This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on October 30, 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. As Kevin related last week, Halloween is a primo market opportunity this year with Friday, Saturday and Sunday partying and the Day of the Dead the following Monday. Of course if you were partying for three straight nights you might be feeling like the dead by then. We needed to do Halloween wines over two shows because you can only drink so many scary wines before the transformation begins . . .
At one time Vampire wine was the only scary wine to see on a shelf, but when their sales took off other wine distributors surely took notice. So what makes a wine scary? Special labels are part of the mix and some producers include gimmicky apps that a smart phone can view.
Living Wine Labels
Living Wine Labels an Apple app is used on 19 Crimes and The Walking Dead wine labels and many others. Wow, just what you wanted right; the undead smashing out of your wine bottle and reaching clawed hands toward your throat? What could be better; unless you only viewed this after consuming the bottle and now are thinking OMG, this is for real!
We did cover frightening contents last week with our famous chile-infused wines as many are based in New Mexico. This is certainly one way to get a rise out of your guests. We also covered wines that go well with Halloween candy, but we’re still ill from that part of the show. I had a horrible nightmare of being attacked by a giant ape wholly-composed of candy corn. I’m sticking with chocolate-based candy this week, thank you very much.
Below are some more horrifying wine choices to make your Halloween party outstanding. However, what about pairing wine with your favorite horror movie? We’ll cover scary wine and then movies to pair them with.
On further analysis:
- The Walking Dead Cab is, sadly, sold out so find something else to go with zombie movies. There’s talk of not resurrecting it next year.
- Try the 7 Deadly Zins by Michael David winery it’s a better choice, particularly when served with scrambled intestines almandine.
- Fangria Sangria; here’s a wine that takes a bite out of you. As if ready-made sangria doesn’t already have a bad name. They suggest pairing it with a tequila chaser to make a traditional Mexican “Vampiro” cocktail. That should numb your palate somewhat.
- Nevermore an Oregon Pinot has me confused: are they celebrating Poe or suggesting that you don’t drink it?
- The Golem Riesling; the golem is a Jewish Frankenstein, but the wine is not kosher. I actually bought a bottle of 2012 Riesling from the Clare Valley and it was excellent. Can no longer find it.
Special mention:
Bats Blood, a Merlot from Transylvania. Kind of a bad connotation, wouldn’t you say? Nonetheless it is still being sold this year so you have to admire their persistence. The coffin it’s packed in is actually quite lovely. From the website:
Bats Blood is grown, produced and bottled in Banat which is part of the ancient historic region of Transylvania. It is bottled on the same estate where it is grown and picked. The winery enjoys a Mediterranean climate, cooler than the rest of Romania, and dryer with a longer harvest season, allowing many varieties to ripen easily.
Legend has it that the Banat region of Romania was where Bacchus, the God of wine, spent his childhood – certainly the first records of viticulture date back to the Roman Empire when it invaded and annexed the central part of Dacia in 106 AD. No mention of Vlad the Impaler however.
Michael David Winery: Wine Enthusiasts Winery of the Year 2020
I talked about this winery many times, particularly their Zinfandel wines. However I also discovered many of their other wines are exceptional including Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and red blends.
Freakshow wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Red Blend (Syrah). Also check out this Freakshow video if it’s still up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9W7gaydirE
What we are tasting: Bogle Phantom Red Blend 2017, 14.5% ABV $19.99
Bogle was voted the American Winery of the Year in 2019 by Wine Enthusiast’s magazine. Bogle has been making good QPR wines for a long time. Their Phantom series has earned from 90 to 92 points since 2011.
Wine Enthusiast’s Notes: Aromas of baked cherry cobbler and ripe cranberries are front and center. Framed with nutmeg and allspice delivered from aging 2 years in American oak. All wrapped with peppercorn, anise and juniper berries. The 2017 and 2018 are available at various stores.
This wine is 52% Petite Sirah and 48% Zinfandel; aged 25 months in 3 year old American oak barrels and widely available. Pairs perfectly with Brontosaurus burgers, but they are so hard to get these days.
Augmented reality, commonly referred to as “AR”, uses the existing environment to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device, such as a Android or an iPhone. Augmented Reality Wine Labels is a version of an “AR” app made for Phantom wines. Experience the Phantom story by downloading the app and scanning Phantom wine labels. They also had a ghost story writing contest and the winning entry will debut at the Austin Film Festival this month.
