Hello Reader,

And a Happy Hallo-Wine to you! Yes, I know it is Halloween, but for adults Hallo-Wine seems more appropriate!

Are you all decorated and ready for trick or treaters? We decorated the house inside and out with spider filled cobwebs, a ghoulish table setting, and skeletons galore. Ready for a spook-tacular time!

CANDY, CANDY, CANDY...and vino

I must admit, Christmas is my favorite holiday (month), but when I was a kid, Halloween was by far my favorite day. Hey, the presents at Christmas were great, but the candy we received in our stockings could not hold a candle to the amount we could score on Halloween! Yes, I had different priorities.

As we grew older, the trick-or-treating turned into hosting Haunted Houses or Costume parties. We would have a spread of food, all Halloween related, and wait for the trick-or-treaters. The kids got the candy, but I also gave the adults a little treat. I would ask the parents if they needed Blood or Platelets to keep them going and I handed them a little glass of red or white wine depending on their answer. My house was pretty popular on Halloween. Hey, no matter what your age may be, there is always fun and mischief to be had on October 31st!

This little treat turned into an annual wine pairing trick.

Wine and Wrapped Treats

This year a friend texted a picture of a treat that became a Hallo-Wine obsession for me. They sent this --

I immediately went on a three week, two state journey to find this ultimate treat. I am not sharing my bag, but I will share this. These little jewels of satisfaction pair really nicely with a Spanish Garnacha or a fruit forward California Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pairing wine with Halloween candy is a pretty tall order. But, if you manage to sneak some ghoulish goodies from your kid's pumpkin (or have a “special bag” of candy that you don’t hand out, so not judging), then here are some ghoulishly good ideas.

· Hershey’s and Zinfandel – I think wine and chocolate are a really tough pairing. That said the sweet milk chocolate and the bold berry and plum fruit are pretty boo-tiful together. You could also opt for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Looking for more Zinfandel flavor profile information? Read on with Tasting notes: Grandioso, Opolo Wines.​

· M&Ms and Beaujolais Nouveau - This young medium bodied red will not trick your palate. It will pair with milder chocolate nicely due to the red berry and light spice profile. These wines are young with fresh berry juiciness that will match the classic M&M quite well. Keep a few packs on hand after Halloween and enjoy with the brand new Beaujolais Nouveau harvest in November.

· Snickers and Tawny Port - This pairing is really a great one! The brand of Tawny Port really doesn’t matter as you’ll appreciate the flavors of nuts and caramel matching your Snickers or Twix. It's basically drinking a Snickers bar minus the chocolate plus the alcohol. Howl-On!

· Jolly Ranchers and Champagne - Jolly Ranchers are bright and fun, and so is some bubbly! I believe Sparkling pairs well with just about anything, so I always keep a cold bottle in my casket. This bubbly has some hints of citrus and tropical notes which pretty much covers the Jolly Rancher spectrum of colors and flavors. If you want to stick with sweet and sweet, try a Moscato d'Asti. Get more insight on Champagnes for the upcoming holiday season.​

· Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Lambrusco - Hands down the best Halloween candy out there, Reese's definitely needs a killer wine pairing. Think of this as adding jelly to your peanut butter cup like a PB&J wrapped in chocolate! If you cannot find Lambrusco, see if a sparkling Dolcetto can be dug up. Add it to your shopping cart with your bag of Reese's. Who says you have to give it away?

· Candy Corn and Chardonnay - Candy Corn, in my opinion, is a WAY too sweet, semi-buttery tasting wax-like candy. Not my favorite, but pairing it with a buttery Chardonnay might make it less creepy to me. The Chardonnay should soften the pure sugar flavors of candy corn to make it a less deadly sugar bomb. A Prosecco would also fill the bill. Heck, have that without the Candy Corn!

No Tricks, Just Treats!

Bottom line – don’t spook yourself, have fun! And just in case you might opt for the Halloween Candy Buffet, just pick up a fun Prosecco. Sweet bubbles with sweet candy – no horror show required.

As for me, I am opening another Cab.

Happy Hallo-Wine!