Halloween Wine, Crisp Weather, and Spooky Bottles

Think Halloween is just for the kids? Think again. This crisp weather has as much to offer adults as it does the kids. From the frightful DIY decorations to the delicious wines you can enjoy, this Halloween doesn’t just have to be about the little ones in your life, if you have them. Consider starting your night with a delicious bottle of Halloween wine. Here are a few spooky varieties you may want to consider. 

2021 Pacific Rim Wicked Good Red

The first red we ever created after our success in the white wine market, we mean it when we say this wine is truly wicked, and it’s the perfect little complement to your Halloween celebration. Packed with notes of fresh, dark berries, you’re in for a treat as amazing as the Halloween candy you once collected as a kid. The inky darkness as you peer into a bottle of our best Wicked Good Red will have you ready to take the first scary sip. The burst of juiciness you feel on your tongue balanced by fresh acidity will be your reward whether you find yourself in the shadows of a campfire on Halloween or handing out candy every time the doorbell rings. 

2020 J Riesling

Searching for a choice that looks like the season? If you’ve ever fallen in love with Halloween wine bottle decorations, this needs to be your next purchase for the season. The gorgeous orange bottle is only the start of this perfect choice for a night of spooky, candy-filled fun, though. With just the right amount of sweetness and complexity, every glass here has aromas of jasmine, pear, and apricot to help brighten the dark Halloween evening up a bit. It’s perfect for spicy Halloween dishes as you enjoy the scariest season of the year. 

2018 Ramos Vineyard Gewurztraminer

If intense fall flavors are what define Halloween for you, this is a great choice. Every bottle means intense character notes of lychee and rose petals, as well as a complex spicy flavor you’ll enjoy. Gewurztraminer varieties have long been considered to be the darling of fall, and for good reason. This choice is nothing short of stunning, and you’re certain to love what it brings to your Halloween night. 

If you’re ready for the beauty of fall, the spicy excitement of Halloween and the full moon glory your long night will bring, one of these options is certain to be the perfect match! You can even save the bottles to create your own terrifying Halloween wine bottle decorations for next year.

How Long Should Red Wine Breathe?

As you pour a delicious glass of red wine, something nags at the back of your mind. Lifting it to your lips, you suddenly remember. You were supposed to let it breathe before you drank it, right? Not necessarily. Understanding how long to let red wine breathe depends on many different factors, and understanding each of them is key to the best wine-drinking experience. So, wondering how long should red wine breathe? Read on.

How Long Should Red Wine Breathe?

The simple truth is that there’s no universal rule in terms of how long a wine should breathe. Instead, it’s dependent on the type of wine you select. In most cases, red wines tend to need to breathe more than white wines do, but there are some white wines that improve as they’re exposed to the surrounding air. There are a few guidelines you can use to help you decide whether a bit of extra time will help your wine’s flavor profile soften and mellow with a bit of extra time. 

Do a bit of research before you open the bottle. Does this type of wine typically need breathing time? If so, how long is recommended?

Always decide whether you think the wine could benefit from a bit of aeration by pouring a small glass immediately after opening. As you drink, note any unpleasant aromas or flavors. Things like rubber or sulfur are a sure sign that you need to let the wine breathe. 

Any wine with a high tannin level will benefit from at least a half hour of aeration. 

Young Cabernet Sauvignon bottles typically need at least an hour to properly aerate and soften their flavors. 

Young Pinot Noir wines need at least 20 minutes per glass to breathe. If you intend to drink more than one glass or you’re serving it with dinner, let it breathe for at least 2 hours. 

Aged red wines are far more delicate and can quickly over oxidize. Aerate for no more than fifteen to thirty minutes to avoid losing flavor. 

How To Allow Your Wine to Breathe

If you believe your wine needs a bit of extra breathing time, there’s certainly a right way and a wrong way to do it. Just uncorking the bottle and allowing it to sit open simply won’t work. Not enough surface area of the wine is being exposed to the air to actually allow it to breathe. There are, though, two good options. First, you can use a decanter. Pour your bottle of wine into the decanter, then allow it to sit for the recommended period. The second method is to simply pour your wine into your glass and let it sit for as long as recommended. You’ll want to keep your glass in a fairly still place, however, while it breathes. 

