Scary-good concoctions fit for spooky-season fun

Opinion

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This article was published 26/10/2024 (339 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the end of October nears, the wine-and-Halloween-candy clickbait articles rise from the dead like a graveyard full of zombies.

While I’m no curmudgeonly Halloween grinch, I can’t get into the gastronomical gymnastics of pairing Tempranillo with Tootsie Rolls, Nebbiolo with Nibs or Chianti and Coffee Crisp.

Instead, here are six spooky-themed drinks for your Halloween parties, or to enjoy while handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters…

The Barn Hammer Brewing Co. Black Mass Black Pilsner (Winnipeg — $4.75/473ml cans, brewery, select beer vendors, Liquor Marts) is cloaked in cola-brown colour with a beige head, offering brooding cocoa, dark roasted malt, toasty oats and hints of white pepper and dried fruit aromatically. It’s dry and medium-bodied, with some modest bitterness and the dark chocolate flavour bringing a bite along with the roasted malt and subtle vanilla notes. There’s nothing spooky about the modest five per cent alcohol, and 25 cents from each can goes to 1JustCity, making this an extra-tasty treat. Four grim reapers out of five.

Pale straw in colour, the Take it to the Grave 2023 Pinot Grigio (Limestone Coast, Aus. — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) offers ripe peach and red apple notes aromatically along with subtle perfume, floral and chalky notes. It’s mainly dry and light-bodied, with the subtlest spritz on the palate delivering a skull full of peach and crunchy tropical fruit flavours, secondary red apple and chalky notes and a short finish. Three slightly scary skeletons out of five.

Made from the indigenous Italian Ribolla Gialla white grape variety, the Verso 2023 Cius (Venezia Giulia, Italy — $25.95, Kenaston Wine Market) brings a fruit salad of fresh peaches and pears as well as floral aromas, hints of wet stone and lemon zest. It’s bone dry, light-plus bodied and slightly viscous, with vibrant acidity swooping down on the peach and pear flavours, keeping things lean and focused while accentuating lemon candy and lime zest flavours. There’s a chillingly chalky note to the modest-length, 12.5 per cent finish. It’s a hoot. Four ominous owls out of five.

Very pale ruby in colour, the Delinquente Wine Co. 2023 Roxanne the Razor NAND (Riverland, Aus. — around $30, private wine store) is a blend of traditional Italian red grape varieties (Negroamaro, Aglianico and Nero D’Avola — or NAND), and brings sinister strawberry and raspberry aromas with hints of bread dough, red licorice, plum and dried herbs. It’s dry and light-bodied, with flavours of blood-red cherries, strawberries and red licorice coming with black tea and doughy notes, with not-too-spooky tannins and, at just 11.5 per cent alcohol, a finish that’s not at all scary. For the natural wine fans out there; chill for 15 minutes before serving. Three-and-a-half organic zombies out of five.

If you thought you heard a spooky sound coming from the woods, it could have been the Ghost Pines 2019 Merlot (Sonoma County, Lake County, Napa County, Calif. — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond). There’s a pronounced cocoa and vanilla note on the nose that threatens to overpower the plum, blueberry and blackberry — like a vampire’s victim, the fruit seems to be clinging to life here. It’s mainly dry and full-bodied, with plush, almost-confected plum, cocoa, vanilla and blueberry flavours, light tannins and a punchy 14.5 per cent alcohol providing some guts on the long, warm, finish. Like Dracula’s fangs, it’s little long in the tooth; a newer vintage would probably bring this Merlot back to life. It’s on sale (regular $25.99) until the end of October. Two-and-a-half dusty old vampires out of five.

The clouds part and the full moon shines down on the Banshee 2021 Pinot Noir (Sonoma County, Calif. — $32.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), medium ruby in colour and with cedar and lacquer aromas coming with ripe black cherry, plum, savoury herb and earthy aromas. It’s dry and medium-bodied, with a witches brew of ripe red cherries, white pepper, plum, chalk, cola and red licorice flavours. The wood aging (eight months in barrel, 25 per cent new) adds toasty depth and intensity, tannins are light and the 13.8 per cent alcohol brings a wicked warmth. Those who like Pinots frightfully fruity will find plenty to like here — plus it’s on sale until the end of October (it’s regular $36.99). Four wailing witches out of five.

uncorked@mts.net

@bensigurdson