Halloween and Día de Muertos 2026: 7 Wine Pairings for a Record $13.5B Season

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and Día de Muertos follows on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2. That puts three nights of parties, altars and family dinners back to back, and a lot of glasses that still need filling. The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween in 2026, up from $13.1 billion last year. 74% of consumers plan to celebrate, and 96% of Halloween shoppers will buy candy, a $4.1 billion category on its own.

Wine barely shows up in that conversation, and that is the opportunity. Candy, pumpkin, chili, pan de muerto and mole all pair beautifully with the right bottle. Below are seven pairings from our portfolio, followed by a short playbook for retailers and restaurants that want a bigger share of the last weekend of October.

Key Takeaways

• Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, and Día de Muertos runs Sunday to Monday: three celebration nights in a row.
• NRF forecasts a record $13.5 billion in Halloween spending, with $4.1 billion on candy.
• Sweet treats need wine that is at least as sweet as the food, so Moscato d'Asti is the easy win.
• Dark chocolate and mole love dark, spicy reds like Pinotage and Carmenere.
• Retailers can capture the moment by cross-merchandising wine next to the candy and party aisles, not in a separate corner.

What Are Some Good Pairings for Halloween Candy and Wine?

The one rule to remember: the wine should be as sweet as, or sweeter than, the candy. A dry wine next to a sugary treat tastes thin and sour. When you want a dry red, reach for dark chocolate, which has enough bitterness to meet tannin halfway.

1. Chocolate Bars and Peanut Butter Cups + Bruce Jack Reserve Pinotage

Pinotage is South Africa's own grape, a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault. It has dark plum and blackberry fruit, gentle smoke and a hint of mocha. That profile works well with dark and milk chocolate, and the savory salt of a peanut butter cup brings out its fruit. Bruce Jack's Reserve Pinotage from the Western Cape is our go-to "costume party red": bold enough to hold up, easy enough to pour for a crowd.

2. Candy Corn, Caramel Apples and Pan de Muerto + Duchessa Lia Moscato d'Asti

Moscato d'Asti is the most candy-friendly wine in the world. It is lightly sparkling (frizzante) and naturally low in alcohol, with peach, orange blossom and honey aromas. Those same orange-blossom notes are in pan de muerto, the sweet bread placed on Día de Muertos ofrendas, which makes this the pairing of the weekend. Duchessa Lia's Moscato d'Asti comes from Piedmont, Italy. Serve it well chilled, around 43 to 46°F.

3. Sour Gummies and Fruity Candy + Castillo de Enériz Rosé or Las Campanas Rosé

Sour and fruity candies need bright acidity rather than tannin. A crisp Navarra rosé from Spain, with strawberry, watermelon and a clean finish, refreshes the palate between handfuls. It is also the most flexible bottle on a party table, so it works with chips, guacamole and anything in between.

What Is the Best Wine to Pair with Mexican Food for Día de Muertos?

Día de Muertos is a time for remembrance, and the table is central to it: favorite dishes of loved ones, mole, tamales, pozole, and pan de muerto on the altar. For Mexican food, look for ripe fruit, moderate tannin and a touch of spice, and skip anything heavily oaked or high in alcohol, which makes chile heat feel hotter.

4. Mole Negro + Cremaschi Furlotti Carmenere

Mole negro combines dried chiles, chocolate, spices and dried fruit, and it can overwhelm many wines. Chilean Carmenere matches it point for point: black fruit, a green-peppercorn edge and soft tannins that stay out of the way. Cremaschi Furlotti's Carmenere from the Maule Valley brings enough depth for turkey or chicken in mole without fighting the sauce.

5. Tamales and Pozole Rojo + Manzanos Reserva Rioja

Masa, slow-cooked pork and guajillo broth call for a red with savory depth and bright acidity. Tempranillo from Rioja fits well: red cherry, a little vanilla and leather from barrel aging, and a fresh finish that cuts through fat. Our Manzanos Reserva Rioja 2018 earned 93 points from Wine Enthusiast. For a special family dinner, the Manzanos Gran Reserva 2015 (95 points, Wine Enthusiast) is the bottle to open for the memories being honored.

What Kind of Wine Pairs Well with Pumpkin?

