2. Bean-to-Cup Hot Chocolate

You roast raw cacao beans yourself, then grind them into a rich, authentic hot chocolate — the way the ancient Maya prepared it. (Curious about the full journey? Read our guide to how chocolate is made from bean to bar.) No powder, no shortcuts. This is chocolate in its purest form, and it gives you a deep understanding of where the flavour really comes from.

3. Advanced Bonbon Making

Professional techniques taken further — multi-colour shells, stamped designs, stencil work, and lustre powder finishing. The bonbons you create here are genuinely impressive. This isn't beginner level; it's a proper masterclass.

4. Wine & Chocolate Pairing

The highlight for many guests. We guide you through a structured tasting of wines paired with different chocolate styles — dark, milk, white, filled, and flavoured. You learn to identify the flavour interactions and discover which combinations work for your palate. There are no wrong answers, just personal preferences waiting to be discovered.

5. Take Home Over 1kg of Chocolate

Everything you make — bonbons, bars, figurines — is packed into a gift box for you to take home. Over 1kg of handmade chocolate, crafted by you.

Perfect for Adults Who Want More

The Masterclass is designed for adults (12+) who want depth, not just decoration. If you're a wine lover, a foodie, or someone who's done shorter workshops and wants the next level — this is it. It's also an exceptional choice for:

• Couples: A shared 2-hour experience that's more memorable than a restaurant.
• Small groups: Birthday celebrations, hen parties, or friend getaways.
• Corporate events: A premium team experience that feels nothing like "team building".
• Solo visitors: You'll be in a small group and meet interesting people.

Spanish Wine Country Meets Artisan Chocolate

We're in Andalucía — one of Spain's oldest wine regions. The wines we use in our pairings are selected to showcase local and Spanish varieties, giving you a taste of the region alongside the chocolate. It's a combination that makes perfect sense: local wine, ethically-sourced chocolate, and the Mijas Pueblo setting.

Our factory is at Plaza Virgen de la Peña 15, Mijas Pueblo — in the heart of the village, surrounded by white-washed walls and mountain views. Open daily 10:30am – 6:00pm (until 9pm in summer).

Some experiences are worth taking your time over. This is one of them.