Spooky Season. Freaky Fall. Auspicious Autumn. It’s that time of year folks. The pumpkins and beanies and blanket scarves are out, the witches and skeletons and ghosts are returning to people’s front yards. Halloween is nearly upon us, and it’s no trick when we say our wines are a delicious October treat. Not only are they well-balanced and sophisticated, they may just make for some great costume ideas…Keep reading for some wine-themed Halloween activities to try out this year.
Cauldron Burn, Cauldron Bubble
Very little toil and trouble with this one. Mulled or spiced wine is often thought of as a holiday drink, but we think it works great for a crisp Halloween night. There are dozens of amazing mulled wine recipes out there, but the essentials are wine, brandy, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom. We recommend that you grab a 6-pack of Just Enough Pinot Noir and your largest cauldron, ignore the eye of newt on your shelf, sing a witchy song, and brew up a batch of spiced or mulled wine. One cauldron should be enough for your guests, but probably best to have some extra Just Enough Pinot Noir on hand in case you need more.
Bobbing for Wine
Why should the youngins have all the fun? Adults can bob for things and still look respectable, right? Right?? Yes. Always yes. And while bobbing for apples is a hoot, sometimes the grown-ups need something a bit more...grown up. Now, bobbing for canned wines sounds great, but how is it physically possible? Easy peasy! Tie a string into a loop around the pull-tabs of each can of wine. Then, fill a bucket (or a very large hollowed-out pumpkin if you can find one) with water and plenty of canned wine. Grab your pals and a timer, keep those hands behind your back, and begin! Whoever bobs the most wine wins eternal glory and fall festival fame.
Blind Tasting
One of the most unique joys of Halloween festivals is sticking your hand into a questionable jar and trying to figure out the contents. Yum. We think it would also be fun to drink wines out of bottles labeled things like “poison,” “do not drink,” and “witches brew.” Blind tasting it is! Black glass is best for blind tastings, but unmarked bottles in paper bags work as well. Choose a few varietals and one or two wines of each (including Just Enough, obviously). For the bottles, you can spray paint them black, paint them with fun, Halloween-themed designs, or label them with suspicious names. Then work your way through the wines and try to determine which bottle holds which wine. We sincerely hope that whoever is conducting this tasting does not bring anything too questionable to this spooky party.
Wine Costumes
Let’s all be Cady Herons in a world of Regina Georges by going all-in with the costumes this year. The opportunities for wine-themed costumes are endless. Here are some ideas for an individual, a duo, or a group!
One person:
Just Enough Wine Can--grab some cardboard, colored markers or paint, construction paper, staples, and possibly some ribbon or string. Lay white construction paper on the top half of the cardboard, and whatever color correlates to the varietal you are choosing (light pink, light yellow, dark red, or black and sparkly) on the bottom half of the cardboard. If you don’t have any cans at home to copy from, you can find them here! Staple the ends of the cardboard together, attach some straps, and pop the whole fit over your head. Voila, you’re Just Enough!
Corkscrew--a silver spiral on a black t-shirt works perfectly as a corkscrew, but you can also use foam or cardboard to create a more complex look!
Vine--you’ll need a green t-shirt, green pants, and a green hat. Then you’ll need to either draw or attach leaves all over, with maybe little branches in between. You can also add teensy balloons to act as little grapes on the vine!
Duo:
Just Enough Wine Can and Block of Cheese--see Just Enough Wine Can above for costume inspo; for the Block of Cheese, we recommend picking your favorite cheese and using cardboard, construction paper, and paint or markers to copy out its design or logo.
Champagne and Ice Bucket--excessive saran wrap and packing bubbles will do the trick for the ice bucket; and dark clothing with some sparkles for the bubbles and a cork on top of the head makes for a great bottle of champagne!
Bunch of grapes and Barrel--green or purple balloons are excellent for a grape costume; for the barrel, we return to our trusty pieces of cardboard and some reliable markers to draw out the lines of a barrel.
Group:
Favorite Varietals--for example, four different cans of Just Enough Wines would be a great way to show off your favorite varietals of wine. See Just Enough Wine Can above for ideas!
Bunch of Grapes--blow up an abundance of purple or green balloons, tie them together with ribbons, and attach them to purple or green clothing. A little green stem off the head and you’re all set!
It’s not every day that you get to dress up and indulge in the goofy wacky traditions that come with Halloween. So no holding back this year. 2021 is the year of the Hallowine, of looking ridiculous and wonderful, of drinking good wine and eating spooky snacks, of trying new things and making new rituals. Happy Hallo-wine to all the ghosties and zombies and witches and wizards out there.
