Fall 2018

Pumpkin, Spice and All Things Nice By Sam Ujvary

As much as fall is a time for family, it too is a time for eating and drinking (and repeating) with friends. And while the mere mention of the season is enough to stir a wave of nostalgia, the scents of the season hold a power all their own.

To celebrate the coming of autumn and its most delicious traditions, there are a bevy of new and novel scents to cozy up with this fall.

Inspired by Italian craft cocktails, Sempre Beve candles are perfect for fall entertaining, as each scent is designed to evoke memories of good meals and good conversations with friends.

“Being Italian born, I’ve always embraced timeless style, natural materials and ‘la dolce vita’ — the art of living well,” said Ursula Terrasi, Sempre Beve creator and owner. “I got the idea for our Spritz candle sitting on a terrace in Italy, overlooking Lake Como, sipping an Aperol Spritz. I could smell the wild sage on the hillsides, and I wanted a candle that would capture that experience.”

The candles, made with natural soy wax and hand-poured into reusable stemless wine glasses, come in eight fragrances: Spritz, Americano, Aperitivo, Limoncello, Orangecello, Vermuth, Champagna and Acqua. Each candle comes with a recipe for its respective craft cocktail.

If California reds are more your style, consider Rescued Wine, another drink-inspired candle company, but with a twist.

“One evening while sipping wine, my wife Amy and I had a revolutionary idea,” said Craig Davies, co-founder of Rescued Wine. “Let’s combine our passion for the environment, wine, animals and candle making.”

A tall task, but well-executed. Each Rescued Wine candle is made with natural soy wax and hand-poured into a recycled wine bottle. The company donates 10 percent of its annual profits to animal rescue organizations, like the Nevada Humane Society and Carolina Coonhound Rescue.

The fragrances, inspired by wine but “not meant to smell like wine,” evoke tasting notes, like a chardonnay’s buttery undertone, or a cabernet’s chocolate cherry aroma. For fall entertaining, Davies recommends the Chardonnay candle, with its aromas of apple, almond and cinnamon; or Pinot Noir, for its notes of fresh pine, spicy clove and cinnamon stick.

Dessert-inspired fragrances, like pumpkin pie and apple crisp, often prove irresistible to homeowners. But in Bucyrus, Ohio, one family-owned candle company takes that trend to the extreme.

“We do a lot of research to see what is trending throughout the year,” said Penny Young of Crossroads Candle Company. “Scent preferences vary depending on geographical region, too, so we need to see what people in our area want, as well as what is popular across the country. We are always looking for something new and original to help expand our customer base.”

Out of this extensive (and presumably delicious) research comes candles like Maple Pumpkin Donut, Brown Sugar Frosting, Kettle Corn, Mama’s Sweet Tea and Roasted Espresso, to name a few.

Votivo, a luxury candle line out of South Carolina, also does its fair share of research. The company has an entire team of trend forecasters who study the marketplace and travel to inspirational locations to identify buzzing categories, flavors and ingredients.

Lindsey Hughes, public relations manager for Votivo, recommends anything warm, nostalgic and cozy for fall. To that, we say why settle for a pumpkin-spiced latte when you can warm up with its better (albeit far less Instagrammed) sister, the spiced chai latte?

Brunch is always in season, but patio brunching is not. So when the temperatures drop and you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of outdoor bottomless mimosas, think pink … Pink Mimosa that is — another Votivo top-seller.

You’d be hard pressed to find a gift shop that doesn’t carry The Candleberry Company, those distinctively potent candles with the black and orange checkered label. New to the shelves this year, however, is UnEarthed, the company’s latest luxury line.

Made with natural and recyclable materials and free of dyes and diluting agents, UnEarthed candles burn cleanly and evenly. Lisa Clark, one of Candleberry’s and UnEarthed’s founders, predicts Vanilla Silk and Confectio to be among its top-selling scents.

Just as quickly as summer came and went, autumn is sure to do the same. These scents will help make the most of the delicious fall season.

Sam Ujvary

Sam is the managing editor of Gift Shop Pets, Museums & More and Party & Halloween Retailer, and is a contributing editor for Gift Shop Magazine. She has a copywriting background and has been in publishing for six years.