I’m a huge lover of everything pumpkin and squash! Nothing takes the chill off like a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup drizzled with crème fraîche and a pinch of nutmeg. Still, I had my doubts about sparking pumpkin wine.
I discovered pumpkin wine at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival. As you can imagine everything you find at the festival is made with pumpkin. I wasn’t so surprised to find pumpkin confectionaries and pumpkin pasta. But Wow! I was taken aback when I saw pumpkin wine.
The Pumpkin Festival is an annual event that happens in LudwigsburgBaden-Württemberg, Germany. It is just 17km north of Stuttgart. The festival is the biggest of its kind in the world. It might sound quirky, maybe even a little cheesy, but it’s worth visiting whether your on your own or with kids.
It sounds like a very odd, and not very tasty combination. I bet when you first read pumpkin wine, you squished up your face and curled your lip. It’s OK to admit it. I know I did when I first saw it.
Although I was skeptical, I was also curious. That’s what led me to convince my husband to share a glass with me at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival in Germany.
I took a small sip, ready to spit it out. To my surprise, not only did I not spit it out, I had another sip, then another. We both liked it so much that we each ordered another glass.
The only difference was that this time neither of us was sharing. Now I’m hooked and stock up on pumpkin sparkling wine each year since it’s difficult to get out of season.
It’s surprisingly sweet, but not too sweet. It isn’t too pumpkiny tasting, there’s just a hint of pumpkin. It’s refreshing, yet balances the heavier flavours of a seasonal soup at the same time. I also like it with turkey dinner. Despite my stash, it never makes it to the end of pumpkin season, it’s simply too good. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Autumn.
It’s also my secret weapon for entertaining during the holiday season. It never fails to both simultaneously surprise and delight my dinner guests, although I will admit that it also makes for a good companion on pumpkin carving night. This wine just makes the holiday season so much more special.
37 thoughts on “Pumpkin Wine: Why You Need to Try this Surprisingly Good Wine”
Kurbiswein? I have to try this. Thanks!
@Christopher – You got it, but warning it is addictive.
I loved it and an sad that I only bought the one bottle, I may have to head back to the festival to buy some more!
YEA! So excited to be linking up to your site for Food Friday – fun! I’m on the search for some Kürbis Secco as we speak. I’m sure it’s some where in Bavaria!
@Morgenmuffel – Glad to hear this is another pumpkin wine lover out there. No matter how much you buy, it never seems to be enough 🙂
@die Mama of 3 Tartlets – Thanks for participating and being the first ever contributor to Food Fridays. Let me know if you source out any pumpkin wine in Bavaria. I’ve only got one bottle left, which is not nearly enough.
I SO have to try this – sounds like a great Halloween drink!!
@Katherina – Definitely, the next time I host a Halloween party, I’m serving this.
I’ve never heard of this, but they have pumpkin everything, so why not? I’d try it.
I would definitely try it! Sounds really good.
I want to try~~~ Do they sell this online?
@Scott – That’s true, I eve tried pumpkin potato (along with my pumpkin wine of course) at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival. Glad to hear you would try it.
@Claire – Hope you’re able to find some :).
@Annie – I checked their website and while they sell other kinds of wine, I couldn’t find the pumpkin wine for sale :(, but there’s got to be other distributors.
Never would have thought to make a wine out of pumpkin. I would try it.
That’s surprising! I’ve never heard of it before but again, I’m not a wine person. I don’t even I even ever tasted the famous Canadian Ice Wine!
@The Travel Chica – Seeing that you enjoy your wine, I’m not surprised that you would try it 🙂
@Zhu – I hadn’t heard of it either until I moved to Germany. I know that Canadian Ice Wine is supposed to be a specialty, but I personally find it way too sweet, I have heard that it’s good on icecream though, but have yet to try it.
I would definitely try pumpkin wine! The bottles look very enticing, too. I love all of the pumpkin options this time of year. There’s a Midwestern US chain that makes a pumpkin shake — awesome!
