This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on October 23, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We also contrast wine styles as in the current blog. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
It is that time of year when wine marketers look to the next holiday to sell wine. That would be Halloween, of course. At one time Vampire wine was the only scary wine to see on a shelf. That seems long ago and far away now. So what makes a wine scary? Is it the label, the type of wine, or frightening contents? Maybe a wine that goes well with Halloween candy, or with your favorite horror movie? Below are some choices to make your Halloween party outstanding.
Promotional
Total Wines now has a Halloween section including candy and wine pairings like Chardonnay & candy corn, sparkling wine & chocolate caramel, Sauvignon Blanc & sour gummies, and Port & milk chocolate. I’d pair port with dark chocolate, or perhaps English Stilton myself. Total Wines also has Halloween-inspired wines. Most supermarket chains will also be offering Halloween wines to bring to the party.
- Melodramatic Darkness Red Blend, Witching Hour Deep Red Blend and Melodramatic Macabre are a few of the red blends to choose from
- Pairing chocolate with white, rose or red wines? Try Brix chocolates, keyed to all three types of wine and safer than Halloween candy
Thematic wines
I first saw Vampire wines at a local Whole Foods around Halloween. The early releases were actually quite good and came from Romania, not too far from Transylvania. After many strange occurrences at the winery their headquarters were moved to Beverly Hills. Why am I not surprised? The owner actually wrote a book about his experiences, but I wonder; how much of this was the wine talking?
- Vampire Wines: Cab, Merlot, Pinot Noir, under $15
- Dracula Wines: Pinot Noir, Carneros, aged 18 months in oak: $27.95, Sparkling Rose blends Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: $18.95 Note discounts below
- True Blood Wines: Mt Veeder Cab-$75, $65, St. Helena Cab-$75, $50, Pinot Noir-$35
- An optional cape or coffin for your wine is also available (vampire.com/)
Wine Folly Choices
Naturally Wine Folly would have something to say about this. A few of Stacy Slinkard’s choices are revealed here, but these are from 2016 so it’s best to check current offerings. When you pick up one or more of these at the store are you trying to: revolt your friends, frighten them or have them question your sanity? Or is this a devilish way to keep all the wine for yourself? I was amazed and frightened how many spooky wine lists there were on the Internet.
- Chronic Cellars Dead Nuts: A Paso Robles Zinfandel blend. Zins abound at Halloween and all sorts of labels, like Alexander Cellars Sin Zin, which stated the trend, picked up by Michael David Winery with the series of Lust, Gluttony and other deadly
- Owen Roe Sinister Hand: Now this one has a great story behind it, and it’s Irish as well. This GSM blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault is nearly as tasty as the story.*
- Armida Poizon Reserve: Another Zinfandel, this one from Dry Creek gets my attention. If the red skull and cross bones do not intimidate you the bottom of the bottle inscribes “wine to die for” so at least you’ve been warned.
- I love that it comes complete with a creaky coffin wine box and dripping blood red wax seal, but only when ordered directly from the Armida website. I wonder if they ask if you are of sound mind before the purchase. Rated 91 points, however.
- Many of these wines are rated 83 to 88 points so you might want to sample these with Halloween candy; like the Apothic at 83 points with gummy bears. Oh, I think I made myself ill.
- The Cotes du Roussillon Les Sorcieres du Clos at 88 points and $14 seems much more palatable.
- The Ghost Pines is the name of the vineyard and buttery enough to go with that candy corn if you can keep it down.
- Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon at 90 points is OK, but does go for 52 bills, but the Spellbound Petite Sirah at 87 points at $14 seems like a better choice for gooey Lady’s fingers.
* Legend has it that back in the 17th century, two Irish families, the O’Neills and O’Reillys, decided to test their prowess in a rowing race. It was determined the winning team would lay claim to a particularly prized plot of land. The agreement was that whichever team touched the land first would win. Fair enough. However, when O’Neill’s boat began trailing behind, a member of the crew chopped off his hand and tossed it to shore – going to great lengths to secure the land. Rumor has it the land remains in the hands of the O’Neill family today. Oops, make that hand.
Frightening Contents
Wines infused with green or red chile are a NM staple. Although I choked on a green chili-infused wine at the state fair wine competition, I did find an Anderson Valley red chile-infused Cab I liked very much. Alternately, offer a glass without indicating its contents to surprise your friends.
- Noisy Waters: Besito Caliente-$17, Rojo Caliente-$24
- Hatch Green & Red Chile wines-$11 Part of Lescombes Family Vineyards
They even have tech sheets on these! Why I’m not sure. - Galena Cellars Jalapeno Wine, Galena, Illinois – $15.99
- 2019 Habanero Chili Infused Wine, 14.5% ABV, $30.00
- Rapazzini Chateau du garlic white & red wines – $12 (Gilroy Garlic Festival fave)
Boy, talk about upping the ante and heat!
