The spooky season is here, and we like nothing better than cozying up on the couch with a glass of wine and a good horror film. Since we like to pair our wine with, well, everything, we thought we’d share some of our favorite Dry Creek Vineyard wine and scary movie combos. Be careful not to spill your wine out of fright and let’s get watching!
Fumé Blanc and Halloween (1978)
We’re starting off with a classic…wine, that is. Our founder David Stare was the first person to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley appellation, and those grapes are the backbone of our Fumé Blanc, our flagship wine which we’ve been producing for almost 50 years. It’s a natural pairing for a classic film like Halloween. Directed by horror auteur John Carpenter, Halloween and its antagonist Michael Myers set the standard for slasher flicks and their villains. Often duplicated, never replicated, both our Fumé Blanc and Halloween stand out as trendsetters in their industries
Dry Chenin Blanc and Scream (1996)
Crisp and lively, our Dry Chenin Blanc is one of our most popular wines, and with good reason. Consistent vintage after vintage, the refreshing wine is one of the most highly-awarded Chenin Blancs in the nation. Its versatility and immediate drinkability makes it a fan favorite. Wes Craven’s Scream was the beginning of a slate of campy teen “slasher” flicks that dominated the movie theaters. Its snappy dialogue and self-parody of the horror genre made it a modern horror classic and a film favorite for all ages. Fun fact, the film was filmed in our very own town of Healdsburg!
Meritage and The Blair Witch Project (1999)
In 1988, a group of American vintners (including Dave Stare), formed the Meritage Association to create a classification of Bordeaux-style blends made in America, and Dry Creek Vineyard was the original winery to use the term Meritage on our 1985 vintage. The Meritage Association (now The Meritage Alliance) currently has over 200 members, and the term Meritage has come to signify a superb winemaking-style. Like the Meritage, when The Blair Witch Project came out, it was the first of its kind. The “found footage” style of filmmaking had never been done, and some people were convinced the footage was actually real. Now many horror movies utilize this style of filmmaking, but we’ll never forget the movie that started it all.
Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon and The Shining (1980)
Bold and refined, our Endeavour is the vision of the winery’s second generation to grow and produce a highly-rated Cabernet Sauvignon that equals the finest of any in California. Crafted from our iconic Endeavour vineyard, the wine’s notable complexity and layers of aromas and flavors all blend together to form a classic example of what a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon should be. While The Shining was one of the films created later in Stanley Kubrick’s storied career, it’s often considered one of his greatest. Each component of the film, from the acting to the cinematography, was carefully considered by Kubrick, leading to The Shining being named one of the finest horror movies of all times.
Old Vine Zinfandel and House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Although there is no official designation, we consider vines that average more than 50 years in age to be Old Vine. Our Old Vine Zin utilizes grapes from vines that average more than 100 years in age. These plantings are some of the most prized and historic in all of the Dry Creek Valley. Although the vines may be old, the wine has bright acidity and soft yet structured tannins. House on Haunted Hill came out in 1959 and stared horror film regular Vincent Price. Campy and creepy, although this film was made more than 60 years ago it still sits on the top of lists of classic horror films.