I like Wine and Pumpkin but don’t have time to for both. What can you do for me? 🙂
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I’ve had pumpkin beer before, but never pumpkin wine – sounds good!
I’m another big pumpkin fan, so I’d give this a shot. Might be good with some pumpkin pie. 😉
Great idea Laurel! I just did a post on eating dog meat in Vietnam — next week I will remember this for sure!
Sweet! I’ll catch the next Food Friday. I need to get my hands on a bottle of pumpkin sparkling wine so perfect for Fall.
Mmmm sounds so good. I wonder if we can find it here in Calgary?
Here in Canada, I am surrounded by pumpkins and I have no knowledge of where to get a bottle of pumpkin wine, if indeed there is such a thing. I must check this out. This is your second post on pumpkins and, Laurel, you seem to be focussing on the pumpkin wine. Are you behaving yourself? 😉
@Cathy – Oh a pumpkin shake sounds delicious as well, I haven’t tried that before.
@Caanan- Convince you to try a glass and change your mind? 🙂
@Ashley – I haven’t tried pumpkin beer before, but that sounds good too!
@Technosyncratic – I haven’t tried it with pumpkin pie, but it’s very good with pumpkin soup, pumpkin potatoes and pumpkin lasagna.
@Raymond – Great would love to have your participation. I wouldn’t eat dog either.
@Grace – Great, looking forward to seeing your entry on Friday. I agree, pumpkin wine is a perfect way to celebrate the Fall.
@OfficeBum – I found a distributor in the U.S. but haven’t looked in Calgary yet. Hope you can find one.
@Barry – Heck no, I’m having too much pumpkin wine to be behaving myself and my most recent post was on beer brewing monks, so not behaving myself on that front either.
okay, you had me at pumpkin. and then beer… amazing.
Pumpkin Sparkling Wine? Is there anything you can make wine out of?
I haven’t but I’ll try at least a sip of anything so I’m sure I will
Shut the front door! WHERE CAN I GET THIS? Pumpkin-anything is only my favorite food ever!!!
I’d totally try it. Weird, but interesting. Never heard of it before. Sounds like something a Hobbit would drink!
Um, this looks like my kind of wine! Especially since I recently discovered I’ve become allergic to red wine — I think I’m still good on pumpkin though 🙂
@Edna – Then it’s perfect for you. It’s one of my favorite kinds of wine EVER!
My husband and I went to the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival this year as well! We brought home 3 bottles of that yummy stuff! It’s perfect for Thanksgiving dinners!
@Casey – Glad you went and discovered the pumpkin wine. It is amazing isn’t it?
Thank you for introducing me to pumpkin wine – I will definitely try it if I ever bump into some 😉 And I love autumn, too. It’s so very beautiful here in Finland with all the colours in the forests.
Please let me know how to order the Pumpkin wine.
@Ava – Not sure, I always buy it at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival directly and buy a few bottles at a time.
Kurbiswein? I have to try this. Thanks!
@Christopher – You got it, but warning it is addictive.
I loved it and an sad that I only bought the one bottle, I may have to head back to the festival to buy some more!
YEA! So excited to be linking up to your site for Food Friday – fun! I’m on the search for some Kürbis Secco as we speak. I’m sure it’s some where in Bavaria!
@Morgenmuffel – Glad to hear this is another pumpkin wine lover out there. No matter how much you buy, it never seems to be enough 🙂
@die Mama of 3 Tartlets – Thanks for participating and being the first ever contributor to Food Fridays. Let me know if you source out any pumpkin wine in Bavaria. I’ve only got one bottle left, which is not nearly enough.
I SO have to try this – sounds like a great Halloween drink!!
@Katherina – Definitely, the next time I host a Halloween party, I’m serving this.
I’ve never heard of this, but they have pumpkin everything, so why not? I’d try it.
I would definitely try it! Sounds really good.
I want to try~~~ Do they sell this online?
