Our Halloween Dinner Party Playlist

Whether you love Halloween or not, it’s always a good time to get together with people you love. If you want to celebrate but keep it low key, we love a dinner party. Consider it your Thanksgiving trial run, and only get as intricate as you want. Have everyone bring their favorite fall dish, or a bag of Halloween candy just for fun! If you can, pop on some Halloween music in the background, and you’re all set. 

Monster Mash - by Bobby "Boris" Pickett

This song is a little dangerous, because it’s hard to resist dancing! This Bobby Pickett classic turns any moment into a party. 

Ghostbusters - by Ray Parker Jr.

Of course, any Halloween playlist is incomplete without this quintessential theme song. It’s nothing if not nostalgia and fun. Who ya gonna call? 

Superstition - by Stevie Wonder

Black cats, broken mirrors, and other spooky omens like these can’t distract from a bass line as groovy as this. 

This is Halloween - by Danny Elfman

The title says it all. There’s nothing like the intriguing spirit of both fun and fright that Halloween brings, and Life's no fun without a good scare! 

Spooky Scary Skeletons - by Andrew Gold

For such a frightening proposition, this song still offers an unrivaled level of pep and cheer, so shake off the lazybones and dance a little!

I Put a Spell on You - from Hocus Pocus

We recommend this version inspired by Hocus Pocus, since the Sanderson Sisters might just be the unofficial voices of the holiday. 

Spooky - by Classics IV

There really is no better time to listen to Classics IV croon and groove with one of history’s best saxophone solos. After all, love is kind of crazy.

Next, all you need is to set the table with a few too many candles, googly eyes, or fake cobwebs. Our favorite wine for this time of year is our Night Owl Barbera, with our spooky nocturnal friends honored right on the front. Get yours now before Halloween is over and enjoy it’s special Wine of the Month discount!

Cozy Cocktails to Try This Fall

As the coziness of fall descends on us, we’re in the mood for something especially comforting. This year, we’re playing with cocktails, adding all the flavors of the season like apples and spice. If you want to try something new and delicious, then why not try these cocktails that take Sparkling Wine to a new level of cozy. You can always modify these to your personal taste--you might even enjoy playing with the sweetness of the wine you add. Depending on your favorite flavors, we have three recipes for you!

Zing and Pep Harvest Punch

• 1/2 gal. apple cider
• 1 bottle chilled Sparkling Wine
• 1 c. vodka
• 2 (12-oz.) can ginger beer
• 3 apples, sliced
• 2 oranges, sliced into triangles, plus more for rim garnish
• 8 cinnamon sticks
• Cinnamon sugar for rim garnish
  ~ Recipe from Lindsay Funston at Delish ~
   

Not-Your-Granny's Apple Pie Mimosa

• 2 shots Fireball Whiskey
• 2 shots Vodka (Whipped, Vanilla or Caramel work best)
• 2 cups Apple Cider
• 3 cups Moscato or Sparkling (go dry or sweet, your preference!)
• Caramel Sauce for rim garnish
• Cinnamon sugar for rim garnish
  ~ Recipe from The Humble Housewife ~
   

Bobbing for Apples Sparkling Sangria

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into matchsticks
• 1 small red apple, cored and sliced into matchsticks
• 3/4 cup Jim Beam Apple Bourbon
• 3 cups Apple Cider
• 1 bottle chilled Sparkling Wine
  ~ Recipe by Maureen Petrosky for Today ~

 

Once you pick the recipe that intrigues you, combine all of the ingredients and serve! If you want the flavors to infuse a bit more, hold off on the Sparkling Wine or Moscato, and add it when you are ready to serve. When it’s time to get sipping, we recommend taking the time to rim and garnish your glasses, and turning on some cozy autumn jazz. 

Spotlight on the 2020 Cuvée Dray

Our beloved Cuvée Dray is a sumptuous Bordeaux style red wine blend, perfect for sipping on its own or pairing with your favorite cheeses and dishes. The 2020 vintage brings together a delicate balance of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 12% Petit Verdot. Because we’re so in love with this wine, we're putting it in the spotlight and breaking down the notes you can expect to find in the aroma and on the palate. 

Plum

Before taking a sip, stop to take a sniff! This wine has a lush aroma, including plums and violets. 

 

 

 

Strawberry

Also in the aroma, you’ll find notes of red fruit, especially strawberries, dancing throughout. 

 

 

 

Marionberry

As you sip, look for the dark fruit notes of marionberry and the wine spreads across your palate.

 

 

Blueberry 

More blue fruit flavors emerge as you savor the wine, with the character of wild blueberry. 

 

 

 

Vanilla

After a hearty mouthfeel and smooth tannins, enjoy a finish that lingers with essences of fruit and vanilla bean.

 

 

For every bottle of Cuvée Dray sold, we donate $10 to Valley Humane Society. Thank you for helping us do good with this great wine! Each bottle you buy does good for local animals and people, and what could be better than that? Shop now!

The Story of Our Night Owl

We are delighted to announce that our Night Owl Barbera is the wine of the month for October! First, we want to tell a story. Part of our commitment to sustainability includes doing our part to care for our ecosystem. In the vineyards across our estate, you will find owl boxes that provide cozy shelters for our nocturnal friends.

Not only are owls majestic, wise, and a bit mysterious, they are a great help to the vineyard. By hunting for mice and other natural prey, they provide pest control. As a Certified California Sustainable Vineyard, we are committed to promoting healthy ecosystems, which make for better fruit and a better future for the community. Our owls are more than just charming ambience: they represent our collaboration with nature and our appreciation for the creatures that call our vineyard home. 

One guest of a recent duck tour through the vineyard captured a rare daytime sighting of one of the barn owls that has made a home in one of our owl boxes. What a sight!

With all the ways these gorgeous creatures enrich our lives and the vitality of the vineyard, we thought it proper to honor them the best way we know how. Beginning with the 2016 vintage, our Riserva Collection Barbera was renamed the Night Owl Barbera, with a redesigned label depicting one of our nocturnal friends silently soaring through the night air. Our Barbera now represents both our passion for Cal-Ital wines as well as our commitment to sustainability. 

The recently released 2018 Night Owl Barbera has earned critical acclaim, awarded 93 points and the Cellar Selection accolade from Wine Enthusiast. Wine reviewer and critic Jim Gordon states “This huge wine is rich in meaty, spicy and smoky aromas followed by extra-ripe plum and black-cherry flavors backed by firm tannins and a full body. Notes of graphite, leather and dark chocolate add to the mix and linger on the finish. Best from 2027.” We are delighted to share this wine with you, and recommend it for all kinds of pairings, from hearty fall soups to grilled meats to the holiday dinner table, this wine is perfect. Get yours now for only $29 per bottle.