The countdown to Halloween begins this week and, despite its modern tendencies towards the 3Cs (costumes, commercialism and candy), it has its origins in Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival celebrating the end of harvest. So it’s the perfect excuse to drink the harvest’s fruits.
The ancient Gaels believed that, during Samhain, the boundaries between the realms of the living and the dead overlapped, and that departed souls would come back to life. Costumes were either worn to appease evil spirits or to hide from them.
Speaking of which, Marchesi Antinori’s magnificent Castello della Sala in Umbria, constructed in 1350 by Angelo Monaldeschi della Vipera (“of the vipers”) has been rumoured to be haunted for centuries. The Marchesi’s opulent sauvignon blanc is the perfect companion in which to do some hiding of your own. Antinori Castello Della Sala Conte Della Vipera 2012, £19.92, thedrinkshop.com
In medieval Britain, a prevalent symbol of the celebration of Halloween was a lantern carved from a turnip with a candle inside. More abundant pumpkins soon replaced turnips in America, but a candle in either root vegetable represented a soul trapped in purgatory. Trap yourself in a “walled garden of the faeries” (actual translation) with one of the most interesting wines from the Rousillon, Domaine du Clos des Fées Les Sorcières 2012, £16.85; ask for it at finewineservices.co.uk. Hervé Bizeul’s blend of syrah, grenache and carignan even has a sorcière (witch) on the label and, more importantly, it’s delicious.
The Celts preferred to celebrate with acorns, apples and nuts and, at the ancient Roman harvest festival of Pomona (which started after the Roman occupation of Celtic lands), citizens bobbed for apples in the hope of learning if they would soon find a marriage partner. “Ducking apples” continues today, primarily by those more concerned with finding candy than spouses. Jakes Orchard Pure Apple Cider, £9.99, selfridges.com
Thanks to Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, one of our most enduring associations with Halloween is Count Dracula from Transylvania . A lesser-known fact is that Vlad the Impaler’s country of origin produces some very fetching wines. Calusari Romanian Pinot Noir 2013, £7.20, highburyvintners.co.uk
Although Halloween tradtitions were taken to America in the 19th century, candy manufacturers didn’t succeed in transforming it into a celebration of sugar until the middle of the last century. They eventually succeeded with aplomb, but this American remains sugar-free. This year, I’ll be raising a glass to both the living and the departed, and indeed to harvest, with one of the above “treats” instead.
Christian Holthausen is a Franco-American wine specialist living on London. Twitter: @bosiechampagne
