The scariest thing about Halloween is not goblins, ghosts or Donald Trump’s hair. It’s Halloween candy and wine pairings. I mean, seriously. Why would I waste a perfectly good glass of wine on a bag of candy corn?
No offense to candy-wine-pairing aficionados (and the serial “infographickers” that inspire them), but nothing makes me want to reach for the Pepto more than the thought of chasing a mouthful of miniature marshmallows with a glass of Pinot Noir. And in case you’re wondering, that was an actual pairing suggestion I found in the Googlesphere.
So as October winds down, I’m calling Halloween candy/wine pairing for what it is–an unpalatable excuse to sell wine. Now that I’ve finally put it out there, I will sit back with a glass of Riesling and wait for the backlash.
[Sound of crickets chirping]
While I wait, I wanted to introduce you to two Rieslings I just met over dinner. Relax and Blue Fish. I know, they sound like they could be 80s indie-pop bands. But they’re German Rieslings done in two different styles. Relax is on the sweet side, while Blue Fish is dry.
What I thought was clever about the packaging is that you can tell how sweet or dry the wines are by looking at the back label:
And if you’re as frazzled as I am after a long week of work insanity and midterms, these wines calm you down even before you open the bottle.
All joking aside, I gotta tell you that the Blue Fish was a fan-TAB-ulous pairing with my dinner: a sesame-crusted seared ahi with mashed potatoes and asparagus delivered by Four Daughters restaurant in Manhattan Beach. You’ve probably guessed that it’s time for El Full Disclosure: The vino was a free product sample sent to me by a publicist, but (say it with me, chicas y chicos) the opinions stated in this post are mine. And while we’re on this topic, Four Daughters did NOT comp my dinner. Nor send me a press release. Heck, they have no idea Señorita Vino exists or that I’m writing about them. So there you have it.
But back to the wine, if you’re into wine ratings, the 2013 Blue Fish won 91 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine. I sampled the 2014–a solid value wine for about $8.50 a bottle.
The Relax was, well, a great way to relax after a satisfying dinner on a Thursday night at home. This one’s light but sweet enough to enjoy solo. You could even have a glass for dessert, although technically it’s not a dessert wine. Tell ya what–on Monday when the chiquitos come a-knockin’ for their sweet treats, pour yourself a glass and sip your own sweet reward. And remember–if you dare to pair it with candy, Señorita Vino will come haunt you.
¡Salud!
