Fall into Wine.
Recently I was asked "Loulou, what are your favorite wines for fall?" and instantly my brain went into a million places. I realized I didn’t have a concise answer because I tend to immediately go into “wine nerd” mode. And much like the weather, my mood shifts this time of year. My wine choices always depend on budget, food pairing, where you’re buying from, occasion, friends to share it with etc.…you see, it’s the wine nerd way. I'm always seeking out new wines to try (nerd), making it hard for me to pinpoint specific labels to recommend.
I was able to tame the inner wine nerd while flipping through a new cookbook we picked up called Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. It inspired me to think about how seasonal eating and drinking can help simplify our choices, so I’ve compiled a list of fall “vibes” I’ll be into this fall season.
Fall Wine Vibe Check #1: drinking as local as I can on the East Coast.
Fall is the perfect time to get out there and support local wineries! Listed below are some of my New Jersey faves along with ones I’d love to finally visit.
Beneduce Vineyard: A beautiful tasting room and outdoor space!
Ironbound Farm & Cider House: Not wine, but hello, cider = FALL!
Meadowbrook Winery: No tasting room yet, but you can find their wines on local restaurant wine lists and shops near Tewksbury, NJ.
William Heritage: Another beautiful tasting room and outdoor in Mullica Hill, NJ, also a tasting room in Haddonfield.
And on my to-visit list: Unionville Vineyards and Auburn Road Vineyards.
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Fall Wine Vibe Check #2: ABPN (Anything But Pinot Noir).
Pinot Noir is always the go-to grape for the start of autumn, and that’s totally fine if you’re a pinot lover. But if you are a nerdy nerd, you may be seeking something NEW!
Try Gamay. A Gamay I love is Fleurie (an appellation in Beaujolais wine region of France). I find it to be light to medium-ish body, with more floral and berry notes, light acidity and soft tannins. Typically $25-$30 per bottle.
For more adventurous light red, but maybe a little harder to find, is Schiava (Italy) aka Trollinger (Germany). It’s so light that you might mistake it for Rosé, but it's not! It's got cherry fruit notes, higher level acidity (thanks to cooler climate growing areas) and when the hotter “fall” days happen, these reds play nicely with a slight chill.
Other notable red variety mentions: Cinsault, Negrette, Refosk/Refosco/Nerello Mascalese…
And if you want to stick with white wine, try some skin contact wines like: Rebula/Ribolla Gialla, Chenin Blanc or white wines from the Jura region of France.
If I don’t cut myself off now, this will turn into a book so, there you have it, my fall wine vibes…for now.
