In Religious ceremonies, hundreds of thousands of people a year were sacrificed and to be brave enough to put yourself forward for this was considered an honour. This usually involved heart extraction and when the ceremony was over, they didn’t leave anything to waste. Their flesh was baked with corn and fed to the Nobles. If there were enough sacrifices the whole city would be able to feast on the remains. Before the person was sacrificed, they were given cacao drinks mixed with human blood to prepare them as an offering to the Gods. Currency Rubis wine is made using Tempranillo grapes which are grown in La mancha, Spain. These are Spain’s number one grape and in the Autumn the vine leaves turn red.

Rubis Chocolate Wine is probably one of the sweetest chocolate flavoured English wine available in the market. With alcohol percentage of 15%, Rubis wine is a must-buy for most wine lovers. It has a very distinct taste and best served while chilled. Cacao fruit and beans played a strong role in Royalty, Religion and was also used as currency. Royalty The grapes are pressed in Spain with the juice being shipped over to England and fortified with grape spirit. The Grape spirit and juice are then blended with premium dark chocolate to create the smooth silky red wine liqueur that is Rubis. The beans were ground and often mixed with water, chillies, honey or spices and fermented into cacao wine. I was curious as to how this would taste as it sounded like the perfect pairing but was unsure how it worked as a wine.

I would recommend this as an after dinner drink to round a meal off nicely, just as the Aztec Royalty did. They knew what they were doing! Not sure about the human sacrifice though, I would give that a swerve. It is made by flavouring fortified Tempranillo wine with chocolate essence. The red wine base is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes sourced from the wine growing region of La Mancha in central Spain. The wine is made in the usual way: grapes are harvested, pressed and fermented and then the wine is “fortified” with a neutral alcohol spirit (a very basic grape brandy). This addition of alcohol stops fermentation whilst there is still a high sugar content leaving a natural sweetness in the wine. The fortified red wine is finally blended with chocolate essences and the producers of Rubis seem to have got the recipe just right! Our expert wine makers have skilfully blended a superb S panishT empranillo red wine and premium chocolate flavour , to create a luxuriously indulgent after-dinner treat. Notes of rich cherry and red fruit enveloped in velvety dark chocolate makes it a perfect accompaniment to most desserts. From rich chocolate fondants to fruit filled tarts, R ubis pairs extremely well with them; and simply pour over vanilla ice cream to create a delicious dessert. Best served on its own at room temperature or chilled.

Rubis suggest the wine is chilled and served with ice to experience the best flavour or at room temperature.The taste is quite extraordinary. Rich plum, cherry, dark fruits with a touch of oak and a smattering of cloves and that velvety rich deep dark chocolate gliding over the tongue. The chocolate cannot be missed but it manages not to be overpowering and the taste is utter pleasure. Rubis wine is a wine to take your time with and to savour. Simply place a scoop of vanilla ice cream into a glass. Similar to an Affogato, instead of a shot of espresso, pour a heart glug of Rubis Chocolate wine over the top. Serve and enjoy!

Rubis can be served at either room temperature or chilled over ice for that ultimate chocolate experience. As cacao was so precious it was also used as a currency so was not immune to forgery attempts using avocado stones and wax. Rubis WineRubis Chocolate Wine an indulgent blend of fortified tempranillo wine and premium chocolate flavour.

Rubis also has some lovely dessert recipes to make using the wine such as Tiramisu and Poached pears. On pouring, the wine is a beautiful ruby colour and on the nose it gave plums and cherry and the wonderful smell of dark chocolate.Rubis is a chocolate wine liqueur made from a blend of fortified red wine and premium chocolate flavours. It uses the best tempranillo grapes from the centre of Spain and velvety premium dark chocolate to give Rubis its bold fruity and chocolatey flavours. Cacao was not easy to source near Court as it grew in the south amongst the Mayan lowlands and because of this, the drink was usually served to people of high society standing such as Nobles or Warriors and presented at the end of Banquets. Religion Mouth-watering aromas of bold cherry fruit, spices, fresh vanilla and chocolate box come forth on an engaging nose, whilst the palate is smooth, rich and velvety with a subtle sweetness and delicious layers of chocolatey flavour. Tempranillo is diminutive of the Spanish word ‘temprano’ which means early. This is due to the grapes ripening several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. On to the wine tasting And you know how we have that recipe for a delicious slow cooker red wine hot chocolate? Well, I’m just wondering if this wouldn’t be the perfect wine to sling in there?