Chocolate Manufacturers.
Scharffenberger...
Scharffen Berger was founded in San Francisco in 1997 by chocolate expert Robert Steinberg and winemaker John Scharffenberger.
Steinberg was a family doctor diagnosed with cancer in 1989. It proved to be a life-changing experience, and he decided to dedicate himself to his passion for fine food, settling on chocolate making in 1994
His ultimate goal was to deliver the very best chocolate from the finest beans nature had to offer, which he did until his passing in 2008. John Scharffenberger’s entrepreneurial spirit and successful business background complemented Steinberg’s skills.
The pair tested multiple combinations before perfecting a unique blend that highlighted the true flavour of cacao instead of masking it with sugar. The result is a collection of truly unique chocolates.
As the first American “bean-to-bar” chocolate manufacturer in over 50 years, Scharffen Berger led the USA’s in artisan chocolate-making. It was also the first chocolate maker to label their chocolate with the percentage of cocoa inside.
Today, Scharffen Berger travels the world to source the finest cocoa . They select the best beans from small sustainable farms in cocoa-producing countries such as the Cote d’Ivoire and Indonesia. Of the more than 150 samples they taste each year, only a few are chosen to become Scharffen Berger Chocolate.
Scharffenberger used to be an international winemaker. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev used Scharffenberger’s sparkling wine to toast the end of the Cold War!