Halloween is celebrated in the US, not so much in the Piedmont region of Italy. On the other hand, several castles in the Piedmont region offer some scary tales to tell.

In Virginia, Pearmund Cellars is offering some Halloween fun.

Stop by for a SPELL on Halloween Weekend. (Friday & Saturday)
Pick your poison, red or white.
Don’t forget to dress up to give a fright!

Halloween candy and wine pairing is an additional $2.

Cast your vote for the best employee costume. Attend in your scariest attire for a chance to win Chris’ Witches Brew – a bottle of delicious Pearmund Cellars wine.

While visiting Pearmund Cellars be sure to ask about The Beast Feast, an adventurous pairing of beast and wine that takes place November 15.

 Piedmont, Italy

In an article by Diana Zahuranec,  In Piemonte (Piedmont), Every Castle has Its Ghost she writes that in Italy Halloween is not widely celebrated. She goes on to write, “And yet, around the same time the grape harvest and truffle festivals are in high form, trailing tendrils of mist wrap around grapevines and shroud castles hundreds of years old, setting the perfect spooky mood.”

The article looks at several castles accompanied by photos and ghost stories. These stories might be perfect for reading on a dark, gloomy Halloween night. By the way, she suggests having a glass of hot mulled wine on hand “to calm your shaking nerves.”

The Piedmont region of Italy where these castles are located is home to numerous DOCG and DOC wines.

The main red grape varieties  growing in the Piemonte region include: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. Other reds include Brachette, Freisa, Bonarda, Grignolino, Pelaverga, Vespolina, and Malvasia di Casorzo. White grape varieties include: Moscato Bianco, Cortese, Arneis, Erbaluce and Favorita. 

The region also offers grape varieties more familiar to most of the US population. These include: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Tannat.

I recently checked the website for our local Total Wine shop and found more than 100 wines from the Piedmont region available with a wide range of prices.

Cheers! Kathy