Kollar Chocolates — Local services in Yountville

The V-Marketplace is in the center of town. This used to be the home of the Groezinger Winery, built in 1870 by Gottlieb Grozinger. Take a peek inside the Historic Barrel Room. All of the bricks are original from the late 1800s. Be sure to stroll into some of the shops for artisan jewelry, artwork and keepsakes. Stop into Kollar’s Chocolate store to experience some of the most creative and beautiful artisan chocolate by Chef Chris Kollar and Naomi Pasztor. Chris Kollar used to cook steaks and chops at some of the finest restaurants in Napa Valley. Now he makes handmade chocolates. When he met Naomi from Switzerland, the two decided to combine their passion of chocolate and open a modern chocolate kitchen and store in the V-Marketplace. Their kitchen is open with glass windows for guests to watch these chocolate makers prepare their beautiful artisan chocolates. It’s a three-day process to make each batch of chocolate. His chocolates are beautiful and shiny with elegant designs. Some of his unique flavors include Fennel Pollen chocolate with a light olive green hue. His Coffee Kahlua chocolate is made with dark chocolate ganache. They also sell a red wine chocolate made with Napa Valley red wine and dark chocolate ganache. It's ideal to pair with a glass of wine out on a picnic table with a plate of cheese and some crusty French bread from Bouchon Bakery...

Who thought lipstick is Chocolate? Chocolate Review: Kollar Chocolates in Yountville

THE CHOCOLATE AROMA filled my nose as I stepped into Kollar Chocolates. The displays were half- covered because of the people all in line to buy chocolates. As I stood there waiting, I observed the surroundings. There was a clear polished glass wall, where I could see the chocolatiers work. At the back of the small shop, a chocolate-wood designed wall reminded us that Kollar Chocolates ruled the chocolate-world. The many displays of the small chocolates, the awesome shelves full of chocolates to choose from hypnotized us.. All of this was a real chocolate shop. A Real One. With my hand holding a 20 dollar bill, I knew one specific, one special item I’d choose: the lipstick. It’s creamy dark chocolate, the design, what a dream chocolate. Of all, the lipstick was the best. Once you ate it, you knew that you need to live there, or have one more. The chocolate is your life. The small cafe where you sit inside, with high quality patio chairs, was like putting frosting on a cake. The varieties of the chocolates in the small display case, is just practically asking for chocolate money. All of that, sheesh! What a fabulous chocolate...

Kollar Chocolates, nestled in a beautiful brick building in Yountville, is a charming spot for a chocolate fix. They typically offer samples, which is a great way to explore their flavors. I tried the coffee kalhua, but the kalhua flavor was disappointingly muted. The staff explained that their liquor chocolates were infused and filled, but based on the coffee kalhua, that wasn't entirely accurate.

On a brighter note, the raspberry chocolate was a winner! The tartness of the raspberry really shone through. Their ice cream was decent - not overly sweet, but also a tad lacking in smoothness. My friend, however, absolutely raved about the affogato, so that might be the coffee option to go for.

Overall, Kollar Chocolates had some hits and misses. The atmosphere is lovely, and the staff is friendly. If you're looking for unique flavor combinations, it might be worth a try, but be prepared for a bit of a gamble with the...