Have you ever wanted to host your own wine and chocolate tasting? If you find choosing the best pairs a bit intimidating, you’re not alone. Wine experts voice a wide array of strong, sometimes conflicting opinions about which wines and chocolates are perfect partners. But happily, there are a few ground rules on which the pros agree.

Keep the wine sweeter than the chocolate. In most cases, wine and chocolate pairing is a case in which opposites don’t attract—sweet tastes best with sweet, and dry with bitter. But be sure not to let the chocolate’s sweetness eclipse that of the wine. Wine and chocolate both contain strong, potent flavors—cocoa beans and wine are actually fermented with the same yeast—so they can rival each other in intensity. A chocolate that’s too sugary will make the accompanying wine taste bitter. In contrast, the sweeter wine will bring out the full flavors of the chocolate. White chocolate goes well with Sherry, Moscato d’Asti, and Muscat, whereas the most bittersweet chocolate will still find a good companion in a dry red such as Malbec, Cabernet Savignon, or Zinfandel.

Match flavor elements. A no-brainer way to choose complementary pairs is to choose wines and chocolates that contain similar flavors. A Syrah Port, for example, has notes of eucalyptus that will heighten the taste of mint chocolate. Madeira, which has notes of caramel and citrus will taste great with chocolates that have fruit fillings. And for chocolate with a nut center, Amontillado Sherry is the perfect companion.

Move from light to dark. When preparing a series of wine and chocolate pairings, start with sweet chocolates and wines and move to bitter chocolates and fuller, darker wines. Begin sweet with a white chocolate and sweet Champagne pairing, then gradually build up to dark chocolate and vintage Port duo. Starting with the sugary varieties and moving into the more challenging bitter ones ensures that your taste buds are not overwhelmed by an initial bitter shock at the beginning of the tasting. Note that for chocolate, “light” does not necessarily correspond to color but to the intensity of flavor.

When in doubt, certain varieties, such as Ports and fortified dessert wines, seem to go well with everything. Try out the different combinations yourself and see which you think are the standouts!