Guide to Pairing Wine with Halloween Food

Pumpkin pie is always a highlight of Halloween. Its sweet and creamy texture with seasonal spice makes it a perfect complement for Tawny Port that has a wonderful caramel and spice flavour. Also, the high alcohol content in Tawny Port can balance off the creaminess of the pumpkin custard.

Not only would people dress up as their favourite characters in Halloween, but also the food that is served in a funny and spooky way! Like the popular Mummy Pizza, all you need are simply English muffins with the spread of tomato sauce, cheese slices to play as the bandage on the mummy, and olives as the mummy’s eyes. The Sangiovese is a fantastic pairing with Mummy Pizza, as its savoury qualities and moderate acidity can cut through the oiliness of Pizza and matches perfectly with the tomato sauce.

Since Halloween comes in the wake of the yearly apple harvest, the candy apples become a common Halloween treat. Candy apple is surprisingly easy to make at home, just insert a wooden stick into the stem end of the apple, and dip the apple into the caramel until it is completely coated. You can even put toppings on the apple such as nuts and candy to make it fancy. Candy apples are sweet and crisp, and go well with sweet wine. The intense and luscious Muscat with flavours of peach, apricot and honey could be a good choice.

Trick-or-treating is a popular Halloween tradition. Amazingly enough, Halloween candies and chocolate pair well with wine. For example, the earthly element of Pinot Noir can elevate the flavours of Kit Kats chocolate bars; the velvety tannins of Merlot goes well with the milky chocolate and hard candy coating of M&M’s; the endless bubbles of Sparkling Rosé pair well with the fruity flavours of Skittles.

Besides the tempting Halloween dishes, you can also make the Halloween signature drink － Halloween Sangria. Sangria is a popular Spanish drink making of red wine, fruits, orange juice, syrup and ice, and some may even add brandy and sparkling water. It is crisp, fresh and delicious with fresh seasonal fruits and aroma from the wine. Don’t miss this tasty, festive blood-red Sangria for Halloween!