FEATURED ITEM: Guide to Wine Pairings for Halloween

Halloween isn’t just for the kids. Sneak some treats from their candy basket and take this frightful night up a notch with these ideas for matching up Halloween treats with great wines:

Skittles and Sauvignon Blanc

Fruity skittles meet their match in Decoy Sauvignon Blanc. This refreshingly acidic wine offers bright, stone fruit flavors of nectarine and apricot, as well as notes of honeydew, lemongrass and grapefruit to go with the chewy, fruit-flavored candy bites.

Sparkling Wine and Sour Patch Kids  

The sour fruitiness of Sour Patch Kids balances nicely with slightly sweet sparkling wines, such as Prosecco. For a truly special night of tricks and treats, go for a bottle of champagne, like Moet & Chandon.

Hot Tamales and Riesling 

Spicy meets sweet when you match fiery hot tamales with refreshingly juicy 90+ Cellars German Riesling.

Snickers and Cabernet Sauvignon

The satisfying combo of peanuts, nougat and caramel surrounded by milk chocolate finds balance with Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine starts with rich notes of dark cherry and plum, followed by touches of pipe tobacco, new leather and dark chocolate, complementing the nutty, milky flavors of the candy bar.

Candy Corn and Chardonnay 

Buttery sweet candy corn becomes even more enticing when you wash it down with Bread and Butter Chardonnay. The first sip of wine offers notes of butterscotch and citrus and then cream, lemon meringue pie and vanilla. Along with the floral, peachy aromas at the finish, the combination might lead you to consume more candy corn that you intended.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Pinot Noir

That distinctive creamy, peanuty, milk-chocolatey combination that makes a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup tempting finds a wine partner in Meiomi Pinot Noir. The wine’s aromas of berry and jammy fruit meld with vanilla, mocha and toasty oak next to the sweet, creamy cups for a memorable pairing.

M&Ms and Merlot

These crunchy, milk-chocolate candies become even more inviting when you partner them with Wente Vineyard’s Sandstone Merlot.  Next to the chocolate crunch of the candy, this well-balanced wine offers delicate aromas from dark cherry to ripe raspberry to cocoa powder.

Nestle Crunch and Red Zinfandel

Full-bodied and silky, Seven Deadly Zins Zinfandel brings jammy fruit flavors, and notes of vanilla and black pepper, matching up well with crunchy milk chocolate, such as Nestle Crunch.

Starburst and Moscato d’Asti

Juicy, fruity Starburst become more enjoyable next to 90+ Cellars Moscato d’Asti, a light, fizzy wine that is crisp, balanced and tastefully sweet with perfumed aromas.