Wines for All Hallow's Eve

Let’s get the idea of pairing Halloween candy with wine off the table.

I’ve explored this before, and the likelihood that you’ll ruin a good wine by trying to pair it with candy is high.

That said, if you’ll be digging into leftover treats during the next few days, the default choice for me:

• either one of the two bubblies from Evolve Cellars as a palate cleanser between candies, white or pink Effervescence, or any one of the seasonally-inspired craft brews around.
• Cannery Brewing’s Knucklehead Pumpkin Ale, or the Toothless Pumpkin Sour Ale from Phillips Brewing Co.

There are a number of wines that, from the names and labels alone, will do nicely for this brief spooky season.

If you’re in Penticton between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4, take in Terrible Temptations, a showcase of cutting-edge (some adult content, therefore 19 plus to attend), scenes from a variety of macabre plays.

The scenes, presented by the Tempest Theatre and Film Society, will be paired with a wine from the nearby Naramata Bench.

With play titles including Slasher, A Beheading in Spokane, and Saint Frances of Hollywood (and more), you’ll have to hit a performance to see how Chill or Groove from Bench 1775, Vixen from Van Westen, Freud’s Ego from Therapy, Naysayer from Elephant Island, or White Knuckle from Monster Vineyards fit into the narratives.

But there are other wines worth exploring, or placing next to a candle for an Instagram-worthy scary-artistic image.

Check just about anything from Moon Curser in Osoyoos, for the labels that are both whimsical, and a tad odd. Afraid of the Dark, a gold medal winner at several competitions, is a Rhone-inspired blend of Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne.

And fellow award winner Dead of the Night is a bold blend of Syrah and Tannat. The labels feature owls hovering over animal heads on human bodies.

There are few places where you can walk in and ask for a Bucket o’ Blood. You can at Fairview Cellars, if this big red blend is available. And wouldn’t it be fun at to invite friends over for a Bucket o’ Blood?

Time to resurrect the Murder Mystery game in the back of the hall closet.

For All Saint’s Day, Nov. 1, the obvious choice is a bottle – featuring a few new labels with Renaissance angels and religious symbols – from Blasted Church in Okanagan Falls. Try the Sauvignon Blanc, a bright, citrus-y white wine or Cabernet Franc, with notes of red berries and sage. Both are wrapped in angelic wings.

Finally, a cider to finish — Ward’s Picker’s Hut Winter Spiced Cider. Because winter is coming, you can serve it warm or cold,.

Let’s face it,  when the vineyards and orchards become bare, and the first snowfall comes one dark night, the empty picker huts in the middle of nowhere are kind of creepy.

Am I right?

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.