NEPA’s most popular haunted hayride now has a limited edition beer and wine…
There’s something stirring in the hills of Scott Township this fall — something darker, louder, and far more theatrical than your typical harvest-season wine release. While this time of year has always been one of Maiolatesi Wine Cellars’ busiest, there’s even more reason to be excited to visit the winery. Tucked among the barrels and bottles is a new kind of creation — one born of blood, bone, and a little bit of fear.
It’s the result of an unlikely but perfect collaboration: Maiolatesi, Susquehanna Brewing Company, and Reaper’s Revenge, the region’s most infamous haunted attraction, joining forces to launch a limited-edition wine and beer pairing that promises to be as bold and unsettling as the name suggests. And it’s all debuting at a special release event on Thursday, October 2, from 5–9 PM at the Susquehanna Beer Garden and Maiolatesi’s shared Scott Township location.
I haven’t tasted a drop yet. But already, this thing feels special.
The Wine: “Reaper’s Revenge Red Blend” – Darkness in a bottle…
First up is the new Reaper’s Revenge Red Blend from Maiolatesi Wine Cellars — a brooding 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot blend that looks like it was bottled by the Grim Reaper himself. The label alone sets the tone: bold gothic lettering, the Reaper’s hooded figure looming against a blood-red backdrop. This isn’t a wine for polite dinner parties or pastel picnics. It’s meant for firelit nights, autumn winds, and stories that end with nervous laughter and glances over your shoulder.
What’s inside is still a mystery to most of us — but if Maiolatesi’s track record is any indication, expect a wine that’s as complex and layered as it is intense. Cabernet brings structure, tannins, and dark fruit; Merlot softens the edges with velvety richness. Together, they’ll likely build a blend that mirrors the haunted hayrides and forest trails of Reaper’s Revenge itself: rich, dark, and a little dangerous.
And the best part? This isn’t a novelty label slapped on a bottle. It’s a serious wine built for serious sipping — one that invites you to linger with every glass and maybe, just maybe, embrace the shadows a little.
The Beer: SBC’s “Reaper’s Revenge Blood Orange & Pomegranate Ale”…
If wine is the soul of this collaboration, beer is its beating heart. And few breweries in Pennsylvania have a pulse as steady as Susquehanna Brewing Company. For this project, SBC has crafted a Blood Orange & Pomegranate Ale, a beer designed to embody the eerie, electric energy of Halloween itself.
The name alone — Blood Orange — is enough to make you lean in closer. The fruit’s crimson bite paired with pomegranate’s tart sweetness sounds like a brew that’s both refreshing and sinister, something that dances between juicy citrus and deep, layered complexity. The can’s artwork — a scythe-bearing figure framed by a blazing red fruit — is pure nightmare fuel in the best possible way. It’s bold, unapologetic, and built for October nights spent under string lights with friends, plotting your route through the haunted woods.
And like the wine, this is no gimmick. SBC knows how to balance innovation with drinkability, and this limited release promises to be one of their most talked-about seasonal brews yet.
A Collaboration written in shadows…
The real story here isn’t just the wine or the beer. It’s what happens when three beloved NEPA institutions decide to blur the lines between their worlds. Reaper’s Revenge brings the story — the fear, the theater, the pulse-quickening adrenaline. Maiolatesi brings craftsmanship and tradition, transforming grapes into something soulful and alive. SBC brings creativity and brewing muscle, distilling fruit and grain into something that tastes like autumn itself.
Together, they’re crafting more than beverages — they’re crafting an experience. And it all comes to life on October 2, when fans of wine, beer, and horror gather on the winery grounds for a night unlike anything else in the region. Expect pours of both the wine and the ale, seasonal food pairings, music, and more than a few spooky surprises lurking in the corners.
Where fear meets fermentation…
Anthony Bourdain once wrote that food and drink are the last honest connectors we have — a way to tell stories, share cultures, and bridge worlds. That’s what this night is shaping up to be: a story told in red wine and blood orange ale, in laughter and goosebumps, in the clinking of glasses under October skies.
This is an invitation to lean into the season, to celebrate local craft and creativity, and to toast to the beautiful, twisted joy of being a little bit scared.
So, mark your calendar. Bring a friend. And when the Reaper comes calling at Maiolatesi Wine Cellars on October 2, raise your glass and drink deep. After all, fear pairs beautifully with a good red.
