A Spooky Wine for Halloween

I often get asked questions about wines to fit the seasons, and with Halloween arriving tomorrow, the requests for wines that are well suited for the holiday have started to trickle in. As the weather surrounding Halloween is often unpredictable - I can recall trick or treating in snowstorms in some years, and 70 degree temperatures in others - it is often tough to suggest wines that are appropriately matched for the weather. With that in mind, allow me to make a case for my favorite wine that fits the spirit of the holiday.

"The Sinister Hand" by Owen Roe is my favorite Halloween wine, hands down. Every Halloween night for the past five years, I've enjoyed a bottle of this wine. Don't get me wrong, there are other great wines with spooky, macabre names that embody the Halloween spirit, like the Bogle Phantom, or Charles Smith's Velvet Devil Merlot. However, what pushes The Sinister Hand to the top of my Halloween wine list is the fact that it's a great wine with a fascinating, ghoulish story behind its name. After all, isn't Halloween all about great ghost stories?

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How to Pick a Good Rosé

On the heels of the latest post in the Education & Commentary section, Rosé: A Summertime Sip Worth the Plunge, a reader named Cara wrote in, saying that she was "sick of Sauvignon Blanc all summer long," and that she "would like to get more comfortable with Rosé - the less fruity variety, of course." Cara asked, "How do I pick a good [rosé]?"

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A Pairing Request for Scallops with Spice Oil

A reader named Mary recently wrote in with a recommendation request for a wine to pair with a family dinner, of Scallops with Spice Oil. As I love scallops, I was quick to reply with a recommendation. A few days after replying, I tried out the recipe, but decided to pair it with a 2000 Chateau Soucherie Clos des Perrieres Savennieres. The aged Savennieres showed notes of candied apples, and a slight cider quality, which nicely balanced the spice oil. So, in addition to the recommendations below, that's another (albeit more obscure) wine to try. Anyways, here's my response:

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