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Choosing the Right Wine for Your Halloween Party
Halloween is the start to the Holiday season of sweet treats, and the nostalgically bright little morsels of cavity-inducing goodness are hard to resist. Maybe it’s that bowl of miniature Snickers that your office receptionist left in a conspicuous bowl to torment you. Or perhaps it’s the stash of candy corn that you’re accidentally acquiring upon each trip to the grocery store. One way or another, Halloween candy is infiltrating our lives whether by force or by choice, and the only way to process this change in routine is to drink on it. Therefore, we’ve compiled a wine-pairing guide for surviving the unhealthy take over of sweet nostalgic treats.
Which Wine to Pair with Sweet Fruit Flavour Sweets and Candy?
Fresher more fruit-forward wines are super versatile for fruity candy pairings. Sparkling rosé, especially Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, and Cava Rosato are great pairings with gummy candies like sour gummy bears, gummy worms and Starburst (especially the pink and yellow kind). The strawberry and cherry note in the wine mirror some of the red fruit flavours in the candy. The refreshing fizz helps to wash the sugar down and clean your palate of the cloying sensation from the candy. I also love pop rocks with sparkling wine. Sounds a little scary at first because they foam up a lot so use caution, but the combo makes for a really fun “grown-up” Halloween experience.
Which Wine to Pair with Candy Corn?
A well balanced, California-style Chardonnay is a great pairing for candy corn and candy pumpkins. If the wine has seen some oak and/or malolactic fermentation, it will have those buttery and vanilla notes that complement the vanilla flavours in the candy corn. The trick is to pick a Chardonnay that isn’t over-oaked or over manipulated so that it retains enough vibrant acidity to cut through the heavy sugars in the candy.
Which Wine to Pair with Light Chocolate, Kit-Kat Wafers and Swedish Fish Candy?
Look for a serious style Gamay from one of the 10 Crus of Beaujolais, like Fleurie or Morgon (we found a very reasonably priced option for our store). The light-bodied red is super versatile with food, but works great with things like Twizzlers and Swedish fish, as the wine complements their bright cherry flavours. I also liked the way the acidity and lifted style pairs with airy wafer chocolate candies like Kit Kat Bars.
Which Wine to Pair with Reeses Pieces, Cups and Candy Bars?
A cool climate Syrah from California’s central coast exhibits rich high times fruits which amazingly complements the chocolate in peanut butter cups and candy bars. Nutty, chocolaty candy is best suited for wine that balances the sugar and cream from the milk chocolate and the salt from the peanut buttery elements. Spanish Sherries make a great pairing as they have the strong acidic factor to cut through the fat in the treat, and they also tend to show a nice nutty quality, depending on the ageing. German Rieslings also pair well. If the candy bar has coconut, try a Rioja Reserva. The hint of coconut from the American oak is an amazing compliment.
Which Wine to Pair with Dark Chocolate and High % Cocoa Treats
Napa Valley or Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and dark chocolate are an excellent classic pairing. The bitterness in the chocolate is a similar texture to the tannins in the wine. The vanilla flavours in the wine come from the oak ageing and this nicely pairs with chocolate as well. Cabernet is actually a wine that is high in acid, which helps cut some of the sugar in the chocolate.
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