In some surveys, chocolate has been rated better than sex. But don't let this stop you from sharing with your lover. This sweet treat elicits near nirvana -- especially when the chocolate is made with high cacao content. One Santa Fe entrepreneur has captured that ecstasy.

Linda Durante is the proprietor of Jardin de Chocolat. She creates chocolate delights -- one at a time -- using the highest-quality dark chocolate, low sugar content and local, organic products when possible. Her chocolates are handmade in small batches. They appeal to the eye as well as the palate.

As a certified chocolatier, Durante brings expertise from her training at Ecole Chocolat in British Columbia to her new Santa Fe business. A doctor of Oriental medicine and acupuncturist, she discovered chocolate-making almost by accident.

Durante relates that she walked into a Santa Fe chocolate shop and found the alluring smells and fun atmosphere irresistible. Her enthusiasm led to an introduction to the owner, who encouraged her to begin as his apprentice. She confessed that she was an acupuncturist, not a chef. The owner replied, "So what? I'm an architect." He hired her on the spot.

In that shop, she began to learn the art of chocolate-making, then enrolled in the famed Ecole Chocolat to continue her adventure into creating the highest-quality chocolates.

Durante initially plunged into the Santa Fe market for artisan chocolates about three years ago. With the help of WESST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fledgling small businesses, she refined the business concept for Jardin de Chocolat. Even in a down economy and a difficult market, Durante got the help she needed to enhance the business.

She sells her chocolates via a website and offers them for local pickup or for shipping nationwide. Durante says, "Making chocolates brings me great joy -- a joy I want to share with others who taste my creations."

Her treats include "jeweled" barks -- such as dark chocolate bark studded with marcona almonds and dried cherries or white chocolate bark with lemon and dried blueberries.

Durante also makes unique truffles -- such as an organic white chocolate bay truffle enrobed in dark chocolate. Lemon verbena, ginger or mint enhances other truffles. Her creamy, pure chocolate truffle is an iridescent geode that melts in your mouth. The round, lemon verbena truffle has a delicate flavor and is finished with golden swirls. The delectable mint truffle is garnished with an infinitesimal green leaf.

Durante's third category of delectables includes solid dark and white chocolates molded into delightful shapes, such as plump, tiny hearts and exquisite, miniature turtles. Some are scented with essences of cognac, bergamot or rose. Rectangles of bittersweet chocolate are infused with orange.

"I first thought chocolate-making and acupuncture an odd combination," Durante said of her career choices. "But I've come to see the similarities. Both endeavors give me pleasure -- and they both enhance the lives of my patients and customers."

She continued, "Most of my chocolate customers learn about me by word-of-mouth. I get orders for weddings, private parties, banquets and corporate gifts. St. Valentine's Day brings lots of sales." She calls the chocolates her "labor of love."

Prices begin at $17 for a seven-piece sampler box of truffles and hearts. A deluxe 24-piece gift box is $48. Elegant packaging reflects the quality of the content. The same goes for chocolate barks, wrapped in cellophane and gold ribbon. A generous half-pound of white or dark chocolate bark costs $17.50.

For more information about Jardin de Chocolat or to place an order, see www.jardindechocolat.com, email jardindechocolat@gmail.com or call 820-7014.