What to wash your Halloween haul down with
Never has there been a festival so associated with sweet treats as Halloween and now is the time to stock up for trick-or-treaters. Whether clearing the leftovers or raiding your child’s haul there is a way to make the experience even better with a glass of the good stuff.
Chocolate
I tend to go with two main rules when pairing wine and chocolate. Either the wine should be sweeter than the dessert so as not to flatten the wine, or it should be sparkling so the bubbles cut through the chocolate’s creaminess – or both!
With dark chocolate I would go lusciously sweet to counterbalance its bitterness and choose a wine of deep rich flavour to keep up with its strength. The Domini Veneti Recioto Della Valpolicella (£19.99, Majestic), made with dried sweet grapes, easily covers both bases and creates a red-berry gateaux-esque experience. If fizz is your favourite then the Chill Bill Spritzy Red (£9.50, Ocado) is incredibly fun (not just the name), with a lovely lightness for a chocolate cherry vibe.
I recently tried a selection of fabulous English red wines and discovered the delight of Ridgeview’s Sparkling Red Reserve (£55, ridgeview.co.uk) with its vibrant effervescence and elegant vanilla fruitiness it is a fantastic foil to the creaminess of milk chocolate. Think chocolate dipped strawberries.
White chocolate is always a great pairing with the delicate sweetness of a Moscato d’Asti but I love a strawberries-and-cream style combination and am drawn to a rosé champagne. The fabulous Armand de Brignac Rosé (£415, Harrods) would elevate almost anything and is one of the best out there but if you feel that is a little steep for mid-week Halloween candy, the Veuve Cliquot Rosé Champagne (£54.99, Waitrose) is a fantastic example of a bright, berry-pink bubbly that sings with your milky bar.
Nutty Chocolate
For goodies like Snickers and Reese’s peanut butter cups, I have heard a light Pinot Noir works well. But I find the nutty caramel qualities of a Tawny Port cannot be overlooked. Cockburn’s Aged 10 Year Tawny Port (£25, Sainsburys) even looks the part with its striking orange and purple label.
Haribo
I will not be the only parent buying mini-bags of Haribo for the trick-or-treaters, nor the only adult snaffling them in secret (after all “kids and grown ups love them so”).
This year they have launched their new Sour Skeletons and, with the mouth-tingling pleasure of sweet and sour, no wine is going to come close like a Riesling, which can lean into the sugar while providing lip-smacking acidity and citrus notes. I had these with the Weingut Wess Kremstal Reserve Old Vine Riesling 2023 (Magnum £59, The Wine Society) and it worked a treat (no trick involved).
The Classic Starmix is a classic for a reason. Those fried eggs are the best. Without the sour, however, you want a sweeter wine, but still with that tang for the fruity sweets. Handfuls of these went down incredibly well with Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett 2017 (£16.50, The Wine Society). Sugar rush heaven.
Strawberry Laces
These take me back to my own school days where they were traded in the playground and nibbled on while attempting to look cool at weekend funfairs. I feel strawberry laces have taken a backseat compared to more exciting sweets available, but they are due a renaissance and nothing is going to help them like a glass of exuberant Bird in the Hand Sparkling Rosé (£15.99, Waitrose) which has the lifted sweetness to create maximum strawberry satisfaction.
Cookies
Being British I should probably say biscuits but let’s face it, when you think of the sweet gooey chocolate chip laden things ‘cookies’ just seems more appropriate – and then you get to play around with Cookies and Cream, the adult version being Tesco Finest Cream Sherry NV (half bottle £7.25, Tesco). Multi-award winning I really love this, especially with a hazelnut or chocolate cookie – and yes, I shall absolutely be dunking.
Naked Wine of the Week
Rod Easthope Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2022 £13.99
NAKED WINES Angel Price £11.99 (see how below)
Winning a Silver medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition this supple Pinot Gris is a bottle of sunshine from New Zealand’s acclaimed Hawke’s Bay region. Delivering tons of concentrated flavour this wine opens to vibrant tropical and stone fruit flavours with a bright, crisp citrus finish. A joyful, generous wine offering beautiful complexity for at a fantastic price.
2021 Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon £94 Berry Bros & Rudd
One of the iconic, renowned wineries of Napa Vally this carries the weight and majesty anticipated by this fantastic estate. Harmonious, rich flavours play across the palate from silky chocolate and dark blackcurrant to pinches of liquorice, mint and smoky espresso coffee. A stunning vintage.
Konstantia Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023 £14.99 Virgin Wines
The new Vineyard Collection by Virgin Wines is a clever initiative to create limited edition bespoke wines from excellent vineyards they know and trust. This focused, aromatic white wine manages to remain fresh and uplifting, while offering generous peach and lime citrus flavours.
Pasqua ‘Y’ by 11 Minutes Rosé £22.99 Majestic
You know you are in safe hands with a wine from Pasqua. Always well balanced and delicious they are often my go-to choice when I want something that will over deliver for the price. Not only is the bottle design clever and pretty, this rosé was a delight with my Thai takeaway.
When it comes to pairings, Morning Wire and Naked are as delicious a fit as Champagne and Caviar!
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