Washington Wine Regions
There are only two major wine regions; Puget Sound in the west, which experiences a lot of rain. I’ve spent a lot of time here and boy; did I mention they get a lot of rain? White wine grapes work best here like Muller-Thurgau and Melon the grape that makes the wonderful Muscadet wines. The main wine region is Columbia Valley, of which many wine lovers are familiar.
- Columbia Valley AVA established in 1984, located in eastern Washington and part of Oregon.
- Region contains over 60,000 acres of vineyards and 99% of the state’s wine.
- There are 14 AVAs including Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, Wahluke Slope, Lake Chelam, Snipes Mountain and Yakima Valley.
- Annual rainfall is 6 to 8 inches and that’s dry. The Gobi Desert in Mongolia gets 7.6 inches!
Washington Wine Grapes
The diversity of sub-regions within the Columbia Valley suggests a wide range of grape types. However there are dominant varietals for which the valley is justly famous. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cover about 45% of the total and Chardonnay and Riesling over 30%. Syrah, which shows great promise and Cabernet Franc are the other major reds.
What we are tasting: Prayers of Sinners Red Blend 2018, 14.5% ABV,
This wine is from Chateau Ste Michelle, which is the biggest, most prestigious winery in Washington so they have lots of fruit to choose from for this blend. The 2017 tech sheet listed it 90% Syrah and 10% Merlot so it could have been listed as a Syrah if they wanted, but not if they wanted to give it a Halloween-inspired name.
Washington- This Red Blend is a smooth and luxurious red wine. This broody red is deeply layered with blackberry, dark fruit, violet and cocoa. A versatile wine that can be enjoyed with beef, mole tacos, roasted peppers, and molten chocolate cake.
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. Here’s a short list of ten.
- Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook, what could be more American, I ask you?
- The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook; the official one was banned
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Cookbook; you can also save this one for Xmas, such a deal!
- The Nightmare Before Dinner: If you delight in ghoulish frights and movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and The Evil Dead; then you’ll love the official cookbook of Beetle House, the Halloween-inspired restaurant with locations in New York and Los Angeles.
- Disney Villains Devilishly Delicious Cookbook; are they really cooking up villains, I think I’ll pass?
- The Serial Killer Cookbook: True Crime Trivia and Disturbingly Delicious Last Meals from Death Row’s Most Infamous Killers and Murderers. Do not try these at home!
- The Monster’s Cookbook: Everyday Recipes for the Living, Dead and Undead, that’s pretty inclusive, huh?
- Horror Movie Night Cookbook: Volume 1 contains everything you’ll need to be the star of your own horror movie night.
- Alien Cookbook: Thrill your friends and frighten your family with 50 delectable recipes inspired by the cult sci-fi Alien series! Chest buster slurpee surprise anyone?
- The Necronomnomnom Recipes & Rites inspired by H.P. Lovecraft*
* Like H. P. Lovecraft’s Necronomicon, the legendary and forbidden book of the dead that is “alien to all sane and balanced readers.” Reading about the slime-covered, non-Euclidean ruins of the sunken city of R’lyeh (Ear-le-A) or the squamous, tentacled deity who slumbers there would make anyone hungry. Starting with the puns and working from there, authors Mike Slater and Thomas Roache have summoned forth 50 funny, bizarre, and horrible dishes such as: The Deep Fried Deep One, Nog Sothoth, Cthus-Koos and the ever popular The Gin and Miskatonic. The great god Cthulhu would have been pleased, but Yog Sothoth is upset his favorite cocktail has been broadcast to all non-believers.
If you are wondering, I did make two ghoulish pizzas for my tremulous guests; a mummy and a spider pizza. No one seemed to have trouble getting them down. And for once the marauding zombies stayed away so we didn’t lose any guests this year.
Analysis
Both wines were very good, despite the ghoulish influences surrounding them. Don’t ask! I really liked the Prayers and I’m a fan of Washington State Syrah where the quality is very good. The 2017 Phantom was rated lower than the 2018 so that might be the one of get, but the balance of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah was a classic blend. If you must have scary wines they should taste good, right?
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