Flying Leap has infused Grenache wine with fresh, hand-cut Habanero peppers and blended it with rich, blackberry-dense Graciano wine to create a spicy, distinctively-flavorful and uniquely southwestern red table wine. Winemakers Brett Wagner & Marc Moeller at Flying Leap Vineyards, Arizona.
Argentina Wines
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world and the largest in South America. Argentine wine, and some elements of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.
Argentine wine regions:
Mendoza is the primary wine region with over 65% of the wine production. Many of its subregions are also recognized for their unique characteristics. Malbec is the principal grape here along with Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tempranillo. All of the regions except Patagonia are located in the slopes of the Andes, with elevations reaching over 7800 feet. The sub-regions of note include:
- Maipū, Lugan de Cuyo and Uco Valley are at the highest elevations producing wines with bracing acidity and age-ability.
What we are tasting: Mascota Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, 14% ABV $14.99 at Total Wines
This wine comes from La Mascota Vineyard in Cruz de Piedra, Maipū, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine regions in Mendoza. This is a limited release that was rated at 91 points by James Suckling. Why is this scary wine? If you look closely at the label there is a swarm of bats on the right side.
They are my loyal companions at work
And silent guards of my treasure
Their place is in my cellar.
And their mission, to care for the wine
The winemaker is telling us there are always bats in his cellar and they are reputed to attack any unauthorized interloper. Whether they drink your blood or simply scratch your eyes out I have not been able to determine.
James Suckling-Mendoza, Argentina – “A fresh, clean cabernet with blackcurrant and light chocolate flavors. Medium body and light tannins that give a slightly velvety impression. Drink now.”
What we are tasting: Hob Nob Wicked Red Limited Edition 2017, 13.5% ABV, $10.99
From Hob Nob website: “Coined in the 18th century, the term HobNob refers to people drinking to one another, clinking glasses, rubbing elbows, celebrating various moments and milestones.” Nowadays it is tapping elbows and only clinking sterilized glasses and 6 foot distance hobnobbing, but celebrations should never be put off.
While the website does not offer any details of their wines it does have a fun website so at least their marketing was in place.
Hob Nob is a very popular wine from Vins de Pays d’Oc, which means a basic wine from Languedoc, France. Here are the details: Vins de pays is a French term meaning country wine. It’s a step above table wine (Vin de table) in the French wine classification system, but below AOC classification. The term d’Oc refers to the Languedoc region of southern France.
France – “Garnet color. Offering a complex and intense nose with aromas of roasted coffee, mocha, toasted hazelnut, and spicy notes embellished with hints of orange zest and orange flower. On the palate this wine is rich, warm, and flavorful with a smooth texture.”
Halloween Party Wine & food pairing
If you are having a party with more than six guests, make sure some of them are the undead. Tip: Do not make candy & wine pairing the only course on your menu or you may see a bevy of sickly smiles and glazed eyes. Many appetizers, main courses or desserts can be made to look ghoulish. Just don’t cook them that way. Just enter “Halloween cookbook” in your browser and you’ll be alarmed at the number of responses that come back. Or not. Lady fingers, anyone?
Candy & sweet wine: Sweeter wines often add too much of a sweet thing. Some candies are chocolate-based and easier to pair but Mallomars paired with Sweet Lucy is asking too much.
Tootsie Roll warning: Do you know how long it takes to get the Tootsie roll off your teeth? Avoid these or you’ll taste Tootsie the rest of the night. Ooh, that didn’t sound right.
Chocolate-based candies work well with red wines. Except for very dark chocolate (80-85%), drier wines are preferred as sweet wines combined with unctuously-sweet candy are a bit too much of a good thing, even for sugar-junkies.
Fruit-based candies should work with lighter reds or white wines. Just don’t pair a Sauterne with corn candy and then tell me about it. That doesn’t mean going to excess is wrong. After all this is Halloween we’re talking about. The Horror movie schedule extends for the whole month of October.
Analysis
For this show my good friend Walter Blood joined me and Eddy. We enjoyed both wines with the aged English Coastal Cheddar (Costco). The Hobnob was more approachable and had an extra 2 years of aging, which no doubt helped. I preferred the elegance and crispness of the Mascota, which was Cabernet Sauvignon-based. I admit I prefer to know what is in a blend rather than guess, but the Languedoc region can draw on Rhone and Bordeaux varietals since grapes of both regions are planted there.
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