Chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate bars are often among the assorted appetizers at our milongas.  Of course, there are always a few bottles of wine, preferably Argentine.  There is much information on the Internet about the pairing wine with chocolate, so there is no need for me to repeat it here.

After my Argentine Tango class, wine and chocolate bars are usually on the table near the exit.  Someone brings Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars, I don’t know why it’s always that brand, but they are delicious.  The tango teacher or studio owner must buy them in bulk.

When tango class is over the chocolate bars are eagerly unwrapped, broken into small pieces, and shared among the group.  Since this is an informal and hasty ritual before leaving, we pour the wine in little paper cups from the water fountain.  For some reason, it almost seems sacred, like taking communion at a church.  Before our tango class took a summer break, we had wine and chocolate one last time.

Everyone raised their cups of wine and touched each other’s cup before drinking.  I was shocked when a woman in my class went out of her way and deliberately stretched her arm very far to touch my cup.  She takes her tango dancing very seriously and tries hard to avoid dancing with me because I make too many mistakes for her approval.  So like a church communion someone was silently seeking forgiveness and restoration.