Delysia Chocolatier's white peach balsamic and carrot cake truffles. Photo provided by International Chocolate Salon.

Delysia Chocolatier cleaned up at the 2014 International Chocolate Salon Awards, bringing home a slew of medals of all colors.

The Austin, Texas-based chocolatier garnered top marks for its carrot cake and white peach balsamic truffles in the “Most Unique” category of the Top Truffle Artistry Award Competition, which recognizes the best artisan and premium chocolate and confections.

In “Best Taste and Flavor,” the white peach balsamic and Mexican mole truffles took silver. The white peach balsamic truffle continued to add to the winnings with two bronze medals, in the “Best Ingredient Combinations” and “Best in Salon Truffle” categories.

As a whole, Delysia Chocolatier also received an honorable mention in “Best Brand or Chocolatier.”

“There are no words to describe how amazing it feels to be among the best in the country,” says Delysia Chocolatier founder Nicole Patel. “Being once again recognized by the International Chocolate Salon is such a huge honor.”

The company also won numerous honors in other International Chocolate Salon Awards competitions earlier this year, the highlight being that, for the second consecutive year, the International Chocolate Salon Awards named Delysia Chocolatier as one of the “Best Chocolatiers and Confectioners in America.” Delysia Chocolatier was one of only 10 chocolatiers, and the only one from Texas, to land the perfect six-star rating.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Patel continues to innovate with her company and expand the presence of chocolate.

In October, she opened Delysia Chocolate Culinary Center in Austin, which will be both the site of production for the premium manufacturer’s chocolates and a community gathering space. The center will offer classes, chocolate pairing events and pop-up dinners, among other activities. Visitors can experience every step of the chocolate journey, from learning where the chocolate is sourced to the manufacturing process.

The center is the first of its kind in Texas. It boasts a 23-by-32-ft. kitchen with deluxe appliances, an artfully designed, high-tech lobby and a conference room with a Smart TV.

This grand design is a testament to how far Delysia Chocolatier has come since chocolatier Nicole Patel founded the company in 2008.

“Six years ago, when I launched Delysia Chocolatier, it was a very small endeavor. A hobby,” Patel says. “I never imagined that we would one day own our very own facility, nor that we would have the support to grow to such a size.”

She says she is excited to “introduce to a larger market the wonderful and sustainably crafted chocolates that we produce.”

Delysia Chocolatier also stands above the rest in the state as the first to make flavor-infused chocolate truffles using local wines for its popular Wine Collection. The company handcrafts truffles, barks, moulded chocolates and chocolate mixes in a variety of flavors using fair trade cocoa beans and environmentally friendly production methods.

Currently, the chocolatier is focusing on fall, with its Autumn Truffle Collection in stores now. The nine-piece set includes apple cider, pecan pie and pumpkin spice flavors.

Patel, who formerly worked in engineering and business, got her start in the chocolate world making homemade chocolates as holiday gifts for friends and family.