Some Scary Wines

Ok, there used to be a time when Halloween meant something to me. No matter how jaded I got, after a good glass of apple cider and some candy corn, I was in my element. So given our propensity at Women & Wine to match wine with all kinds of important (and not so important moments), I thought that I’d take a stab at wines that have names that evoke the ghouls and goblins in all of us.

My favorite of course is Hocus Pocus. Need I say more? It’s not because it’s made by a friend who has a great palate, but because it’s great wine at a great price, and what better reason to drink it now, or any other time.

Marilyn—for all those who want to be the babe for H day (and we know there’s more than a few of you out there)—this is the wine for you. Word has it that this wine has commanded over 400 dollars on EBay so it’s not to be taken lightly.

Zeller Schwartzkatz—The Black Cat from Zell on the Mosel. Ok, so it’s not from Transylvania but it’s close. And it’s probably a good buy.

EMH Vineyards Black Cat Cabernet—what’s to say?

Bat’s Rock from Cape Town, South Africa. I haven’t been to Cape Town but you can just picture that there is a pretty creepy place where this wine must be named after (no that’s not prejudice, just intuition).

Witch Creek Winery in Carlsbad, California. Ok, it’s wine from Carlsbad but there are worse places that you could be stuck in on Halloween.

Witches Falls Winery from Australia. I love the sound of this one. It sounds so beautifully gory and romantic all at the same time. A dead body floating in the falls perhaps?

Les Sorcières from Roussillon, France. Of course we all knew that Sorcières was the French word for witch, but even if our French could use a lot more work, this is my hands down favorite for the best named, and probably the best value of the lot. Do they have Halloween in France?

Scribner Bend Vineyards 2003 Black Hat Tempranillo. Now we love tempranillo, so this is the most intriguing one of the lot. Seems like it must be made on a road where there are no lights.

North Dakota Pumpkin Wine produced and bottled by the Maple River Winery. So winter in North Dakota is de-haunting enough for those of us from Los Angeles, but pumpkin wine?

Haunted Winery Farmington, Michigan. Not to be left out. Those folks in Michigan are tied for fifth place as the state with the most wine production—so why not a wine for Halloween?

Seduction—I love these guys because they make a great wine and take a lot of grief for the name. But admit it, wasn’t there at least one or two Halloweens when you were chasing after someone who you hoped took your costume for seductress (or ridiculous)?

By Julie

Photo courtesy of Brian Nash Design Company

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