Italian wine brand puts a playful, nostalgic twist on Halloween as Americans prepare to spend $13.5 billion celebrating one of fall's biggest adult entertaining occasions

Miami, FL

This Halloween, the candy bowl isn’t the only place to find candy corn. Castello del Poggio, the Italian wine brand known for celebrating the sweeter side of La Dolce Vita, today announced the US launch of Castello del Poggio Candy Corn, a limited-edition Italian wine inspired by one of Halloween’s most recognizable flavors and created expressly for grown-up seasonal entertaining.

As Halloween continues to evolve beyond a single night of trick-or-treating into a seminal fall occasion for entertaining, decorating and celebrating, Castello del Poggio is giving grown-ups a treat of their own. The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects Americans will spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween in 2026, with 74% of consumers planning to celebrate. Halloween’s appeal also extends decisively into adulthood with NRF reporting that three-quarters of American adults participate in Halloween activities, while nearly one-third of consumers plan to either host or attend a Halloween party.

America’s quintessential candy holiday has become an adult entertaining occasion – and Castello del Poggio is reimagining one of Halloween’s most nostalgic flavors through Italian wine.

“We are excited to reveal this decorative spirit of an adult Halloween gathering,” said Rob Gelwicks, Managing Director, Americas, ZONIN1821. “Candy corn has a wonderful sense of nostalgia about it – and is one of those unmistakable flavors that immediately takes people back to Halloweens past. We loved the idea of taking something so familiar and completely reimagining it in an unexpected way through Italian wine. Castello del Poggio has always celebrated the sweeter side of La Dolce Vita, and our limited-edition Candy Corn offering gives adults a playful new way to bring a little Italian flair to their Halloween festivities.”

Where Halloween Meets Wine Innovation

The launch comes as consumers continue to demonstrate an appetite for flavor-forward wine beverages, even against a challenging backdrop for the broader still wine category. According to NielsenIQ (NIQ) data, flavored wine beverages increased +1.9% in value over the latest 26 weeks and +2.7% over the latest 13 weeks, demonstrating continued consumer interest in flavor-led wine innovation.

The opportunity also extends beyond any single holiday. Across beverage alcohol, seasonal and limited-edition innovations increasingly allow brands to tap into specific consumer occasions – from Valentine’s Day and summer entertaining to Halloween and year-end holidays – creating new reasons for discovery while generating excitement and urgency around the celebration itself.

Castello del Poggio Candy Corn brings that occasion-led thinking to wine, combining the equity of a storied Italian wine brand with a flavor virtually synonymous with Halloween.

An Italian Wine with an Unexpected Halloween Twist

Crafted in Piedmont, Italy, and finished in the US, Castello del Poggio Candy Corn begins with an Italian white wine blend made primarily from Moscato, which is then brought to the US and masterfully blended with natural flavors inspired by classic candy corn.

Upon tasting, the wine immediately captures the familiar confectionery character of the Halloween favorite with notes of marshmallow, vanilla and warm honey, creating a rich yet balanced flavor profile complemented by the natural fruit character of the wine. At 12% alcohol by volume (ABV), Candy Corn is offered in a 750ml bottle format that is best served chilled at 46 – 49°F.

The limited-edition package is every bit as distinctive as the wine inside. Drawing inspiration from candy corn’s instantly recognizable orange, yellow and white palette, the bottle incorporates playful Halloween imagery designed to stand apart on shelf, while adding playfully to the decorative spirit of an adult Halloween gathering.

Candy Corn Brings the Sweet. You Bring the Salty.

With Candy Corn already providing the sweeter side of the equation, the trick to pairing it lies in contrasting the rich flavor profile rather than adding more sweetness. For an easy Halloween aperitivo, serve Castello del Poggio Candy Corn chilled alongside sharp white cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salted nuts, briny olives or other salty and savory bites, where salt, acidity and umami can counterbalance the wine’s confectionery notes of marshmallow, vanilla and honey.

Conjure Up a Signature Halloween Pour

For those looking to bring a little cocktail magic to the party, Castello del Poggio Candy Corn can also become the foundation for The Witching Hour, a simple signature Halloween tri-layered serve inspired by candy corn’s iconic three-color palette.

The Witching Hour

Ingredients

• 4 oz Castello del Poggio Candy Corn
• Teaspoon Aperol
• Vanilla-citrus aquafaba foam
• 1 candy corn garnish

White Foam

• 1 oz aquafaba (liquid drained from canned chickpeas)
• ¼ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 drops vanilla extract

Note: Shake the aquafaba, lemon and vanilla vigorously (without ice) in a shaker until a dense, ‘spoonable’ white foam forms

Build

1. Pour 4 oz Castello del Poggio Candy Corn wine into a clear stemmed cocktail glass to establish the yellow base (pour over ice chips if desired).
2. Gently spoon ½ inch of aquafaba foam across the surface to create the white crown.
3. Very slowly, introduce a teaspoon of Aperol over the back of a spoon in the center of the white crown, creating an orange layer or gradient above the wine, rather than allowing the two to fully combine.
4. Top off the cocktail with enough aquafaba foam to cover where the Aperol was added to create 3 distinct colored rings.
5. Simply garnish with a single candy corn on the rim or cocktail prick.