How long should red wine breathe? While not every bottle of red you open will need to breathe, understanding how long the bottle of red you just bought needs is absolutely essential before you enjoy it. Check out our red wines today!

How Much Sugar is In Red Wine?

According to a recent study by the International Food Information Council, nearly 74% of consumers today are working to limit the amount of sugar they take in each day. There’s a good reason for many to be concerned, too. Consuming added sugar can easily lead to ongoing health concerns like weight gain, obesity, and even heart disease. To live longer, better lives, most people need to cut the amount of sugar they consume. Does that necessarily mean cutting out that evening glass of red wine, though? After all, how much sugar is in red wine? And can it really increase your sugar intake that much? Find out.

How Much Sugar is in a Glass of Red Wine?

Sugar goes hand in hand with wine production. Without sugar, you simply cannot make wine because ripe grapes naturally contain sugar. In the process of moving from grapes to wine, most of the sugars are converted to alcohol, but there’s always some residual sugar that remains, and that’s the source of concern for many. 

How much sugar is in red wine? Knowing the sugar content in any given wine is a little complex, and winemakers aren’t required to list nutritional information on the label. Fortunately, though, you can estimate how much sugar is in red wine. Any wine that is described as dry means a liter contains less than 10 grams of residual sugar. Sweet wines tend to have more than 30 grams of residual sugar. 

How do those numbers translate to your evening glass of red wine? While it varies by type, this information may help. One five-ounce glass of your favorite Pinot Noir contains a single gram of sugar. And in a glass of Merlot–also just a gram of sugar. 

White wines also contain residual sugars, and in many cases, they contain quite a bit more. A dry white wine might contain just 1.4 grams of sugar per glass, but a much sweeter variety could easily swell to 20 grams per glass. 

All Sugars Are Not Equal

In the discussion of sugar in wine, though, it must be noted that naturally occurring sugars, like those in grapes, are not equal to added sugar. There are naturally occurring sugars in many foods including fruit, milk, and some vegetables. Those natural sugars usually aren’t a concern for many who are trying to watch their own personal sugar intake. Because wine is a product of fruit, it typically only contains the natural sugars that are good for you. While there are some producers who add sugar to wines, it’s a fairly rare process. 

How much sugar is in red wine? If you’re working to create a low-sugar diet, don’t give up your evening glass of red wine. Many nutritionists will tell you that a glass of red wine with a serving size of five ounces is ideal, even on a low-sugar diet.

Looking for more information on everything wine-related, read more on our blog!

Throwing a Halloween Wine Party

It is almost Halloween again, but this year, it can look a little different than in recent years as more people are going back to normal (or paranormal) activities. The rigid Covid restrictions of the past two years are no longer in full force, so this is the right time to have one great Halloween wine party. Like with every great party, you need to plan and prepare for it. Here are some tips on how to enjoy the spooky season with a Halloween wine tasting!

Schedule the date. Halloween falls on a Monday this year and it may not be the best day to have a party for adults. You can schedule the Halloween wine party for the preceding or following weekend and spend Halloween night with the kids. Most adults will prefer to have a Halloween wine tasting party over a weekend.

Send out cute invitations. There are many online websites that allow you to send Halloween invitations and you should make use of that opportunity as it saves time and money. For someone special, you can even send an invitation by mail with a box of candies.

Select a theme for your party.  Perhaps you want your guests to be dressed up as ghosts, witches, etc.  Halloween is a great excuse for dressing up as your favorite character!

WINE, FOOD, AND DECORATIONS

A Halloween wine party without wine is obviously not a thing - so stock up on wines! First, decide what type of foods you will be serving so that you can pair them with the appropriate wines.

