This week is All Hallows’ Eve (the eve of All Saints Day), more commonly known as Halloween. It is a festival that been widely celebrated in the United States for many years, but is now gaining in popularity around Europe, although I rather suspect that many of those who join in have little or no idea as to its true pagan origins – it’s merely become more of an excuse to party, eat candies and play the occasional trick on people. And so, if you intend to indulge in a few Halloween treats, then what wine should you be drinking?! Well, perhaps if you’re still eating candy then you might be too young to be drinking wine anyway, but if you do, then the likelihood is that you will need something rather sweet to support all the sugar. For the adults amongst us, who perhaps prefer a more salty, savoury snack, then I would certainly recommend a crisp, refreshing albariño, which as we all know makes a great aperitif wine at any party…..

Meanwhile, back in the land of the living (a bit of Halloween humour there), we are reaching the very end of the alcoholic fermentation in our cellars. Indeed some tanks have already been sulphured, the action of which is to inhibit or kill off any unwanted yeasts in order to protect against secondary fermentations, that we don’t want or need this year. (In some vintages a secondary, malolactic fermentation can be used as a means of reducing the more aggressive malic acidity, converting it to much softer lactic acid). I have already tasted a few of the tanks, which are obviously full of sulphur, but attempting to taste through this, I think I can detect a wine that has good fruit, character and also good weight and body. As always, the acidity is very raw and green at this stage, but this will only soften given time, and after the wine has spent some time resting on its lees. We now just need to be patient.

This week is All Hallows’ Eve (the eve of All Saints Day), more commonly known as Halloween. It is a festival that been widely celebrated in the United States for many years, but is now gaining in popularity around Europe, although I rather suspect that many of those who join in have little or no idea as to its true pagan origins – it’s merely become more of an excuse to party, eat candies and play the occasional trick on people. And so, if you intend to indulge in a few Halloween treats, then what wine should you be drinking?! Well, perhaps if you’re still eating candy then you might be too young to be drinking wine anyway, but if you do, then the likelihood is that you will need something rather sweet to support all the sugar. For the adults amongst us, who perhaps prefer a more salty, savoury snack, then I would certainly recommend a crisp, refreshing albariño, which as we all know makes a great aperitif wine at any party…..

Meanwhile, back in the land of the living (a bit of Halloween humour there), we are reaching the very end of the alcoholic fermentation in our cellars. Indeed some tanks have already been sulphured, the action of which is to inhibit or kill off any unwanted yeasts in order to protect against secondary fermentations, that we don’t want or need this year. (In some vintages a secondary, malolactic fermentation can be used as a means of reducing the more aggressive malic acidity, converting it to much softer lactic acid). I have already tasted a few of the tanks, which are obviously full of sulphur, but attempting to taste through this, I think I can detect a wine that has good fruit, character and also good weight and body. As always, the acidity is very raw and green at this stage, but this will only soften given time, and after the wine has spent some time resting on its lees. We now just need to be patient.