Rich And Hot

That philosophy is changing the way chocolate is marketed and consumed. It starts with bars of premium chocolate -- such as Vosges' Barcelona Bar made with sea salt and roasted almonds -- that sell for about $6. Then there are the boutique chocolate shops that will sell their wares by the piece when you just need a quick fix. And for special occasions, there is the $200 box of truffles from Godiva encased in Ultrasuede and adorned with Swarovski crystal.

Sales of premium chocolate last year were estimated to total $1.56 billion, according to the Mintel report. But most of those sales did not take place in traditional candy outlets such as drugstores.

Increasingly, consumers are buying chocolate at department stores, gourmet food retailers and chocolate shops -- and not just during the holidays. The Curious Grape sells between 500 and 1,000 premium chocolate bars each month.

Mars Inc., best known for candies such as M&M's and Snickers, has developed a "chocolate lounge" to showcase its new line of gourmet confections.

The lounges, known as ethel's Chocolate Lounges after the Mars company's matriarch, are decorated in pink and brown. Staff members are called "chocolate consultants." The menu features five chocolate collections, including one filled with creme liqueur in flavors such as mojito and "chocolapolitan." There are seven locations in Chicago, and the company is planning to open additional lounges across the country.

"Traditionally, when consumers think about chocolate, they think of special occasions," said John Haugh, president of gourmet chocolate and retail for a division of Mars. The lounges are designed to bring "premium chocolate into an everyday experience."

Maribel Lieberman did not expect to strike gold in 2000 when she opened a chocolate shop in New York after studying fashion at the prestigious Parsons School of Design. She simply wanted to combine the two things she liked best: food and high style.

So she decided to commission her artist husband to create paintings for her first line of chocolates. She printed his colorful, abstract designs onto chocolate squares and threw in a few of her own sketches. She flavored the treats with lemon, saffron and cardamom.

Soon the customers were flocking to her shop, now named MarieBelle New York. This year, her chocolates are also being sold at Neiman Marcus.

"It was not really planned, like 'I'm going to create a luxury item,' " Lieberman said. "It was more like 'What is me?' I like luxury goods. I'm the best customer."

Lieberman and other small chocolatiers helped prepare for the big candy companies, tapping into the market for small splurges. Last year, almost 65 percent of those surveyed in the Mintel report said that they would rather have a little bit of premium chocolate than a lot of so-so chocolate. To her customers, Leiberman said, the right chocolate in the proper packaging feels more like a fashion accessory than a threat to their waistlines.

Montebello of Sans Souci said that has been the strategy behind her company since it opened in 2002. Each of her chocolates is hand-dipped and made with fresh ingredients and no preservatives. Shelf life is only about two weeks. Customers will often stop by her shop just for a salted butter caramel or two.

"We want you to indulge," she said. "But we want you to feel good about it because you really don't have to go to excesses to satisfy your indulgence."

Dark chocolate in particular has been touted lately for the potential health benefits from the antioxidants and flavanols in the cocoa bean. Could chocolate become the next red wine?

Industry analysts and chocolate experts certainly hope so, in more ways than one.

The Curious Grape holds chocolate "tastings," allowing customers to taste the difference between the lighter milk chocolates and the most bitter darks. Foodies talk about the percent of cocoa and the origin and varietials of beans. A company called Chocolove even makes bars with vintage dates that are meant to be aged.

"Chocolate's trying to make a move from being a commodity . . . to something a little more like wine," said John Coleman, a buyer for grocer Balducci's. "That way, it's quality-driven."

But he cautioned not to overthink it. After all, chocolate is still first and foremost a comfort food.

"You don't want it to get too mystified by all the terms and everything," Coleman said. "You taste it. Do you like it? Good."