I am one of those people who just LOVES Halloween! I’ve always enjoyed dressing up and racing around at night collecting candy– and now at Burning Man collecting experiences! My son always had creative costume ideas that challenged us– one year we BOTH went as Hermes and the outfits were almost completely homemade from thrift store finds.

Another year my red head went as Tintin (with Snowy of course!) and another year my redhead went as the Riddler; this year I borrowed components for my own take on the Riddler in a vintage black petticoat, tails, and tophat! Rarely did our outfits come out of a box.

So what might pair with an outside of the box Halloween — and a not from a box costume? How about an outside of the box wine like Exitus?

Exitus is definitely a departure from your typical red wine!

For those of you who insist on pairing Halloween candy with wine, here’s a guide:

 

If you’re looking for a sweet, intense or smooth red to pair with your Halloween candy, you might check out Exitus. I paired a Hershey’s Cookies and Cream with it and found that to be WAY TOO SWEET. Twix, KitKat or Reese’s peanut butter cups would be a better match.

Much better to my palate to pair this wine with some intense cheese like a stilton with dried apricots… or beef with BBQ sauce!

 

2017 – Exitus – California Red Bourbon Barrel Aged Blend 15.9% alcohol SRP $26
Blend: Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Merlot
Sample for my review consideration

1. An act of making an exit; a departure, an exodus.

2. Specifically (now chiefly Medicine and Ancient History). Death; a departure from life, a person’s death.

Origin

Late 16th century (in an earlier sense). From classical Latin exitus (u-stem).

A departure from your typical red wine, this red blend is fermented in American stainless steel and then aged for 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels:

“Bourbon barrels are set ablaze, which creates a visibly blackened interior, known as a “char.” When introduced to a high proof moonshine like Bourbon, the caramelized wood sugars of the charred barrels react to deliver Bourbon’s signature mellow, smoky smooth profile – a nuance that we were determined to crossover into wine,” they say.

They bottle the wine in clear glass so you can see the bright color and I guess they expect you to drink the wine quickly as the main reason for dark tinted glass is to protect the wine inside. As most people drink wine they buy that day or within a few days, this should not be a problem.

Color: Medium density, deep red with a coral rim.

Nose: Stewed fruit and dirt, raisins, dried apricots, concentrated fruit.

Palate: It is all about the fruit on the palate, dried apricot, sulphur. For us, the oak is a bit overbearing, but for folks whoa re fans of oak, they’ll love it.

Pairing: Could be interesting with pulled pork or beef with a smokey and sweet BBQ sauce. Sue’s plum BBQ sauce would be awesome.

Sue suggests treating this as a dessert wine and imagines it with a chocolate soufflé with tart raspberry sauce, or a cherry cordial. Think about a dish that has sweetness, yet fruity tartness, advises Sue.

For the most part, this wine has a beautiful bottle, nice marketing and label. At 15.9%, it’s a great party wine so take it to a party where the guests where there’s food like a BBQ with smoked ribs, and brisket on the menu, and nobody has to drive or fly home on a broomstick…

Here’s a few more ideas for Halloween food and wine pairings — if not the year maybe next!

From Halloween themed posts from 2017, 2018 x 2, and 2019: