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If you’re like me, you like a great glass of vino. You may also like a good Halloween party. So why not combine the two? Throw a “HalloWINE” soiree.
You can throw a generic Halloween party and just serve wine, or you can go with a theme. I, of course, ALWAYS have a theme. In fact, I go overboard on the theme most of the time. But for me that’s half the fun. Hopefully you can glean a few good ideas from all of my silliness.
You can make your party simple or go all out. I prefer simple, as in plates I can throw away at the end of the night. Ok, so maybe I’m not Martha Stewart with cutesy, seasonal flatware handed down from my grandmother. Or maybe I have the flatware, but just don’t like doing dishes. I’ll never tell.
This year, my theme is… vampires. I have to admit that I love scary vampire movies, so this genre is right up my alley. So right off the bat (no pun intended), I decided to serve “Vampire Vineyards” wines. Yes, there is actually a wine called Vampire Vineyards. It’s not a novelty brand and they sell it all year, not just around Halloween. Check out the article, “Blood of the Vine: Vampire Vineyards” to find out more about the wine.
Even though red wine is perfect for the “bloody” vampire theme, always make sure you have plenty of white wine available. I called my selection of Vampire Vineyards wine, “Blood and Bile.” For designated drivers and non-drinkers, I served water and “Jones Blood Orange Soda.”
I served bloody delicacies galore! Of course there was the usual cheese and other “finger foods.” Then there was the “Boiled Thumbs in Blood Sauce” (jumbo shrimp with horseradish cocktail sauce). Click here for the recipe.
“Bloody Beast” (wine injected tri-tip roast) was also on the menu. Click here for the recipe. Before cooking I injected the outer edges of the tri-tip with Vampire Vineyards Pinot Noir, but you can use any red wine. The wine makes the meat look bloody when sliced. It also keeps the outer edges of the roast moist, especially if it’s a thick piece of meat.
“Blood Orange Salad” was served as well. Click here for the recipe. It’s hard to “scare” up blood oranges this time of year, so I substituted navel oranges.
I thought about serving blood sausage. But I just couldn’t stomach the thought. When it comes to actually ingesting blood, apparently I’m all bark and no “bite.” But you can throw a few gourmet sausages on the grill and call them blood sausages.
I served lots of snacks for dessert. But my favorite was the “Vampire Bite Red Velvet Cupcakes.” Click here for the recipe. The cupcakes have two “bloody” puncture marks which make them look like Dracula took a taste. And you never know, maybe he did. 
Like the true blood suckers they are, my guests devoured all the red wines, which were Vampire Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir, 2005 Cabernet and 2005 Merlot. They didn’t even pop a cork on the whites which were Vampire Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay and 2007 Pinot Grigio. The blood suckers were pretty split down the middle preferring both the Pinot Noir and the Merlot. I did really like the Merlot, but the Pinot Noir was my favorite.
My wonderful neighbors Corey and Stacy invited the gang of vamps to their place for a ride on their boat. So we all grabbed our spooky goblets of blood and tromped next door to hop on the boat. You can see Syrus and Esperanza Devers are enjoying their goblets of blood on the boat ride.
It was a frighteningly beautiful night. The vampire bats were out…. blah …blah … blah. Needless to say we had a wonderful boat ride, but no one thought to bring extra wine. So we were forced to head back to my house… and well, drink more wine. 
Alright all of you vampires, now it’s your turn to throw a HalloWINE party. Let me know how it turns out. If you have any great ideas for a HalloWINE party, please let me know. I’m always looking for great ideas… especially if they involve wine!
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