Fall is the Sexiest Wine Season
Fall is the Sexiest Wine Season
Wines that are cozy, sexy, fall vibes and how to pair them.
Fall is my favorite season, it always has been. When I was little, I used to rake leaves in my yard and literally jump in piles because that's what I thought people did in the fall. When I moved to Colorado, I saw first hand how stunning fall colors could be and then when I moved to Colombia and Spain, I was practically starved of any real seasonal change and my obsession for the season grew more intense.
Nowawdays, I'm back in LA (where the season still lacks) and I patiently wait all year for the equinox, living vicariously through Gilmore Girls reruns. I'm not a PSL bitch, but I loveee a pine and tobacco scented candle. But enough about the weather, let's talk about wines for fall!
Fall is sexy because it's cozier, darker, moodier; more intimate. The nights are longer and a little slower: perfect for opening up a bottle of red and spending some time with it.
Summer wines are known for being light, juicy, racy jolts of brightness. Crisp and salty with notes of florals come to mind. When we transition into fall, our routines shift and so does our taste. The change in season is time to give our beachy, salty, crispy wines a little break (not for long! don't worry!) and swap with bottles that can hold up to heartier food and perhaps take a little more time to open up.
When I think of "fall wines", I think of earthy, soil driven wines, aromatic botanicals like pine and juniper, spices like clove and cinnamon and even smoke. There's still a lot of fruit but I get visions of golden apples, dried plums and smashed berries. Can you see it? Can ya smell it!? Isn't it marvelous??
In Mas Vinoland, pairing wine is situational: I’m all about finding the right wine for the experience, not just the food or occasion. So here are some fall situations and a wine I think would pair well with them.
Gilmore Girls Binge Watching: Is it even fall if you’re not 3 seasons deep into Gilmore Girls?! Cozy weeknight Rory & Lorelai binge requires a vin de soif like Underturned Stone Wines from Redwood Valley— a wine that I simply cannot stop thinking about! Cinsault and Zinfandel grown amongst ancient redwood trees cannot be MORE of a fall mood. There’s tons of fruit but also some earthiness like wet soil and pine, which reminds me of a cabin in the fall.
Friendsgiving: I know Thanksgiving seems far away, but it’s really not! It’s fall baby, so start sharpening those knives and set the table!! There is nothing I love more than all my friends around a table eating and drinking together, Ethiopian jazz playing at low volume in the back and bottles of wine on rotation. What a dream! This Friendsgiving, I’m pouring Lorenza Cinsault. I fell in love with it last month when I tried it at an event and already have a couple bottles on reserve for fall dinners.
Cinsault is light enough to not bog you down after a long and luxurious dinner and has little sprinkles of spice like cinnamon and clove to really get you in the spirit for crisp fall nights. But if you want to sit and chat over a serious bottle of wine, I love Say When Wine Syrah. I had it when it was first released this spring and it’s so deep and complex and evolves as you drink it. I can’t wait to see how this one ages.
Autumnal Wine Walks: I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more melancholic for me than talking a walk at dusk in the fall. The air is crisp, the colors are moody and someone in the neighborhood has their chimney on. For quiet moments like this, I’m pouring a Tuscan Bianco. Pour a glass for your wine walk and drink the rest for dinner (maybe some acorn squash and salad?).
Peach and pear aromas with the perfect amount of acidity to keep it easy drinking, but fermented in oak so you get the slightest bit of warmth and vanilla. Very cozy white wine.
