West Valley Wine Group

How to Pair Wine with Halloween Candy, According to an Expert Taster | Wine Enthusiast Magazine

### Videos to Watch

1. Pairing Halloween Candy and Wine with Keri Levens - Hallowine Special - YouTube (9:12)
2. Trick or Treat for Adults: Top Wine & Halloween Candy Pairings (7:23)
3. Halloween Candy & Wine Pairings (14.11)

So, pick up a bottle and watch the videos. Dress up in your Halloween costume. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Gewurztraminer (or Gewürztraminer in German-speaking regions) is a pink-skinned grape variety that produces some of the world's most distinctive aromatic white wines. Gewürztraminer wines are perfumed with aromas ranging from blossom to lychee and orange peel, all with a relatively full body, low acidity and ranging from dry to sweet. Most readily associated with the Alsace region of northeastern France, the grape is nonetheless found in wine regions worldwide.

The primary aromatic descriptors used to define Gewürztraminer are typically lychee, rose petal, Turkish delight, tropical fruit and perfume. On the palate it is marked by its full texture, low acidity, stonefruit (mango, peach and apricot) and spicy (ginger and cinnamon) flavors. The variety gets its distinctive aroma from the presence of monoterpenes in the skins (as does the perfumed Muscat family) and while the variety has many fans, its detractors often object to any one of its hallmarks, from the pungent aromas to the low acidity, the oft-encountered residual sweetness and the sometimes detectable phenolic astringency. The latter two aspects often go hand in hand as Gewürztraminer winemakers often try to leave some residual sugar in the finished wine to counterbalance its drying phenolics – sometimes detectable in both dry and sweet styles on the back-palate (the aftertaste).

The best examples of Gewürztraminer are generally regarded as being from the grand cru vineyards of Alsace. It could even be argued that Alsace is the spiritual home of Gewürztraminer, despite the fact that it is not its ancestral home (see below) and that Gewürztraminer accounts for less than one-fifth of vineyard area in the region.

Gewürztraminer, as we know it today, reputedly arrived in Alsace from the Pfalz region of Germany and the variety can be found both here and in wider Germany and Austria (where its relations Roter Traminer and Gelber Traminer are also encountered). In most German-speaking countries and regions – including northern Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige – Gewurztraminer is labeled with an umlaut over the "u", giving Gewürztraminer.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/z6H6QcFPCNI?si=dWi_XwjifbGgNPfp - How to say it: Gewurztraminer - Wine and Spirits Education Trust (0:07)
2. https://youtu.be/xaLcs4gMkEU?si=LgHHI2D9vs6L71zw - Gewürztraminer 101 - Wine Folly (6:56)
3. https://youtu.be/HmSzpJRG1CM?si=QvEfB9_i5JQT_5_D - Winecast: Gewürztraminer - The Unknown Winecaster (8:28)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!

In France, Grenache (Noir) is most widely planted in the southern Rhône Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend (notably in Cotes du Rhone wines), and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache's versatility provides winemakers with all sorts of possibilities. Grenache-based rosé is one of southern France's signature wine styles.

In Spain, Garnacha is the second most-planted red-wine grape variety, surpassed only by its modern blending partner Tempranillo. It is grown in almost every area of Spain, but most notably in the north and east – it is the key constituent in the prestigious wines of Priorat. The arrival of the grapevine pest phylloxera to the Iberian Peninsula in the 19th Century brought unexpected benefits to Garnacha. The native vines were devastated (Rioja was particularly badly affected) it was robust Garnacha that replenished the vineyards and helped to re-energize the wine industry. In the 1980s and 1990s, Grenache's status was reduced, but it survived efforts to eradicate it, returning to international favor in the 21st Century. Emerging wine-producing nations such as China, Mexico and Israel are now cultivating the grape variety.

In many areas such as the Southern Rhône and the Barossa Valley, very ripe, juicy, fruity Grenache can be achieved. It is often, therefore, blended with other varieties which contribute acidity, a different tannin profile, color and aromatic complexity. This is a key element in the prominence of the Southern Rhône Red Blends and "GSM" blends in Australia and elsewhere, combining Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

## We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/PzmLPp1KHVE?si=EJ60OtpHRdGWjtLW - GRENACHE / GARNACHA Grape: The Wine World's Next Big Thing! - No Sediment (9:38)
2. https://youtu.be/yZU8Wpc-TWI?si=NSCW1YSalg6xZk3b - Garnacha/Grenache for WSET Level 2 - Wine with Jimmy (8:02)
3. https://youtu.be/9xFWGz6_Zvc?si=sA-YOiMTImmzb1aJ - Grenache - Know Wine In No Time (8:27)

So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!