In a return to one of our favorite annual traditions to make learning about wine more fun, we’ve worked our way through a whole sack of made-for-the-season Halloween treats to bring you the best wine pairings for each. Grab a plastic jack-o-lantern, fill it up with your favorite candies and snag top-rated bottles of our suggested varietals and taste a few pairings from Vivino’s 5th Annual Halloween Candy and Wine Matchmaker.





Hershey’s Glow in the Dark and Syrah



When you’re dealing with straight milk chocolate, you have to find a wine that is powerful but light on its feet. It needs enough presence to punch through the cocoa, yet is nimble enough to dance around the creamy milkiness enveloping your palate. Syrah can range in body and texture, but you will typically find black pepper and black fruit - both are willing companions to chocolate.

Try it! Syrah



Kit Kat Glow in the Dark and Pinot Noir

Although variations of Pinot Noir can be dramatic, they always tend to carry a tense and nuanced red fruit quality. This makes the milk chocolate and wafer combo feel like a chocolate-dipped raspberry pulled straight out of the fridge. I’d suggest terroir-driven Pinot Noirs like those from Sonoma Coast or Burgundy that will bring out earthiness and tannin for a more complex pairing. Tannin is mellowed by the chocolate, and the earthy qualities can create a mushroom-flavored effect.

Try it! Pinot Noir



Reese’s Monster Mania and Gamay

Gamay works with peanut butter and chocolate because of Carbonic maceration. Gamay is a grape that’s used to make Beaujolais wine, which has a unique fermentation process. The grapes are deprived of oxygen and burst from the inside, rather than being pressed directly. This process imparts a distinct, wild-cherry jam, bubblegum and banana aroma that pairs perfectly with peanut butter and chocolate. Think PB+J!

Try it! Gamay



M&M Ghoul’s Mix + Port

Author of The Wine Bible, and Vivino’s editorial advisor Karen MacNeil chose this delicious pairing, commenting, “The dark, sweet, black fig and dried fruit character of Port is a great counterpoint to the milk chocolate in M&Ms. The hard crunch of the candy shell is perfect with the soft pillow of lavishly textured Port.”

Try it! Port



Cauldron Skittles and Sauvignon Blanc

I’d suggest New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc here. The hallmark of this wine style is immense tropicality and sometimes a bit of green jalapeno. This combo may have you thinking about a Baja Fresh mango salsa! A pleasing balance of tropical fruits from both the Skittles and the wine already makes the pairing a good one but it’s the healthy dose of citric acid from both that gives us one seriously invigorating pairing.

Try it! New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc



Starburst Halloween Mix and Moscato d’Asti

Starburst paired with Moscato is a returning fan-favorite originally recommended by sommelier, Laura Burgess and will go down as one of the best pairings of all time. Seriously, try it!

Try it! Moscato d'Asti



Glow-In-The-Dark Fun Size SNICKERS + Cabernet Sauvignon

The intense flavor combo of peanut, caramel, and nougat needs a wine with backbone and depth to keep from being overpowered. The tannin and fruit in the Cabernet Sauvignon will hold up to the myriad of flavors in the Snickers. YUM!