The goal with this cocktail is to be as visually striking as it is flavorful: a cocktail evoking candy corn’s distinctive yellow, orange and white progression, while introducing acidity and effervescence to balance the wine’s sweeter confectionery profile.

A Treat Available for a Limited Time

Castello del Poggio Candy Corn is immediately available at a suggested retail price of $12.99 per 750ml bottle, while supplies last. The limited-edition release will be featured at major retailers including Meijer, HEB and SPECs in select markets nationwide. Only 3,000 cases representing 36,000 bottles have been crafted and released exclusively for Halloween 2026.

For more info, visit Castello del Poggio and follow @CastelloDelPoggio on social media.

About Castello del Poggio

Located in Asti in Italy’s Piedmont region, Castello del Poggio takes its name from an historic medieval fortress whose origins date back to the 12th century. Today, the estate brings that centuries-old heritage to a decidedly approachable and contemporary expression of Italian wine, with a portfolio known particularly for aromatic, fruit-forward wines that celebrate the sweeter, more playful side of La Dolce Vita.

About ZONIN1821

Founded in 1821, ZONIN1821 is Italy’s largest family-owned wine company, guided by seven generations of family ownership and more than two centuries of winemaking heritage. The company combines a deep respect for tradition with sustainable viticulture, modern winemaking and a commitment to producing wines that authentically express the character of their origins, while bringing the scale, consistency and operational expertise required to serve leading retailers, distributors and hospitality organizations around the world.

ZONIN1821’s award-winning portfolio spans brands including Zonin, Castello di Albola, Ca’ Bolani, Castello del Poggio, Rocca di Montemassi, Oltrenero, Masseria Altemura, Principi di Butera and Bocelli 1831 – bringing the diversity, craftsmanship and authenticity of Italian winemaking to consumers around the world.

For more on Zonin 1821, visit us at https://www.zonin1821.com/

Media Contact Details
Stuart Kirby
Email: Send Email

Mezcal-based ready-to-drink cocktail made with Icelandic water launches in Los Angeles with a nightlife-driven point of view built for hospitality and after-dark culture.

LOS ANGELES, CA

Noctría (pronounced NOC-tree-uh) officially launched in Los Angeles, introducing a premium mezcal-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand created for nightlife, hospitality and the moments that happen after dark.

Founded by Stella Bieltvedt and Siggi Kjartan, Noctría enters the market with two inaugural flavors, Smoky Ranch Water and Spicy Mezcalíta, both made with just five ingredients: CRM-certified artisanal espadín mezcal sourced from San Mititlán, Oaxaca, Icelandic glacial water, natural plant-based flavors, agave and sea salt.

That simplicity is intentional: while many ready-to-drink cocktails lean on long lists of additives, preservatives and artificial flavoring, Noctría is built on just five. At the center of that recipe is glacial water sourced from Iceland, prized for its purity and clean mineral profile. The result is a stripped-back, honest formula that lets the mezcal itself take center stage.

While much of the RTD category has focused on wellness positioning and bright daytime branding, Noctría was built around a different perspective. The brand leans into nightlife, music, late dinners, conversation and a more cinematic approach to drinking culture.

“People are craving texture again,” said co-founder Siggi Kjartan. “We’re surrounded by polished digital versions of life, and I think people miss things that feel real. Film grain. Smoke in the air. Vinyl records. Conversations that go too late. Noctría came from that feeling.”

The idea for the brand began in 2015 while Kjartan was directing a project in Mexico City and was introduced to mezcal for the first time. Years later, after returning to Iceland, he and childhood friend Stella Bieltvedt began exploring the possibility of importing premium Mexican spirits while reconnecting with longtime collaborators in Oaxaca connected to the Bruxo mezcal community.

The founders became increasingly drawn to the similarities they saw between Icelandic and Oaxacan culture, particularly their shared respect for craftsmanship, nature, ritual and elemental living.

“What interested us was not creating another canned cocktail trying to convince people to optimize themselves,” said Bieltvedt. “We wanted to create something with emotional weight behind it. Something honest. Something people could actually connect to.”

Noctría is blended and co-packed in Los Angeles by BevPak LA and distributed through Park Street. Each 12-ounce sleek can contains 5% ABV, 130 calories and an MSRP of $5.99.

