Wandering around the local wine peddler and booze-orama, I find myself studying the bottles as if I had a clue what I was looking at. I asked the staff to point me toward “something sweet” – which is apparently code for “I know nothing about wine.” The most they were willing to do is to say “over there” and roll their eyes.
Black Cat Riesling bottle
So, now I wander and don’t ask a lot of questions. In my search, I have resorted to looking for pretty bottles. I know it has nothing to do with the wine inside but, well, this is my confession. I’m coming clean. I tend to buy wine because the bottle is cute. So, here are my unsophisticated opinions on the wines that seem to be marketed at those of us who celebrate Samhain more than Halloween.
There is Black Cat Riesling, where the black glass bottle itself is shaped like a cat. The wine itself is slightly sweet, white, and doesn’t taste too bad. The bottle is small though, so you will need two of them. However, you can’t beat the cute bottle shaped like a black cat.
Superstition Riesling-Pinot Blanc Blend
Brujeria, a red wine
Brujeria, a red wine from South Eastern Australia, is a more substantial red wine with a lot of spicy flavors – maybe even something like a teensy hint of clove and sort of a fruity flavor if fruit were not sweet at all. Also, it has a bit of a black peppery aroma. That makes this the first time that the description on the bottle of the different flavors the wine is supposed to have seems to match what I actually tasted. However, it is not sweet and the flavor is pretty strong so I did not enjoy it as much. Another problem I have is that I do not appreciate the somewhat toothy and unattractive picture on the bottle. It is an unflattering picture and I don’t appreciate witches identified as such (brujeria is witchcraft in Spanish). I would not recommend this wine.
Now, the Wine Rack at 2632 Frankfort Ave. in Louisville, according to my friend who goes by Snow Wolf, is run by a friendly and compassionate staff who are willing to answer a variety of noobish questions on wine without making you feel like an incompetent idiot. I will have to give that place a try next time I can't talk anyone else into buying the wine!
American Honey
In the end, I decided on bourbon. I am a Kentucky girl, after all. But, in honor of my desire for a sweet treat for Samhain, I fudged a bit and decided to indulge my new find – American Honey by Wild Turkey. It is a bourbon liqueur and it is both mild, smooth, and sweet. The only thing you need to serve it with is ice and, besides, there is a long tradition of offering liquor to the dead and who, afterall, am I to break tradition?
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