It’s almost Halloween, and you know how much I love all the ghosts and ghouls and dripping blood.

I tracked down some awesome Halloween Wines, such as Oregon’s Ghost Hill Pinot Noir, Bull’s Blood, Ash Holloween Headless Red, Pinot Evil, Black Cat Cabernet, Casillero del Diablo, Eye of the Toad Dry Pinot Noir Rosé, Bone Dry Red Cabernet Sauvignon, Gato Negro, Prairie Pumpkin Wine, Ghostly White and River of Skulls.

More details about these Halloween wine selections can be found here at Portland Drinks Examiner.

Yup, now that Spring has sprung (complete with copious rain showers) it’s wine season in Oregon. I attended the grand reopening of downtown Portland’s wine-themed hotel, the Vintage Plaza, along with the regional Yamhill-Carton AVA event, and the Portland Indie Wine Festival trade tasting. You should be pleased with about any purchase from the list of wines that make it into the juried Indie festival, I’ll compile my picks from both of these events shortly. There’s even another great, and affordable, tasting event this Sunday, May 17 at Dobbes Family Estate, but I think I’m gonna sit it out.

To give my palate a bit of a break, I reviewed the non-alcoholic Honest Ade Superfruit Punch and was very impressed with it’s luscious flavors and lack of syrupy sweetness.

And as for new ventures, my longtime friend, Nichole Taylor, and I are about to embark on a summer of Vino & Vinyasa, a series of one-day retreats that brings the restorative power of yoga to the outdoor beauty of Oregon’s wine country. Our first event will be held in conjunction with Left Coast Cellars in Rickreall, Oregon on July 11, 2009. Full details will be announced on VinoVinyasa.com shortly.

I’ve also been spending some of my free time visiting local wineries throughout the Willamette Valley, and I’ve compiled some recommendations for Budget-friendly Oregon Pinot Noirs priced at $25 and less.

So far I have covered absinthe, brandy and a coffee-hazelnut vodka named “Cofia.”

In the future, I’ll clue you in to the Pacific Northwest’s small-batch distilleries, various vodkas, rums, whiskeys and something I found called “Ullr.”

McMenamins

The company describes the flavor profile as imparting “more emphasis on the flavors and aromas from the barrel – a firm malt flavor with waves of vanilla, chocolate and maple.” Sounds delicious to me and I do love my Irish Whiskey.

Beginning Tue., March 17, you can purchase a 200 ml flask of Devils Bit for $15 at Edgefield (2126 SW Halsey St. Troutdale, 503) 669-8610) and Old St. Francis School (700 NW Bond Street, Bend, 541-382-5174). Get it while it lasts.

Read more about Oregon wine, beer and spirits at my Portland Beverage Examiner blog.

I discovered these high-quailty, Canadian Belgian brews when I wrote a feature on the Yard House in Las Vegas last year and I recently saw these 750 ml (25.4 oz), cork-topped bottles at New Seasons priced at $7.49 each. This bargain-priced, four-pack features Maudite (pronounced Moe-dzit), meaning “the damned one;” this hearty red-amber ale is one of my favorites); Trois Pistoles (that’s Three Coins, not guns, and it’s the cognac of beer — perfect for after-dinner drinking with a dry, spicy finish and a hint of port); packaged with two I have yet to try, La Fin Du Monde and Don de Dieu.

Obviously I cannot guarantee availablity at your neighborhood Costco, but I will tell you I could not find this item at Costco-Tigard yesterday, which is why I made the trip to the Aloha location.

If you ever wanted to sample Wolf Ticket Milk Stout, Fau’frombrewin, Hot for Teacher IPA or Boysen’ the Hood, beginning at 11 am on Sat., Feb. 21, you’ll get your chance.

It’s time once again for McMenamins’ Hillsdale Brewfest where patrons decide which of 20 original beers will represent the company at the Oregon Brewers Festival to be held July 23-26, 2009. Brewfest welcomes all ages until 10 pm; you must be 21 to taste and vote.

For all the details and a list of the competitors, visit my Portland Drinks Examiner Blog.