The brand launched first in Los Angeles with an emphasis on hospitality-driven neighborhoods and nightlife destinations including Hollywood, West Hollywood, DTLA, Venice, Santa Monica and Silver Lake.

Its launch campaign, “Enter the Night,” positions Noctría as more than a beverage rollout. The campaign will include nightlife partnerships, hospitality collaborations, experiential events and selective retail expansion throughout Los Angeles.

Visually, Noctría intentionally eschews the pastel-heavy aesthetic common throughout the canned cocktail category, embracing darker tones, tactile design and cinematic imagery inspired by nightlife culture.

“We’re not interested in telling people how to live,” said Kjartan. “Noctría isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about being more comfortable being yourself.”

For more information, visit drinknoctria.com or follow @DrinkNoctria on Instagram.

WHERE TO FIND NOCTRÍA

Noctría is available now at drinknoctria.com, where fans can use the site’s retailer finder to locate the nearest place to buy, or have cans mailed directly to their door. Noctría is currently available at the following retailers:

• Allans Market – 339 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
• Bar Keeper – 614 N Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90004
• Beelman’s – 600 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
• Dimension Liquor – 20761 Lake Forest Dr Ste J, Lake Forest, CA 92630
• Hi-Times Wine Cellars – 250 Ogle St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
• Hilltop Liquor – 815 Indianapolis Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
• Jason’s Wine & Spirits – 828 Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
• Nady’s Liquor Costa Mesa – 3135 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• Nady’s Liquor Santa Ana – 140 W MacArthur Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92707
• Ramirez Beverage Center – 2765 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
• Ramirez Liquor Store – 9419 Slauson Ave, Pico Rivera, CA 90660
• Ramirez Liquor, Wine, & Kegs – 736 S Soto St, Los Angeles, CA 90023
• Showcase Wine & Spirits – 1392 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
• The Dolphin – 1274 S Magnolia Ave, Anaheim, CA 92804
• The Nickel Mine – 11363 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
• Wolf’s Liquor – 536 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

Noctría Spicy Mezcalíta is heading to Total Wine & More. The nation’s largest independent wine  and spirits retailer has approved the sparkling mezcal cocktail for eight stores across California and Florida, giving Noctría its first major retail footprint in two of the country’s biggest spirits markets.

In California, Noctría will be available at Total Wine locations in San Diego (Mission Valley and Carmel Mountain), San Mateo, and Long Beach. In Florida, shoppers can find it in Orlando, Fort Myers, Palm Beach Gardens, and Sarasota.

Noctría will be available at the following Total Wine & More locations:

California

• 1129 Mission Valley (San Diego) – 8740 Rio San Diego Drive, San Diego, CA 92108
• 1130 Carmel Mountain (San Diego) – 11940 Carmel Mountain Rd. Ste 102, San Diego, CA 92128
• 1128 San Mateo – 2250 Bridgepointe Pkwy, San Mateo, CA 94404
• 1113 Long Beach – 7400 Carson Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90808

Florida

• 914 Sarasota – 8539 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park, FL 34201
• 903 Palm Beach Gardens – 11221 Legacy Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
• 902 Fort Myers – 13711 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33912
• 909 Orlando – 2712 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

“Noctría was built to bring Mexican fire and Icelandic purity to people who want more from a canned cocktail. Landing at Total Wine & More puts us right in front of exactly those drinkers in two of the biggest spirits markets in the country. We’re honored, and we’re just getting started,” said Bieltvedt.

Total Wine & More also connects shoppers to delivery through Uber Eats and Instacart, giving customers even more ways to get Noctría.

ABOUT NOCTRÍA

Noctría is a premium mezcal-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand founded by Stella Bieltvedt and Siggi Kjartan. Crafted with CRM-certified artisanal espadín mezcal from Oaxaca and glacial water drawn from Iceland’s ancient ice caps, prized for its untouched purity, Noctría combines elevated ingredients with a nightlife-driven point of view rooted in hospitality, music, design and culture. The Los Angeles-based brand launched in August 2026 with Smoky Ranch Water and Spicy Mezcalíta.

Media Contact Details
Will Armstrong
Armstrong Public Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 310-237-8506
Website: drinknoctria.com

Apex Trader Funding’s fifth-anniversary promotion offers 92% off eligible evaluations with coupon code FUTURE, covering Legacy, Intraday and EOD accounts.

AUSTIN, Texas,

Apex Trader Funding is marking its fifth anniversary with a limited-time promotion offering 92% off eligible evaluation accounts, representing what the company describes as the deepest evaluation discount it has offered since launching in 2021.

The anniversary flash sale applies across Apex Trader Funding’s Legacy, Intraday and End-of-Day (EOD) evaluation programs. Traders purchasing eligible accounts during the anniversary sale can use Apex Trader Funding coupon code FUTURE to receive the advertised 92% discount. The promotion is scheduled to end Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.  (Eastern Time)

The sale was created specifically around its five-year milestone and goes beyond the promotional pricing it has previously offered. Eligible Intraday and EOD Evaluation accounts receive 92% off during the flash-sale period.

