There’s more to wine than sips by the glass. This month, we’re partnering with Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt to share tips, insights and recipes featuring wine as the main ingredient.

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine piece of dark chocolate alongside a glass of sturdy red wine? Well this sauce takes those two simple pleasures and marries them even more intimately.

Or, perhaps you’re feeling less sweet and more savory. Thanks to wine’s ability to play both sides of the culinary equation, it’s just as easy to skip the sugar and spike it with spices, some salt and maybe a hit of umami.

But for now, let’s stick to sweet.

In the same form as the classic method for making a ganache (cream plus chocolate), warm the red wine with a cinnamon stick and star anise and then add it to bittersweet chocolate. With a bit of whisking, you’ll have a luxurious sauce that pours over ice cream and is the perfect end to an indulgent meal.

As the holidays approach, this sauce makes a lovely hostess gift in lieu of a bottle of wine. Encourage your recipients to refrigerate the sauce, and if they listen to your instruction, it will keep for at least two weeks.