You may have noticed winemakers have been getting into the Halloween spirit with interesting limited release wines. There’s Vampire, Dracula and True Blood currently being produced by Vampire Vineyards in California. Or you may want to try Werewolf Wine from Cramele Recas. This vineyard is actually located in Romania, the land of the real life Dracula and of some extremely good bang-for-your-buck wines. Plenty of the more well-known vineyards are also releasing their versions of Halloween-style wines, such as Bogle’s Phantom.
A fan of red blends? Apothic Dark is a Halloween twist on Aphotic Red. Apothic Dark is, of course, darker in the glass. The nose is less fruity than Apothic Red and slightly spicier and somewhat drier. The mouth-feel is not as lush as Apothic Red and the taste is definitely less fruity and less jammy with more spice and mocha. For those wine lovers that want a drier, less fruity red blend this might be a good choice.
Ménage a trois, Apothic’s competition, has in its collection Ménage a trois Midnight. This, like Apothic Dark, is a twist on their original and enormously popular red blend Ménage a trois. The winemaker’s tasting notes are quite similar to Apothic Dark.
Another wine company that, while not seasonal, has adopted a Halloween-ish theme year-round is “Once Upon a Vine.” With wines, like, “The Big Bad Red Blend,” “The Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc,” “The Fairest Chardonnay,” “The Charming Pinot Noir,” and to satisfy fans of bubbly, sweet wines, “The Enchanted Woods Bubbly,” you’re sure to find something for everyone at your soiree. Their website, www.thewinebar.com, also includes an area with innovative Halloween cocktails made from their wines.
An available-all-year-long Merlot with a Halloween sounding name is The Velvet Devil, from Charles Smith Wines in Washington State. This wine is well-rated and stocked at most wine stores.
All of these tricks and treats range from the eight dollar range for the bargain priced Romanian Werewolf to right around the $20 mark for the well-received Phantom from Bogle. And most all of the reds should go well with any leftover Halloween candy, as well as any candy you’re able to liberate from your children’s, or nieces and nephews, Halloween stash!
