Hallowe'en Saturday gives Hallowe'en a bit of extra sparkle this year - a further excuse, if you like, to open a tasty bottle or two. Fastforward to this evening. You're a parent on the verge of hypothermia, having spent three hours out on the pavement trying to get rockets (yours) to ignite while bangers (theirs) ricochet deafeningly in all directions. Or you're a householder, frozen with having to open the front door 47 times to groups of trainee witches, but caught up in the air of festivity all the same and grinning like a pumpkin.
Either way, the moment comes when you deserve a decent drink. I've been thinking this week about big red wines with the power to deliver warmth and instant cheer as efficiently as a bonfire. They're a fairly international bunch - French, Californian, Australian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese. They are made from every red grape (or a wide variety, at least) under the hot sun. What they have in common is their leaning towards spicy richness and sheer oomph. Rocket fuel may sound too crude a metaphor, but these bottles belong up at the forceful end of the flavour spectrum. Damp squibs they are not.
What you choose will depend partly on your own tastes and partly on whether you expect to dive into your comforting bottle before there's any prospect of food, or wait and enjoy it with a meal. The notes attached to the list of wines below should give some indication of the style of each, but for general guidance the usual Old World/New World distinction may be worth bearing in mind. As a rule, the ripe, fruity lushness of red wines from New World countries - Australia, California, South America and so on - makes them easier to sip alone than the slightly more austere reds of Old World strongholds such as France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
This is changing, of course, as more and more European producers adopt techniques which will make their wines softer and more quaffable (often via the shortcut of rushing to embrace a New World winemaker). But climate and tradition will see to it that the overall difference in style remains - and a jolly good thing, too. We need more diversity in wine, not less, to suit our whims and dinner plans.
Speaking of which, these full-on reds will go down a treat with a wide range of hearty, warming dishes, from the spicy Vegetarian Oysters and the robust Beef, Barley and Mushroom Stew John McKenna proposed last Saturday in Weekend for Hallowe'en, to the almost extinct bacon and colcannon. There's eating and drinking here, of the thermally effective type designed to carry you through from now till Christmas.
If some of the recommended bottles come at higher prices than is usual for this column, it's because wines with concentrated and - let's hope - quite complex flavours are more expensive to produce than light, fruity young things. Made in smaller amounts than their more frivolous siblings, they benefit less from economies of scale, demanding instead a degree of kid-glove treatment. Their spicy depth comes about through maturation in oak barrels - a costly exercise considering that new ones cost about £500 apiece. I think the dearer bottles are worth the extra pound or two for their extra intensity. Treat yourself. These are wizard wines, after all - not witches' brews.
Big heat sources for Hallowe'en
Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, 1997 (Marks & Spencer, £5.50)
Syrah from St Joseph in the northern Rhone and vineyards right next door yields a tasty wine with plenty of peppery fruit and a nice chewy finish. This one needs food, however. Try it with a ribsticking stew.
Quinta de Lagoalva, Vinho Regional Ribatejo, 1994 (Oddbins, £7.99)
Here's a smashing example of Portugal's new-wave reds. Made from native grapes with a dash of Cabernet, it's velvety smooth and luscious, with a warming clove spice character imparted by Portuguese oak. Lip-smacking stuff.
Tyrrells Old Winery Shiraz, Hunter Valley, 1995 (Superquinn, some SuperValus/Centras, Grapes of Mirth Rathmines, Octavius Sligo, Lonergans Clonmel, Fine Wines Limerick, Lynchs Glanmire and some other outlets, £7.99-£8.99).
"Far too many Australian Shirazes are over the top," says Bruce Tyrrell, who's responsible for this one. He would, of course, because Tyrrells has its headquarters in the Hunter, where the style is relatively subtle. The result? Undeniably appealing without being a weakling. See Bottle of the Week.
Clancy's Red, Peter Lehmann, Barossa Valley, 1995
(Molloys group, McCabes Merrion, Higgins Clonskeagh, Spar Rathgar Road, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, Bolands Glasnevin, Kellys Clontarf, O'Donovans Cork, SuperValu Naas and other outlets, usually about £9.99).
If, on the other hand, you like 'em big and beautiful, plunge into this hugely opulent and extrovert Australian - the sort of wine that only makes sense in the depths of winter. It'll make you think of sweet, dark berries dusted with cinnamon and grated chocolate . . . or something along those lines.
Sebastiani Sonoma Cask Zinfandel 1996 (Superquinn, Cheers Take-Home at Gibneys Malahide, Lord Mayor's Swords, Egans Food Hall Drogheda, Dailys Douglas, Herlihys Bishopstown and other outlets, usually £9.99)
Ultra-spicy, up-front Zinfandel always seems to me to have the same hot properties as mulled wine - mercifully minus the water and the irritating bits of floating matter. Its warm personality makes it the perfect drink for a cold evening - and this one is a particularly delicious example. Great with spicy or peppery food - even if it's only a pepperoni pizza.
Palacio de la Vega Tempranillo Reserva, Navarra, 1993/4 (Carvills Camden St, Martha's Vineyard Rathfarnham, Vintry Rathgar, many Londis stores, Baily's Corner Tralee, Old Stand Limerick, Portlaoise Wine Vault and other outlets, usually about £9.99).
One of the front-runners in an impressive range from northern Spain, this is a smooth, rich red with an overlay of herbal and vanilla flavours and a long, quite savoury finish. A natural dinner partner rather than a happy loner.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, 1993 (some Superquinns, some SuperValus and many good independent off-licences, usually about £16)
An old favourite of mine that almost makes winter seem worthwhile, thanks to the enticing antidote it offers. Presages plum pudding and marzipan in glorious liquid form.
Desperate for something different? Swiss wine is rarely seen in Ireland - yet. But we may soon be sipping more of it, to judge from the promotional vigour of the Swiss Wine Exporters' Association, which held a tasting lunch in Dublin recently. Already, the Wine Warehouse in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath has half a dozen Swiss offerings and promises more. Restaurateurs are the main target for these distinctive if rather pricey wines, but consumers can also buy direct. Contact Neil or Julie O'Brien, tel 01-824 0050, fax 01-824 0065.