Food: To keep things light, keep the menu simple and go with snacks and desserts. Some food ideas that do not require a lot of work include sausage rolls, pizza, meatballs, potato skins, barbecued ribs, tacos and dip, varieties of cheese and crackers, fruit, chicken tenders and wings, and much more. Deviled eggs are fun to dress up for Halloween bites.  Just take a black olive, cut it in half, put the cut side down to represent the body of a spider.  Take another black olive and cut into six strips, arranging them around the deviled egg to represent the spider’s legs. Perhaps you can even ask each of your guests to bring a unique food item. Finally, have lots of candies and desserts.

Decorate your home with fall flowers, turn on the fireplace, and add Halloween decor around the entrance and the doorway.  Try to put a little Halloween something special in every nook – have fun, make it festive!  This is a Halloween wine party, after all!

GAMES

Remember the ever-popular bobbing for apples, or you can play Pin the Tail on the Goblin.  You can also play a Halloween Murder Mystery game or Spin the Wheel for a Halloween Fate, making some fun “fates” when a player lands on a certain spot.

PAIRING WINE AND FOOD

One cannot have a Halloween wine tasting party without wine, of course!  Once you have some idea about your menu, you can begin to assemble the pairings.

Light red wines, like Pinot Noir, pair best with light meat dishes, like sausages and meatballs.

If you decide to serve starchy foods, like pasta and cheese, or garlic bread, then select a medium red wine, like Shiraz or Merlot.

If the food dish involves juicy steak and/or kebabs, you need a heavy red wine to cut through the richness of the meat. These heavy wines also pair well with aged cheese. Heavy red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

White wines, like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, pair best with white meat and fish, veggies, and starchy dishes.

Or you can select sparkling wines, like champagne, which universally go with most snacks and light foods. 

If you are planning to serve desserts, then you will need wines with moderate to high alcohol content to pair with the sweet treats. A glass of sweet white wine, like Riesling, is perhaps the one wine that universally pairs with almost every food.

For some quality, affordable, red and white wines for your Halloween wine tasting party, follow the links:

2020 SWEET RIESLING

2018 RAINSTORM PINOT GRIS

2018 SILVER TOTEM CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2018 WALLULA VINEYARD RIESLING

Come all ye ghouls, ghosts, and goblins for a Halloween wine tasting to remember!  Call Pacific Rim & Company at1-503-863-5454 for assistance with wine selection.  This staff is passionate about all things wine!

Why Does My Face Turn Red When I Drink Wine?

It’s a common reaction for many people. You’re at a party. You’ve had a single glass of delicious red wine. Suddenly, you discover your face turning red after drinking it. What’s really happening? If you’re asking yourself, “Why does my face turn red when I drink wine?” then don’t worry. You’re not alone. Flushed cheeks after consuming wine or any type of alcohol is a fairly common reaction. 

Alcohol Flush Reaction

The technical term for your face turning red after drinking is alcohol flush reaction. It’s called many other things, but it always means the same thing - as soon as you consume a glass of wine or any other beverage, you develop a flushed or blotchy appearance. You may also notice that your heart rate speeds up. Some people experience a headache or nausea too. 

Some studies estimate this reaction happens in nearly 540 million people across the world. Some cultures tend to be more susceptible to the reaction, including those of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent. It happens to those who have a different genetic structure which means the ALDH2 enzyme your body needs to break down the acetaldehyde that naturally occurs in any alcoholic beverage doesn’t work as well. When you consume too much acetaldehyde, you get the symptoms so many people notice. 

Is There Anything To Stop Alcohol Flush Reaction?

There’s no real danger associated with this reaction, but there are some things you can do if the reaction is concerning. Why does my face turn red when I drink wine? Some medications, specifically histamine-2 blockers, can help to control the reaction. You’ll find these in medications like Pepcid, Zantac 360, and Tagamet. There are also other treatments including Brimonidine, a topical cream that helps to lessen facial redness on a temporary basis by reducing the size of the blood vessels in your face. Some people have also found relief by using lasers and light-based therapies to reduce overall redness as well.

Alcohol flush reaction isn’t a concerning condition for many, but the only real way to prevent it is to not enjoy that glass of wine. So, it's a personal decision. For more information on wine consumption tips, etiquette, and more, follow along with our blog!