Novelty red wines don’t have to suck (Picture: Getty/Tesco/Aldi/Ocado/Laithwaites/Majestic Wines)
I live for the scary, spooky, horrifying things in life, that’s why I’m in entertainment. And by entertainment, I mean I write Metro’s drinks column and appear on TV, where you get to see some pretty eyebrow-raising stuff behind the scenes.
But hands down the scariest thing on earth is when companies bring out novelty, limited-edition Halloween products alongside a press release with the word ‘spooktacular’ in the title. You know who you are. Maybe it’s more cringy than scary, but it’s still nightmarish enough to give me an involuntary chill down my spine, in all the wrong ways.
Even Colin the Caterpillar can’t catch a break, bless him, he’s getting a ‘spinetingling’ and ‘creepy’ glow-up (or down) complete with red-coloured buttercream when you cut him open. Last year, they mummified him, which must have made things awkward with Connie. No one wants to be bandaged up in front of their other half, it’s not a flattering look.
Luckily, the novelty treatment doesn’t happen too often in the wine world, as there’s not enough money in it. So, when it does come about, you know the research and development team have been getting pretty creative and there’s some budget behind it.
There are plenty of great red wines out there that don’t suck (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
But how Halloweeny can a wine get? Well, aside from spooktacular (sorry) labels, some wines naturally have a ‘bloody’ taste to them, complete with an iron and iodine notes. Perhaps ‘meaty’ ‘gamey’ or ‘savoury’ are better flavour descriptors, which you’ll find in Syrah and Mourvèdre from the Rhône Valley. Speaking of ‘gamey’, which is generally sweeter and softer than ‘meaty’, aged Pinot Noir takes on a ‘brace of pheasants hanging in the pantry’ kind of aroma. It’s better than it sounds, trust me.
Also, decent wine is being made in the Transylvania region of Romania, and believe me, they don’t half play on the Dracula theme in their gift shops over there. And don’t forget, last year 19 Crimes actually buried 100 bottles of red wine in a casket placed 6-feet under in a Victorian cemetery in Tower Hamlets, with the bottles unearthed with a priest present. An exorcist apparently says the wines might still be haunted, which is worrying as I still have a bottle at home. I knew I should have stuck to spirits.
Anyway, if you’re dead set on buying a wine with a creepy theme, here are a the good, bad and the downright scary.
Reprobates Ghouliburra Red, Australia, £4.99 (Save £2.20), Aldi
This £4.99 ‘spooky’ wine is the perfect choice for Halloween (Picture: Aldi)
Looking to pick something up for a Halloween party, but don’t want to spend a fortune? Aldi’s Reprobates is the perfect option. This red wine is from South Australia, made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre and I actually prefer it to the strikingly similar (but more expensive) 19 Crimes. Plus, it has a limited-edition glow in the …read more
Source:: Metro
