Wholesale Italian Dark Chocolate
Filter
We don’t stock products for this exact combination right now. Here are related items from our catalog:
Nine Italian dark chocolates, in bulk and bagged units that come in 1 to 2 lb cases. Zaini and Mangini make most of them. Di Iorio, Monardo and Vergani make the rest. You’ll find gianduia and hazelnut pralines, a cherry liqueur one, fondant truffles and a lemon zest piece. Retail and wholesale both buy here. There’s no minimum, and shipping stays within the US.
Italian makers don’t pour dark chocolate over everything and leave it at that. They pair it with hazelnuts or coffee. Citrus gets a turn, and so does liqueur. A cream filling shows up now and then. The result is layered instead of just sweet. That’s the thinking behind Italian chocolate. Our dark chocolate section here has nine products from five Italian houses, Zaini and Mangini and Di Iorio, with Monardo and Vergani. Cases run 1 to 2 lb. You can see the whole selection in the bulk candy catalog.
Zaini is based in Milan. It’s the reason a lot of specialty buyers care about gianduia, which is dark chocolate blended with hazelnut paste. The Zaini Gianduiotto Dark Gianduia Chocolate comes in the classic Turin shape, a small ingot. The dark one has more cacao against the hazelnut than milk gianduia can manage. The Zaini Cremino Layered Gianduia Chocolate Assortment alternates chocolate and hazelnut cream in bands, so every bite shifts a little. It’d do well in gift retail. Then come the Zaini Dark Chocolate Cherry Liqueur Pralines. Cherry and dark chocolate is an old European pairing, and the liqueur filling feels adult. We’d put it in a wine shop or a gourmet food store.
Di Iorio does something less common. The Di Iorio Lemon Zest in Dark Chocolate is a bulk item, with pieces of lemon zest coated in dark chocolate. The citrus is bright and a bit acidic against the bitter cacao. You’ll spot it in a bin right away. Italian delis and gift shops that already know Italian sweets will probably get it right away, especially if they’re tired of the usual truffle or nut cluster.
Monardo handles the truffle side. The Monardo Dark Chocolate Fondant Cream Truffles are a dark shell around smooth fondant cream, the classic European truffle done carefully. The taste is clean and rich. It’s not very sweet, which is the bar we measure other dark truffles against. Gift retail takes to it, and so do hotel amenity programs and dessert stations. Gift-basket makers like it too.
Vergani has the hazelnut praline spot to itself. The Vergani Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pralines are a praline shell wrapped around hazelnut cream, and they finish clean and look good in a bulk display. Hazelnut and dark chocolate needs no explaining in a specialty food shop. People in an import food section tend to recognize it and then ask for it again.
Mangini has three. The Mangini Noblesse Dark Chocolate Cream Liqueur is a bonbon with a cream liqueur center, a shape you see a lot in Italian and Belgian gift boxes around the holidays. The Mangini Noccioletto Dark Chocolate Whole Hazelnut does what it says. One roasted hazelnut in a dark shell. Nothing else. It’s probably the most dependable item in the range, and it sells in any season. The Mangini Noblesse Choco Fruit Chocolate Bonbons finish the set with a fruit-and-chocolate mix that adds color to a display or an assortment.
Who buys it? Specialty food shops and import grocers mostly. They’ll set it next to the Italian and Belgian items and call that a chocolate corner. Basket makers and gift retailers take it for adult and corporate gifts, since Italian origin and dark chocolate sell themselves there. A hotel chocolatier could plate it or hand it over after dinner. Italian delis and cheese shops keep it by the register.
There are two formats. Bulk and bagged both come in 1 to 2 lb cases. Bulk goes into scoop bins or made-to-order displays. The bagged pieces show up ready for the shelf so you handle them less. Either way you pay by the pound.
Keep it somewhere cool and dry, out of the sun and away from anything that smells strong. Dark chocolate has less milk fat than milk chocolate, so it lasts longer and we worry less about bloom. Warm shop, or a big holiday stock-up? Then watch the temperature a bit closer if you want the pieces shiny on the shelf.
There’s no minimum order, and retail and wholesale buyers can both order. Approved accounts see account pricing. Everything ships within the US. Five brands give you a decent Italian dark chocolate section, with different formats and flavors that don’t repeat each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which brands are in the wholesale Italian dark chocolate range?
Five brands. Zaini makes the gianduiotto and the cremino, plus the cherry liqueur pralines. Mangini covers liqueur bonbons, whole hazelnuts and the choco fruit bonbons. Di Iorio has the lemon zest in chocolate. Monardo does the fondant cream truffles and Vergani the hazelnut cream pralines. Nine products altogether, all made in Italy and all in 1 to 2 lb cases.
What is gianduiotto dark chocolate and why do buyers request it?
Gianduiotto is from Turin. It’s dark chocolate blended with hazelnut paste and shaped into little ingots, and shops that stock Italian food often ask for the Zaini dark one by name.
What buyer channels are strongest for Italian dark chocolate?
Mostly specialty food shops and import grocers, then gift shops and basket makers. Italian delis buy it, and so do hotel amenity programs and upscale foodservice. Around the holidays and for corporate gifts a European dark chocolate keeps selling steadily.
What pack formats are available for Italian dark chocolate wholesale?
Bulk and bagged both come in 1 to 2 lb cases. Bulk suits an open bin, and bagged pieces are ready for the shelf without much handling. Price is per pound, whichever you go with.
How should Italian dark chocolate be stored to maintain quality?
Cool, dry and dark is the rule. Keep it away from strong smells too. It outlasts milk chocolate because there’s less milk fat in it, so bloom is less likely. In a warm spot or a big seasonal stock-up, make sure the storage stays cool and steady.
What is the minimum order for wholesale Italian dark chocolate?
There’s no minimum, so retail and wholesale buyers can both order. Checkout is by card and approved wholesale accounts get account pricing. Everything ships within the US. Nine products covers a full Italian dark chocolate section, and none of the brands double up on each other.