@Scott – That’s true, I eve tried pumpkin potato (along with my pumpkin wine of course) at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival. Glad to hear you would try it.
@Claire – Hope you’re able to find some :).
@Annie – I checked their website and while they sell other kinds of wine, I couldn’t find the pumpkin wine for sale :(, but there’s got to be other distributors.
Never would have thought to make a wine out of pumpkin. I would try it.
That’s surprising! I’ve never heard of it before but again, I’m not a wine person. I don’t even I even ever tasted the famous Canadian Ice Wine!
@The Travel Chica – Seeing that you enjoy your wine, I’m not surprised that you would try it 🙂
@Zhu – I hadn’t heard of it either until I moved to Germany. I know that Canadian Ice Wine is supposed to be a specialty, but I personally find it way too sweet, I have heard that it’s good on icecream though, but have yet to try it.
I would definitely try pumpkin wine! The bottles look very enticing, too. I love all of the pumpkin options this time of year. There’s a Midwestern US chain that makes a pumpkin shake — awesome!
I like Wine and Pumpkin but don’t have time to for both. What can you do for me? 🙂
I’ve had pumpkin beer before, but never pumpkin wine – sounds good!
I’m another big pumpkin fan, so I’d give this a shot. Might be good with some pumpkin pie. 😉
Great idea Laurel! I just did a post on eating dog meat in Vietnam — next week I will remember this for sure!
Sweet! I’ll catch the next Food Friday. I need to get my hands on a bottle of pumpkin sparkling wine so perfect for Fall.
Mmmm sounds so good. I wonder if we can find it here in Calgary?
Here in Canada, I am surrounded by pumpkins and I have no knowledge of where to get a bottle of pumpkin wine, if indeed there is such a thing. I must check this out. This is your second post on pumpkins and, Laurel, you seem to be focussing on the pumpkin wine. Are you behaving yourself? 😉
@Cathy – Oh a pumpkin shake sounds delicious as well, I haven’t tried that before.
@Caanan- Convince you to try a glass and change your mind? 🙂
@Ashley – I haven’t tried pumpkin beer before, but that sounds good too!
@Technosyncratic – I haven’t tried it with pumpkin pie, but it’s very good with pumpkin soup, pumpkin potatoes and pumpkin lasagna.
@Raymond – Great would love to have your participation. I wouldn’t eat dog either.
@Grace – Great, looking forward to seeing your entry on Friday. I agree, pumpkin wine is a perfect way to celebrate the Fall.
@OfficeBum – I found a distributor in the U.S. but haven’t looked in Calgary yet. Hope you can find one.
@Barry – Heck no, I’m having too much pumpkin wine to be behaving myself and my most recent post was on beer brewing monks, so not behaving myself on that front either.
okay, you had me at pumpkin. and then beer… amazing.
Pumpkin Sparkling Wine? Is there anything you can make wine out of?
I haven’t but I’ll try at least a sip of anything so I’m sure I will
Shut the front door! WHERE CAN I GET THIS? Pumpkin-anything is only my favorite food ever!!!
I’d totally try it. Weird, but interesting. Never heard of it before. Sounds like something a Hobbit would drink!
Um, this looks like my kind of wine! Especially since I recently discovered I’ve become allergic to red wine — I think I’m still good on pumpkin though 🙂
@Edna – Then it’s perfect for you. It’s one of my favorite kinds of wine EVER!
My husband and I went to the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival this year as well! We brought home 3 bottles of that yummy stuff! It’s perfect for Thanksgiving dinners!
@Casey – Glad you went and discovered the pumpkin wine. It is amazing isn’t it?
Thank you for introducing me to pumpkin wine – I will definitely try it if I ever bump into some 😉 And I love autumn, too. It’s so very beautiful here in Finland with all the colours in the forests.
Please let me know how to order the Pumpkin wine.
@Ava – Not sure, I always buy it at the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival directly and buy a few bottles at a time.