Halloween is increasingly becoming a global holiday enjoyed by children and families alike. In addition to the traditional trick or treating for candy, it’s also the perfect excuse to watch, or re-watch, a classic horror movie. Or maybe all of them! Here, we play a game: we’ll suggest a different wine to pair with each movie. Intense, red, mysterious, light … name us a movie and we’ll name an Argentine wine to go with it.
5 classic horror films to pair Argentine wines with on Halloween
For the bravest drinkers
“IT”
This film isn’t for the faint of heart. Quite the opposite, an eternal classic, this is the quintessential scary movie. A terrifying clown, a group of friends ready to do what it takes to defeat it. Based on the eponymous novel by Stephen King, there’s been a recent remake (the original is from 1990) by the Argentine director Andy Muschietti. Blood-thirsty and spine-tingling, it deserves a potent, sturdy wine.
Chocolate lovers know that the treat helps to soothe nerves and generate endorphins and it’ll go well with full-bodied reds such as those made in the Calchaquí valleys, including Sunal Malbec by Agustín Lanús, the classic Colomé 1831 Cabernet Sauvignon and Arnaldo B, a more classical Bordeaux blend made at high altitude.
For those looking for a laugh
“The Lost Boys”
A gem from the 1990s. A gang of rough and ready bikers never wants to grow old. The solution is, of course, to turn themselves into vampires. This weird Halloween movie combines the best of eighties style with horror that looks a little schlocky today but is still just as fun. Directed by Joel Schumacher and starring 90s icons such as Jason Patric and Corey Haim it’s a great way to watch a vampire-based yarn – a classic of horror films and literature – without things getting too gory or scary.
Best, then, to choose a fun, light wine such as Inframundo Naranjo de Semillón by Durigutti Family Winemakers, Alma Negra White Blend from Ernesto Catena or a White Malbec like the one made by Trivento. Given it’s candy season, the laughs will also go well with fruit gums or fruity chocolates.
Horror and intellectual stimulation
“The Shining”
Sophisticated, elegant, and terrifying, “The Shining” was hugely influential in the history of cinema. Some horror lovers might find it a little too cerebral, but there’s nothing more engaging than a complex plot full of twists and turns and layers of meaning that lend real substance to the story.
The tale of a writer, Jack Torrence, masterfully played by Jack Nicholson, going slowly mad in the company of his vulnerable wife Wendy (the always magnificent Shelly Duvall) and their son Danny, who has a strange paranormal gift, in a terrifyingly empty hotel in the mountains, this cinematic masterpiece directed by Stanley Kubrick is undoubtedly a must-see on Halloween. The Shining requires an equally sophisticated and complex wine to match it: why not go all in with an icon like Malbec Argentino from Catena Zapata with its creepy label, or an Iluminado Malbec de Vinos de la Luz, or Conjuro, by the famous winemaker Walter Bressia.
Something to take your breath away
“The Birds”
An all-time classic, this is one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous works and has achieved legendary status for two main reasons: the famous scene with the birds – no spoilers here, but it’ll make you reconsider our relationship with our feathered friends – and the fact that the star, Tippi Hedren, who is also the mother of the actress Melanie Griffith, famously described how difficult it was to film each scene.
A master of pushing things to the limit, Hitchcock turned this film into a veritable gauntlet of tension and suspense. To soothe your heartbeat and relax a little, we recommend trying a refreshing white such as Vivo o Muerto Chardonnay La Verdad from Mil Suelos, Altaluvia Riesling by Doña Paula or Alta Yarí Gran Torrontés, a new white from Gualtallary. Popcorn will certainly help too.
Monsters from Outer Space
“Alien”
Movies were never the same again after “Alien”. Released in 1979, the film, directed by the brilliant Ridley Scott, made outer space as terrifying as you can imagine. Starring Sigourney Weaver and John Hurt, it’s the story of the cargo ship Nostromo, which answers an unexpected call for help from an unknown planet, thus opening the door to an interstellar tragedy and giving rise to a franchise that continues to entertain and terrify fans to this day.
The wine to pair with Alien this Halloween needs to have surprising, unexpected qualities like Zun Zun Naranjo Sauvignon Blanc from Lamadrid Wines, Vinyes Ocults Malbec Cot, an exquisite carbonic maceration by Tomás Stahringer, or one of the galactic Pinot Noirs being made under the Satélite label by the Millán Family. In the candy department, try some liqueur or fruit-filled chocolate bonbons to honor the alien we all have inside of us.
