The Snack Attack: How To Halloween Like An Adult -- Candy & Wine Pairings
Who says kids are the only ones who get to have fun on Halloween?
The geniuses over at Vivino, the world's largest wine app, have created a Halloween Survival Guide For Adults. Print this thing out, laminate it and store it with all your Halloween decorations -- because it needs to be your bible when it comes to celebrating Halloween like an adult.
We went ahead and took it one step further by adding our recommendations of Michigan-made wines (with descriptions from each winery) to really give your Halloween a "Pure Michigan" feel. Some of these bottles you can find at your favorite wine and liquor stores, but others you have to get directly from the winery.
Nerds
Paired best with a sparkling wine, champagne, prosecco or rosé
• L. Mawby Winery (Suttons Bay) -- M.Lawrence Detroit
Full floral aromas, rich sweet fruit flavors, sweet but not cloying finish. A blend of Riesling, Muscat and Traminette grapes that are carefully picked and pressed. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks, then fermented a second time in a closed tank [the cuve close method]. The wine is then filtered, dosaged, and bottled.
Starbursts
Paired best with a sweet white wine -- Gewurztraminer, Muller-Thurgau, moscato, riesling -- or a light red wine-- St Laurent, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Gamay
• Chateau Grand Traverse (Traverse City) -- Late Harvest Riesling
A textbook example of balance between sweetness and acidity, this wine displays abundant citrus flavors with fleshy white peach, cantaloupe, and orange blossom honey. This fan favorite is bright and addictively delicious!
• Black Star Farms (Suttons Bay) -- Arcturos Pinot Noir
This dry red is dynamic with many nuances. Aromas of violets and plums followed by fruit forward flavors of dark cherries, currants and complementary oak in the finish.
Skittles
Paired best with a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc, Grüner Veltliner, pinot grigio or Albariño
• 12 Corners Vineyards (Benton Harbor) -- River Stone Dry White
Dry white wine, crisp and rich in varietal character. Wonderful harmony of green melon and herb flavors with a sassy bite of citrus.
Candy Corn
Paired best with a sparkling wine -- champagne, prosecco, rose -- or rich white wine -- chardonnay, roussanne, marsanne or viognier
• St. Julian Winery (Paw Paw) -- Sweet Nancie
A semi-sweet sparking Traminette with flavors of peach, pineapple, and lemon zest. The long, satisfying finish begs another sip.
• Hawthorne Vineyards (Traverse City) -- Chardonnay
Bright pineapple, meyer lemon, and tropical fruit notes in the nose that are matched by the soft mouthfeel. Stainless steel fermented and aged . Warm vintage Chardonnay that is accentuated by baked apple aroma on the nose.
Mounds
Paired best with a sparkling wine -- champagne, prosecco, rose -- or dessert wine -- late harvest, Sherry, Port
• Bowers Harbor Vineyards (Traverse City) -- Pinot Secco
Twist off the top and sip the tropical flavors of this effervescent wine, Pinot Secco! Made from 100% Pinot Gris, this dry sparkling wine bubbles with refreshing pineapple and citrus.
• Sandhill Crane Vineyards (Jackson) -- Annie's MapleShine
Unfiltered maple sap wine, sweetened with maple syrup and aged in Michigan bourbon barrels for one year. Smooth and rich, meant to be sipped and savored!
Kit Kat
Paired best with a medium red wine, such as Merlot, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Zinfandel or Grenache
• Tempo Vino Winery (Kalamazoo) --Libertango Malbec
Smooth, medium bodied red with hints of plum and blackberry. Moderate tannins yield to a soft velvety finish.
Tootsie Roll
Paired best with a dessert wine, such as late harvest, ice wine, Sherry or Port
• White Pine Winery (St Joseph) -- Ice Wine
The classic dessert wine produced from grapes naturally frozen in the vineyard in the old-world tradition. Intense aromas and flavors of honey, pineapple and apricot dance in an amber liquid more like nectar than wine. This is dessert in a glass that you want to savor sip, by sip.
Butterfinger
Paired best with a rich white wine, such as chardonnay, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier
• Domaine Berrien Cellars (Berrien Springs) -- 2014 Oaked Marsanne
Aging for six months in French oak barrels lends aromas of vanilla and a rich, creamy, full body. Toasty butterscotch notes accentuate flavors of juicy pear, creme brulee, and lemon curd with a soft, smooth finish.
Twix
Paired best with a bold red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, Aglianico or Malbec
• Burgdorf Winery (Haslett) -- St. Croix
This full bodied, dry red wine aged in French Oak has very unique & desirable characteristics. Note the great bold aromas of fennel, vanilla, toasted oak and tobacco. Licorice, currant, vanilla and sweet cherry are evident in the lasting finish.
Snickers
Paired best with a bold red wine -- Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, Aglianico, Malbec, Syrah -- or dessert wine -- late harvest, ice wine, Sherry, Port
• Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery (Petoskey) -- Romance
This is a beautiful full bodied, dry, red wine blend of DeChaunac and Noiret grape varietals.
• Fieldstone Winery (Rochester) -- White Ice
Prized as a unique sweet wine specialty, our Ice Wine will surprise you with its body and complexity. White Ice is a great wine to skip the ice cream and enjoy for dessert!
Reese
Paired best with a light red wine, such as St. Laurent, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt or Gamay
• Fenton Winery & Brewery (Fenton) -- Holly Nouveau
A light-bodied red wine that is served young to allow more of the fruitiness of the Bergamais grape to come out. An easy drinking wine the doesn't display any of the tannic characters of fuller bodied reds.
Heath
Paired best with a dessert wine, such as late harvest, ice wine, Sherry or Port
• Verterra Winery (Leland) -- Cherraz Dessert Wine
Our Port (or dessert wine as we have to call it as we are not making this in Portugal!) is a fruit wine made from local cherries and raspberries and then fortified with brandy. It has been aged in American oak and has a beautiful, fragrant fruity nose with just the right combination of sweet and tart on the taste buds.
M&Ms
Paired best with a bold red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, Aglianico, Malbec, Shiraz
• Tabor Hill Winery (Buchanan) -- Syrah
Fruit forward and slightly flowery, a dark chocolate nose with a complex bouquet of cherries and berries, a slight burst of pepper on the finish.
Hershey's Bar
Paired best with a sweet white wine -- Gewurztraminer, Muller-Thurgau, moscato, riesling -- or a medium red wine -- Merlot, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Zinfandel or Grenache
• Contessa Wine Cellars (Coloma) -- Celeste
Our sweetest white wine offers an aroma of soft green apple, with a hint of honey.
• Leelanau Cellars (Omena) -- Witches Brew Red
A secret wine blend enhanced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and other natural spices that makes this a crowd pleaser and favorite of Leelanau Cellars' fans. Perfect for entertaining, this wine will explode with intense flavor when served warm but can also be served chilled as an ingredient in sangria. Witches Brew is perfect for campfires, tailgating, or any gathering (large or small) on a chilly evening.
The Snack Attack is a feature on CBSDetroit.com that centers around all things food. Know of a new snack we should attack? Send an email and we'll be sure to add it to the list.