CENTRE COUNTY — Whether you plan to dip into your children’s trick-or-treat stash after they go to sleep or use the post Halloween sales to stock up on some of your favorite sweets, elevating your candy crunching experience can be done with the perfect wine pairing.
Pairing wine with candy is difficult because the intense sweetness of candy can overpower the wine, making it taste bitter or sour if it is not equally sweet. Additionally, the contrasting textures and complex flavor profiles of candies make it challenging to find harmonious combinations. However, that’s not to say it cannot be done. Try pairing the following Halloween treats with these wines:
REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS — TAWNY PORT
When pairing wine with food, it is important to take into account flavor and texture and then decide whether to align or contrast those traits with the wine.
Tawny port, from Portugal, is a sweet, fortified wine — meaning it has been strengthened with the addition of a distilled spirit, usually brandy. This gives it a higher alcohol content and enhances its sweetness and complexity. This sweetness allows it to pair well with desserts. With rich flavors of caramel, toffee and dried fruits, it makes an excellent match for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The creamy, salty peanut butter filling in Reese’s contrasts well with the nutty, caramelized notes of tawny port. Additionally, the wine’s sweetness balances out the slightly bitter cocoa in the chocolate, while its richness complements the smooth texture of the peanut butter making for a harmonious pairing. The wine’s strong flavor ensures it won’t be overpowered by the candy’s bold combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
M&M’S — MERLOT
Pairing chocolate with red wine can be tricky because chocolate’s sweetness can accentuate the bitterness of tannins — the part of the wine that leaves your mouth feeling dry — making the wine taste harsh. However, merlot, with its smooth, medium-bodied profile, often featuring flavors of ripe plum, cherry and chocolate, is a great match for M&M’s. The milk chocolate in M&M’s pairs well with the fruit-forward flavors and soft tannins in merlot, providing structure without overwhelming the candy.
For a unique merlot, try a bottle from Chile. The country’s warm climate and cool Pacific breezes create wines with ripe red fruit flavors, subtle earthiness and balanced acidity, which complement the sweetness of the milk chocolate without overpowering it. Look for regions like Colchagua Valley or Maipo Valley for high-quality choices.
SKITTLES — MOSCATO D’ASTI
Moscato d’Asti is a sweet, lightly sparkling wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, known for its fragrant floral and fruity notes, particularly peach, apricot and citrus. Made from the muscat grape, it undergoes a fermentation process that preserves the natural sweetness and aromatics while producing a light effervescence.
This wine is typically lower in alcohol, which makes it refreshing and easy to drink. Moscato d’Asti’s bright acidity balances its sweetness, making it an ideal pairing for fruity Skittles. The wine’s sweetness mirrors the sugary flavors of the candy, while the bubbles in Moscato d’Asti also add a refreshing texture, balancing out the chewiness of the candy.
SNICKERS — ZINFANDEL
Zinfandel, a bold and robust red wine, is known for its jammy flavors of blackberry, plum and spice, which pair well with the complex layers of Snickers. The caramel and nougat in the candy pair well with the fruity and slightly spicy notes of the wine, while the tannins in zinfandel cut through the candy’s sweetness, preventing it from being overly rich. The wine’s high alcohol content adds warmth, complementing the roasted peanuts and chocolate, creating a pairing that feels indulgent and satisfying. This robust wine holds up to the candy’s dense texture and rich combination of flavors.
CANDY CORN — CHAMPAGNE
Champagne, especially a dry brut, pairs well with candy corn due to its high acidity and effervescence. The crisp, dry nature of Champagne contrasts with the waxy texture and extreme sweetness of candy corn, creating a refreshing balance.
Champagne is known for its pronounced toasty and yeasty notes, which result from the traditional method of fermentation, where the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. This process, known as “méthode champenoise,” allows the wine to develop complex flavors over time as it interacts with the yeast, leading to a more pronounced bread-like character compared to other sparkling wines like cava or prosecco. The toasty, yeasty notes of Champagne subtly complement the honey and vanilla flavors in candy corn. This pairing works because the contrast between the wine’s dryness and the candy’s sweetness enhances both, preventing the candy from becoming too overwhelming.
