Pairing Scary Wines with Scary Movies

You know that wine comes in “white,” “red,” and “pink,” and if you’re paying attention you might be familiar with the “green” wine from Portugal or “orange” wine from Veneto. There’s been a proliferation of “black” wines lately, though they aren’t new. The term traditionally refers to a very intense style of Malbec, often from Cahors, France.

Malbec is indeed deep, dark, and sometimes a bit unapproachable (though Cahors has tried to lighten up a bit recently), but it’s no longer the only grape being called “black.” Through the magic of marketing, wines from all over the place, and made from a wide array of grapes, are taking on the “black” label. Highly pigmented grapes with intense flavors that might be in a “black” blend certainly still include Malbec, but might also be based on inky purple Petite Sirah, as well as Mourvedre and Zinfandel. The common denominator is a dark, opaque color and a brooding character, often with peppery or cocoa notes.

We propose these scary, scary wines might be good pairings for whatever you’re cuing up to watch while trick-or-treaters buzz your house on Halloween. They are, as always, just a starting point. And… OK some of them are not “black.”

Wine: Gnarly Head Black
Film: Night of the Living Dead

Zinfandel vines live so long it’s just… spooky. This wine is sturdy enough to stand up to pretty much anything you’re cooking (though it will murder delicate salads), perfect for a movie about people trying to stay standing in a pretty apocalyptic situation.

Wine: Cashmere Black
Film: Les Diabolique

Contra Costa County isn’t known for being “wine country.” You might not even have heard of it unless you’re a big Negativland fan or you happen to have grown up here. Uh, there. (Disclosure: I currently live in this scary, scary place.) If you have been to this strange land east of Oakland, you know its dominant feature is Mount Diablo, a strange and storied peak rich with legends about The Prince of Darkness revealing himself to Franciscan priests and known for its tendency to turn bloody red at sunset. Grapes grown in the shadow of the Devil’s Mountain are a perfect foil for Clouzot’s mysterious and devilish Les Diaboliques.