Carpe Wine: A spirited guide to Halloween candy and wine pairings

Ready to put a grown-up twist on Halloween? Think wine and Halloween candy. It’s time to indulge your inner child and grown-up tastes by turning that candy stash into a sophisticated wine tasting experience. Ok, I’ll be honest, these wine pairings for Halloween candy are totally not sophisticated. They’re just fun and delicious, which is what wine should be anyway. Cheers to uncorking your Halloween fun!

Snickers + Port, sauternes or cabernet sauvignon

There’s a lot going on in a Snickers bar – salted peanuts, caramel, nougat and chocolate. So, it makes sense that there are a few different pairing options. A big, robust cabernet sauvignon will stand up to all the flavors in the Snickers. The same is true for a Port, although, with its nutty, spice, and big red fruit flavors, the Port can enhance the peanuts and caramel in a Snickers at another level. If you really want to up the game, try a Sauternes. Its rich, sweet flavors and acidity go really well with the peanuts and caramel.

Twix + Champagne or rosé

Rosé and Champagne pair with just about everything, including the caramel, biscuit and milk chocolate in a Twix bar. The acidity in both contrasts beautifully with this candy. To experiment even more, a light, fruit-forward gamay with excellent acidity would make for a fun pairing.

---

---

Plain M&M’s + pinot noir or gamay

The silky-smooth milk chocolate and hard candy coating of M&Ms pair perfectly with a lighter, fruit-forward red wine. My go-to is usually pinot noir from Willamette Valley, but that’s likely because it’s what I stock my wine fridge with. While it is a fabulous pairing, a fruit-forward gamay is equally as lovely and a bit more outside of the box. Quick note, while chocolate is known for sipping with big red wines, these candies have that extra sugar kick in the coating, so big red wines like a cab or syrah can make the combo taste a little bitter.

Reese’s peanut butter cups + merlot

One of my ultimate favorite Halloween candies is Reese’s peanut butter cups. What makes them even better is pairing them with a medium-bodied merlot. This candy is a little more complex in flavor – peanut butter and chocolate. That said, the tannins and light jamminess in the wine creates a little PB&J feel to this pairing.

---

---

Starburst + pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc or riesling

Your multipack Starbursts contain a rainbow of fruit flavors, but rest assured, pinot grigio will pair with each one. Pinot grigio will actually pair really nicely with more fruit-forward Halloween candy, given its low alcohol, and a light structure that will accurately show the fruit notes in the candy. Rosé, sauvignon blanc or an off-dry riesling will also be great wine pairings.

Sour Patch Kids + sauvignon blanc

This fun pairing is perfect for sweet-and-sour lovers. The zest and fruit-forwardness of sauvignon blanc balances and cuts through the sourness in the candies to highlight its sweet side.

Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer and wine judge, certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2, and a certified American Wine Expert. She is also the editor at Carpe Travel, a content site focused on wine travel. You can follow her wine 101 and sipping adventures on Carpe Travel or Instagram.