Boo!

In honor of Halloween, I have a few thoughts and things to share.

Boo! Sometimes we need to be scared into taking action. If we aren’t pushed beyond our limits, then we might not find new solutions. Sometimes…. we just get too comfortable. But if say a new competitor comes to town, it might make us up our game, get more creative, dig a little deeper into providing something bigger, better, or smarter.

Here are a few recipes for fabulous halloween cocktails  

AND, a few pairings of your favorite wine and your favorite candy!

Candy: Kit Kat

Wine: 2013 Elio Perrone Bigaro, Italy ($18)

To enhance the light, crispy wafers of these chocolate-y treats, Singh suggests this sweet blend of Brachetto and Moscato. “Aromas of raspberries and strawberries afford a delicious compliment to the malted crunchy cookie portion of the Kit Kat,” she says.

Candy: Hershey’s Kisses

Wine: Rosenblum Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine, California ($18)

These bite-sized sweets found a drinking partner in the “seductive and smooth”port-style blend from The Golden State. The wine is a chocolate-infused dessert variety, so it amplifies the milk chocolate in the Kisses, Singh says.

Candy: Candy Corn

Wine: Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Chile ($14)

Halloween’s iconic little bites are best enjoyed with this white variety. Singh says the “sweet green apple notes with honey apricots and candied orange zest offset the sticky sweetness of candy corn.”

Candy: Snicker’s Bar

Wine: Offley Tawny Port, Portugal ($12)

“Caramel and slightly nutty flavors are an easy match with the peanuts in this perennial classic,” Singh says of the iconic chocolate bar’s pairing with theelegant red Porto.

Candy: Sour Patch Kids

Wine: 2012 Hogue Late Harvest Riesling, Washington State ($9)

How do you make these soft and chewy candies better? By sipping an equally tangy Riesling from the West Coast, with its “sweet and sour notes of green apples, apricots and honey,” Singh says.

Candy: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Wine: Sandeman Armada Superior Cream Sherry, Spain ($15)

If you’re looking for something smooth and rich, try this robust wine from Spain’s southwestern region of Jerez with the classic chocolate cup confection. The wine’s “raisin, caramel and almond flavors enhance the creamy peanut butter filling,” she says.

Candy: Skittles

Wine: 2010 Royal Tokaji Mad Cuvée from Hungary ($20)

This dessert wine — with notes of “pineapple, apricots and honey” — pairs nicely with each sweet flavor of the Skittles rainbow.