Like the caramel center of its popular sea salt chocolate caramel, Annabelle’s Chocolate Lounge is folded into the scenic Sierra Foothills of El Dorado County. Adorned with bright honey-colored natural wood throughout, the shop boasts a wine list as decadent as its 75 varieties of chocolate. Though it would prove nearly impossible to discern a favorite among the wide-ranging styles, tastes, and textures, each chocolate confection shares a common feature: no waxes or preservatives.
“We use Guittard chocolate, which is cleaner and higher quality,” says Alissa Cesarini, who co-owns the shop with her sister, Angela Taylor. “We even hand-temper the chocolate, it’s all made by hand here.” That means paying close attention to shelf life and monitoring for signs of depreciation to ensure every customer enjoys the product in its prime.
The shop offers a wine and chocolate pairing menu, which features a flight of four varietals paired with chocolates and accompanied by tasting notes. The menu typically lists six to 10 options, Cesarini says, so customers can elect for a white, red, or dessert style port. “We’ve tried 100 plus wines to find the right pairings,” shares Taylor. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.
Annabelle’s opened in 2006 and was later sold to Cesarini and Taylor, who has worked at the shop for 15 years, in 2022. Despite the change in ownership, the pair says little has changed of the beloved chocolate shop. “We really kept it the same. It’s a comfort place for a lot of people, so we wanted to keep the consistency and quality.” The duo did, however, expand the wine list to feature labels from throughout El Dorado and Amador counties, rotating the selection on a monthly basis.
“One of my favorite pairings was a cayenne and cinnamon dark chocolate truffle with a petite sirah,” says Cesarini.
Recent offerings included glasses from Boeger Winery in Placerville, 24 BRIX Wines in Plymouth, and Fair Play AVA’s Bumgarner Winery. Between the truffles, turtles, English toffee, organic and sugar free selections, there’s a perfect pairing for any pour of white or red. Annabelle’s has even collaborated with other local businesses, like Caffè Santoro for coffee, for ingredients it uses in its specialty products like coffee caramels. The shop provides a space for small parties like bridal and baby showers, and it ships customized chocolate gift baskets around the globe.
Along with flights of chocolate and wine, Annabelle’s also offers visitors on-site experiences like a painting class, meditation, and even a Casbah Lounge Middle Eastern dance session. The lounge is a versatile, eclectic space for exciting flavors and fun experiences, what Taylor summarizes as “a delicious treat” for the mouth and mind.