Pumpkin is creamy, gently sweet and usually spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg or sage. It needs a wine with body and a round texture.

6. Pumpkin Soup, Butternut Ravioli and Pumpkin Pie + Cremaschi Furlotti Chardonnay

A Chilean Chardonnay with stone fruit and a creamy texture follows the silkiness of pumpkin soup or butternut ravioli with brown butter and sage. With pumpkin pie, go back to the rule above and pour the Moscato d'Asti instead.

7. Party Chili, Sliders and Wings + Las Campanas Garnacha

Every Halloween party has a pot of chili. Garnacha from Navarra is juicy, peppery and low in tannin, which makes it forgiving with spice, smoke and cheese. Las Campanas Garnacha holds 92 points from Wine Enthusiast and is the easiest crowd-pleaser in this list.

What Is the 20 Minute Wine Rule?

It is a simple serving-temperature trick: take white and sparkling wines out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving, and put reds in the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. At a party it keeps your Moscato and rosé crisp but not numb, and stops your Pinotage and Garnacha from tasting warm and alcoholic in a crowded room. Serve lighter reds around 55 to 60°F and fuller reds around 60 to 65°F.

How Retailers and Restaurants Can Win the Halloween Weekend

Halloween is mostly a candy, costume and decoration event, which means wine buyers are already in the store for other reasons. The goal is to meet them in those aisles.

• Cross-merchandise: put a wine display at the end of the candy aisle with shelf talkers such as "Moscato + candy corn" or "Pinotage + chocolate". Candy reaches 96% of Halloween shoppers.
• Build a three-bottle party kit: one sparkling-sweet (Moscato d'Asti), one rosé and one easy red (Garnacha or Pinotage) covers nearly every food at a party.
• Plan for Día de Muertos separately: in Hispanic neighborhoods, feature Rioja and Carmenere next to mole paste, masa and pan de muerto from the bakery section.
• On-premise: the Saturday date is ideal for a costume-night pairing flight or a Día de Muertos dinner menu with a mole course, priced as a set menu.
• Reorder early: Halloween leads straight into Thanksgiving on November 26. The same rosé, Garnacha and Rioja carry through both.

Every wine above is in stock in the U.S. and ready to ship to all 50 states through our distributor network. Our portfolio includes more than 600 wines rated 90 points or higher, including a Decanter Platinum 97-point award for Manzanos 125 Aniversario. Five generations of the Fernández de Manzanos family have been making wine in Rioja and Navarra since 1890.

Frequently Asked Questions

What candy goes well with wine?

Dark chocolate with dry reds like Pinotage or Carmenere, peanut butter cups with fruity reds, and candy corn, caramel or fruity candy with sweet, lightly sparkling Moscato d'Asti. Sour candies do best with a crisp rosé.

What is the best wine to pair with Mexican food?

Choose wines with ripe fruit, fresh acidity and moderate alcohol: Rioja Tempranillo for tamales and pozole, Carmenere for mole, and dry rosé or Garnacha for tacos and spicy snacks. Avoid heavily oaked, high-alcohol wines, which make chile heat feel stronger.

What kind of wine pairs well with pumpkin?

A round, medium-bodied white like Chilean Chardonnay suits savory pumpkin dishes. For pumpkin pie and other sweet desserts, pick a wine at least as sweet as the dish, such as Moscato d'Asti.

Where can I buy these wines near me?

Our wines are sold at retailers across the country, including Total Wine & More, Costco, Spec's, Binny's and Hy-Vee, depending on the state. Use our Find Our Wines locator to see what is available near you.

Find Your Bottle, or Stock the Shelf

Hosting this year? Browse our full wine portfolio and find a bottle near you with Find Our Wines. For your Thanksgiving table next, see our guide to Spanish wine pairings for every Thanksgiving course.

Retailer, restaurant or distributor? Our wines are in U.S. inventory and ready for fall and holiday programs. Talk to us about sourcing or read our Q4 wine list planning guide.

Manzanos Wines USA is the premier importer of premium wines from Spain, Italy, Chile, South Africa, and France, serving all 50 US states through our nationwide distributor network. Learn more at manzanoswinesusa.com.

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