For Legacy Evaluation accounts, the promotion provides 92% off the first month, followed by an 80% recurring discount on subsequent evaluation subscription charges, subject to the applicable promotional terms.

Five Years Since Apex Trader Funding Launched

Apex Trader Funding entered the futures proprietary trading industry in 2021, during a period of rapid expansion in retail futures trading and trader-evaluation programs. Five years later, the anniversary gives the company an opportunity to highlight how its offering has expanded beyond its original evaluation structure.

Apex now offers several evaluation formats designed around different approaches to futures trading, including its established Legacy programs as well as newer Intraday and End-of-Day account structures. The fifth-anniversary promotion encompasses all three principal evaluation categories rather than being restricted to a single account type. That makes the promotion particularly notable for traders who were already comparing Apex’s different evaluation structures but had not yet selected an account.

One-Day-to-Pass Eligibility Remains a Major Part of the Offer

Pricing is not the only feature Apex is emphasizing during the anniversary campaign. Apex’s Legacy, Intraday and EOD evaluations are all eligible to be passed in one trading day, provided the trader satisfies the applicable evaluation requirements.

Some trader-evaluation models historically required participants to complete a minimum number of trading days before becoming eligible to advance, regardless of whether the required profit objective had already been achieved. One-day-to-pass structure removes that particular time requirement, although traders must still satisfy the applicable profit targets, drawdown parameters and other rules associated with their chosen evaluation.

As a result, the anniversary promotion combines two separate incentives: substantially reduced evaluation pricing and the ability for qualifying traders to complete the evaluation without a multi-day minimum trading period.

Anniversary Promotion Has a Short Window

Unlike longer-running coupon campaigns, Apex has positioned the 92% promotion as a flash sale. The offer is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 7. Once the promotion ends, the special evaluation pricing will no longer apply unless Apex extends or replaces the offer with another promotion.

That distinction may be particularly important for existing Apex users considering additional evaluations, as well as traders who were already evaluating the firm’s Legacy, Intraday or EOD programs.

Apex’s discounts apply to accounts purchased during the applicable sale period. The company has also advised traders to pay close attention to separate promotional terms concerning Performance Account, or PA, fees.

Apex Turns Anniversary Into an Acquisition Push

The anniversary campaign comes at a time when competition among futures proprietary trading firms remains intense. Evaluation pricing, drawdown methodology, payout requirements, trading platforms and funded-account rules have increasingly become points of differentiation across the industry.

Rather than using its fifth anniversary solely as a branding campaign, Apex has turned the milestone into a customer-acquisition event by combining its anniversary messaging with a substantial price reduction.

The strategy also gives existing users an opportunity to evaluate additional account types at significantly reduced upfront pricing. For prospective traders, however, the percentage discount should remain only one part of the decision.

Evaluation rules, drawdown methodology, account limitations, Performance Account requirements, payout conditions and trading restrictions can have a considerably greater impact on the long-term trading experience than the initial evaluation price.

Traders should therefore review the complete program rules associated with the specific Apex account type they are considering.

How to Access the Apex Anniversary Promotion

The 92% fifth-anniversary promotion is available for eligible Apex Trader Funding Evaluation accounts during the advertised flash-sale period. At checkout, traders can use Apex Trader Funding coupon code FUTURE on qualifying Evaluation purchases.

The anniversary flash sale is scheduled to conclude:

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Traders should confirm that the expected promotional price appears at checkout before completing a purchase, as promotional terms, eligibility and account pricing can change.

What Is the Apex Trader Funding Coupon Code for the Anniversary Sale?

For the fifth-anniversary promotion, FUTURE is an eligible Apex Trader Funding coupon code offering 92% off qualifying Evaluation accounts through October 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Traders should confirm the discount shown at checkout because promotional terms can change.

About Apex Trader Funding

Founded in 2021, Apex Trader Funding operates a futures trader evaluation program through which traders can demonstrate their ability to meet defined trading objectives and risk parameters. The company offers multiple evaluation structures, including Legacy, Intraday and End-of-Day programs, with account rules and eligibility requirements varying by program.

Disclaimer

This article reflects promotional information available at the time of publication on October 6, 2026. Discounts, account pricing, evaluation rules, Performance Account fees, eligibility requirements and promotional deadlines may change or expire without notice. Readers should verify all current terms directly with Apex Trader Funding before purchasing an evaluation.

Trading evaluation programs involve substantial financial risk and are not appropriate for everyone. Successfully completing an evaluation does not guarantee future trading performance, payouts or profitability.

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PropTraderHub
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https://proptraderhub.com/