It’s been said before, but spooky season is the best season. Whether you’re a horror fanatic or love a cozy hay ride, fall is a special time for everyone. Here at Casillero, we love all things Halloween, cooler weather, and wine. We couldn’t help ourselves and created the Ultimate Halloween Guide for 2022. Enjoy!

• Candy & Wine Pairings
• Recipes
• Halloween Costumes
• Best Reds to Go with Your Steaks

Candy & Wine Pairings

After a long night of trick or treating, it's finally time to put the kids to bed and pour yourself a well-earned glass of wine. While you relax, you might see your kid's candy stash out of the corner of your eye and decide to sneak a few pieces. They don't need all that sugar anyway, right? We put together the perfect list of wine pairings to go along with your (borrowed) Halloween candy. Turn on a scary movie, get comfortable, and enjoy these pairings.

Cabernet Sauvignon x Snickers Bar

Like our world-famous Cabernet Sauvignon, a Snickers bar is complex with its multitude of flavors and textures. The layers of peanuts, caramel, nougat, and chocolate pair incredibly well with the silky tannins, ripe fruit, and rich acidity in our balanced wine.

Merlot x Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

Chocolate and peanut butter are just meant to be together. Take a look at Reese’s — need we say more? If you are ready to take this salty/sweet concoction to the next level and perhaps achieve wine pairing perfection, then try it with our Merlot! The aromas of chocolate, dark plums, red berries, and spices will hit just right as they meld with your Reese’s.

Chardonnay x Candy Corn

Candy corn is unique for its sweet, buttery taste and waxy texture. We can think of no better pairing than our complex, medium-bodied Chardonnay. It will soften the pure sugar flavors while the hints of vanilla will complement the candy.

Recipes

You may be hosting a full-blown costume party or a casual flow of friends stopping by. Either way, the main ingredients for a great Halloween party involve good food and even better wine. Here are some of our go-to dishes for a stress-free but delicious spread.

Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards can be a simple arrangement of meats and cheeses shared around the table, or they can be dressed up elegantly for a special occasion.

For Halloween, you can make your charcuterie board fall-themed. Here are some ideas for the cooler weather:

• Smoked meats like smoked sausage or slices of hickory ham.
• Nutty cheeses like sharp Asiago, sweet Gouda, or even a soft cheese covered in pecans.
• Seasonal dips. This could be savory, such as a butternut squash purée, or it could be sweet like a pumpkin cheesecake dip for pretzels or fruit.
• Apple and cheese pairings like a sweet Honeycrisp paired with Brie or a sour Granny Smith paired with Gorgonzola.

For decorations, you can even incorporate small pumpkins or leaves on your board. Or, if you’re going more with the Halloween theme, choose something spooky.

Appetizers

Along with your charcuterie board, you can offer quick, simple, yet delicious appetizers for your guests. These appetizers are easy to prepare and convenient for your guests to eat while visiting with friends.

• Bacon-wrapped scallops. Wrap fresh scallops with hickory-smoked bacon and sear them until the scallops are golden brown, and the bacon is just starting to get crispy. With a spicy mayo sauce, this combination is all things fall and all things delicious.
• Bruschetta. There are few things better than fresh tomato bruschetta over toasted bread. The only ingredients you need are high-quality tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Perfectly paired with a glass of wine!
• Hummus with pita bread. This classic duo is a party favorite, and it’s so simple to prepare! Just pick up fresh hummus and a bag of pita bread at your local grocery store. If you’re feeling fancy, you can try your hand at making homemade hummus!

For decorations, you can even incorporate small pumpkins or leaves on your board. Or, if you’re going more with the Halloween theme, choose something spooky.

Desserts

You can’t have a Halloween party without sweets. Well, you can, but what’s the fun in that? Here are some dessert ideas that will satisfy your guests’ sweet tooths.

• Pumpkin bars. Pumpkin is the quintessential flavor of fall so it’s only natural that you include pumpkin bars at your get-together. 
• Snickerdoodles. If you’re already over the pumpkin craze, snickerdoodles are a satisfying replacement. Soft yet crunchy snickerdoodles are the perfect companions to a cold night spent with warm company. 
• Your kids’ candy. Let’s be honest - sometimes you throw a party and have the best intentions of making everything homemade. But life gets in the way and you’re left scrambling the day before the get-together. It happens!

Halloween Costumes

There are two types of people on Halloween: those who go all out and those who do as little as possible. We put together a list of costumes ranging from extra to minimal. So, grab a glass of our legendary wine, and let’s look at the best Halloween costumes for 2022!

Hocus Pocus 2 - The Sanderson Sisters

Who knew, that almost thirty years later, we would have a sequel to this Halloween favorite. Dress up as The Sanderson Sisters with two of your closest buds. Just be warned, you will need a lot of hairspray!

Julia Fox

This is the perfect costume if you’re not really into going the full nine yards for Halloween. Or, if you need a last-minute and inexpensive costume. All you need is (a lot of) eyeliner, hair gel, and the weirdest outfit you can find. Boom! You’re now Julia Fox.

She-Hulk

Look good in green? Grab your business casual attire, show off your muscles, and paint yourself green to become She-Hulk. You can even recruit a friend to dress up as Smart-Hulk (if you know, you know).

Top Gun: Maverick

Who doesn’t want to be a pilot and dress up like Tom Cruise? Buy a flight suit and grab your aviators for a quick, easy costume that everyone will recognize and love.

Thor: Love and Thunder

The ‘80s will always be legendary, and Thor proves it in Thor: Love and Thunder. You can buy the original Thor costume, or you can dress in his signature ‘80s attire: a red leather vest, an ‘80s band tee, and combat boots. And don’t forget the hammer!

Best Reds to Go with Your Steaks

Steak and red wine is a time-tested pairing that can't go wrong. Hearty meat flame-kissed from the grill, drenched in a rich glaze or pepper sauce paired with a full-bodied, tannic red...honestly, we get hungry just thinking about it. And while the old saying "red wine for red meat" rings true, that steak can be even more devilishly good when you pair it with the ideal wine based on the cut you're cooking up.

Cabernet Sauvignon x Ribeye Steak

Ribeye steak is so flavorful that it requires an assertive wine capable of standing up to the bold flavors in the meat. The natural choice here is a Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a case of bold meets bold; the tannins in the wine stand up to the juicy, fatty ribeye.

Pinot Noir x Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is the most delicate of steaks, which is why it's often served with a bold sauce. When we're going sauce-free to really highlight the flavor and texture of the filet mignon, we like to serve this steak with Pinot Noir. The lightness in the flavors of both the meat and the wine means that neither overpowers the other.

Happy Halloween!

No matter what you decide to do for Halloween, we hope you have the best time! Happy Halloween from everyone here at Casillero del Diablo!