Which wines pair best with leftover Halloween candy? —Tom S., University City
Plates, platters, and plastic-handled pumpkins full of unclaimed candy have found a new home: yours. Take it to the office, donate it to a worthy cause, or grin and pair it.
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In years past, I’ve paired leftover chocolate with red wine but never gave it much thought beyond that, beyond gauging the red wine to the intensity of the chocolate—possibly a Pinot for milk chocolate or a big-boy Cab or Syrah with robust darks. With fruity treats such as Mike & Ikes, I’d consider an off-dry Riesling or Chenin Blanc. And for one of my personal faves—Fun Size Butterfingers (which some contrarians say look and taste like wood chips)—I’ve gotta go with an oaky Chardonnay.
Some of the most knowledgeable experts in the wine business have their opinions as well. We threw out a few likely candy contenders and asked for their beverage pairings, wine-centric or not.
From John Nash, Starrs:
Sour Patch Kids: 2019 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese
Off-dry or slightly sweet Riesling is a great way go with Sour Patch Kids candy. I prefer the sweeter side, and this Spatlese from Selbach-Oster is a stunning wine with great depth and complexity. It’s the world’s most underrated grape.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: 2021 Gundlach-Bundschu Mountain Cuvée Sonoma County
You need a big, juicy, luscious red for this Halloween classic, and I’m enamored with the current vintage of Gundlach Bundschu’s Mountain Cuvée from Sonoma County. It’s a 50/50 Cab/Merlot blend that’s just delicious and perfect with a Peanut Butter Cup.
Snickers: 2023 Salem Wine Company Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills
I like Pinot Noir with my Snickers, and one of my favorites is from Salem Wine Company. This special bottling comes from the southern part of Willamette Valley. This new vintage has a near-perfect balance of ripe fruit, round tannins, supporting acidity, and a silky finish. It’s a fine value, too!
M&Ms: 2021 Jean-Marc Burgaud Beaujolais Lantignie
This is a purely chocolate dessert, so what you need is Beaujolais—not that artificially produced Nouveau example; I’m talking old-school, like they made 100 years ago. Burgaud makes great bargains, and I’m in love with his bottling from the village of Lantignie.
Kit Kat: 2021 Ca’ Momi Rosso Red Wine
This is a very inexpensive red wine blend from an underrated Napa Valley winery. There is some Cab in the blend, and this pairing is nearly perfect.
Almond Joy: NV Eloquente Cava Brut
Cava? It’s Spain’s inexpensive answer to France’s prestigious Champagne bottles. This is crisp, dry, lively, and should play well with the complexity of flavor and texture in an Almond Joy.
Skittles: 2023 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
This is a lovely SB with luscious fruit and good acidity. There’s no oak here, and these clean flavors should play off of the kaleidoscope of flavors in a bag of Skittles.
Candy Corn: Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon “Starr’s Single Barrel”
We liked this bourbon so much that we purchased the entire barrel! Knob Creek has a great track record of producing outstanding American whiskeys. Hey, it’s made from corn (mostly), so it works with my least favorite holiday candy!
York Peppermint Patty: Graham’s Tawny Port Aged 10 Years
This rich, chocolatey, sweet port wine from Graham’s will pair easily with a York Peppermint Patty, and this is a tough pairing. I love the 10 Year Tawny Port wines from all of the big houses in Oporto. Graham’s was the favorite of Winston Churchill, though I doubt he ever had it with a York Peppermint Patty.
From Wanda Cole-Nicholson, advanced sommelier, independent wine consultant for VinBev:
Nestle Crunch or Krackle: Blandy’s 5-year-old Bual Madeira, Madeira Portugal
Both the candy and the wine have a notable textural component; the crunch of the rice and the laser-like acidity of the wine are both delicious and daring. The inherent minerality of the wine and a long, honeyed finish keeps you wanting more.
Mr. Goodbar: Warre’s Otima 10-year Tawny Port, Oporto Portugal
This wine is made from myriad grapes, with each lending a unique note that makes Port so special. The classic milk chocolate and peanut combo of the candy bar does well with the richness and sweeter character of the 10-year Ports
Starburst: 2021 Jorge Ordóñez Málaga N°2 Victoria, Málaga Spain
From the Mediterranean seas of Andalucia, this expression of Moscatel is fruity and deep yet fun. It’s deliciously complex. It tempers the tartness and adds layers to all of the many fruit varieties of the candy.
Sour Gummy Worms: NV Cocci Brachetto D’Acqui, Piedmont Italy
Think sweet and sour; the bright red berry fruit brings sweetness to match the mouth-puckering sour notes of the worms. The bright bubbles keep things fun and match the almost “saline” coating of the candy.
Hershey Bar: Banyuls
This fortified French Grenache offers sweetness, warmth, spice, and attitude. The wine brings deep red fruit, cherry, and strawberry preserves. Pair it with milk chocolate, and you’ve got the makings of a chocolate and fruit bonbon on the palate.
From Simon Lehrer, Parker’s Table:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Cream Sherry
Enjoy the nuttiness of the wine and creamy texture of the candy.
Snickers: Tawny Port
The classic holiday pairing of chocolate and nuts goes with port.
Regular M&Ms: Perennial Abraxas.
Try a spicy roasted malty beer with simple chocolate.
Kit Kat: Vin Santo
Think chocolate biscotti and breakfast.
York Peppermint Patty: Fernet Branca
Or consider Branca Menta, if you can find it.
Gummy Bears: Champagne
It’s such a good pairing, there are even champagne-flavored gummies now.
Sour Patch Kids and Smarties: Chambord
It keeps the intense fruit screaming.
Candy Corn: Everclear
Pure sugar and pure liquor. You have to be spirited to try this. It’s a one and done—forever.
From Jason Main and the staff at The Wine Merchant:
Sour Patch Kids: A dry Chenin Blanc or a Muscadet
Both are from the Loire Valley and would be a great choice. For this selection, we chose wines with a tart profile to match the tartness of the candy.
Skittles: Vouvray or Riesling Kabinett
When you “taste the rainbow,” you’ll want a wine with a little sweetness. For that reason, we would choose an off-dry Vouvray. It’s made from Chenin blanc, but this version has a touch of residual sugar, which would pair well with the sweet fruitiness of the candy. Another good option would be a classically produced Riesling Kabinett from Germany. Wines made in this style are always sweet, per the traditional vinification of German Riesling.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Cream Sherry or Malmsey Madeira
What would Halloween be without this iconic candy? For this selection, we would choose a Cream Sherry or Malmsey Madeira, which is on the sweeter side.
Kit Kat: Vin Santo or Banyuls
Who doesn’t love Kit Kat? With this, we would pair a Vin Santo from the Chianti region in Italy or a Banyuls, a sweet dessert wine from Southern coastal France.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from its original version.
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