The Best Wines For Fall

As we roll through those still-hot days of September towards the Autumnal Equinox on 9/22, you might find it difficult to choose the right wines to drink. Should you stick with sipping a great Rosé or Chardonnay with brunch, while sitting in a sunny sidewalk café? Or perhaps begin a shift to red wines with more heft, to match the seasonal Fall dishes that begin to creep onto menus across the city?

We’ve got some ideas to help ease you through the transition from still warm days into the crispness (and sometimes downright chilly) of the coming season’s evenings, with a lean-in to wines made here in the United States.

PERFECT ROSÉ FOR SUMMER’S END
Let’s start with that Rosé and hold onto Summer for a bit longer, as September comes in like a hot-breathed lion. For that we’ll head to France’s Languedoc, where Mediterranean breezes blow and Gérard Bertrand produces some of the best Rosé on the planet.

He’s happy to take you on a still or bubbly adventure with his Coté des Roses brand. His Coté des Roses Rosé is light and crisp, a still-wine blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault that makes a light pink color and offers the taste of delicious summer fruits. Meanwhile, his Esprit de Coté des Roses pink sparkling wine uses Pinot Noir, Grenache Noir and Chardonnay to create a beautifully balanced, crisp bubbly that leans into plush berry flavors. Both retail for under $25 and will make any hot days (and spicy foods) seem suddenly cooler.

TRANSITION INTO FALL WITH PINOT NOIR
Great Pinot Noir is a wonderful thing, a red wine that’s not too heavy on your palate, but with backbone enough to stand up to the squash, pumpkin, pears and apples that herald the coming of Fall.

The Willamette Valley in Oregon is justifiably famous for the Pinot Noir made there, many in the Burgundy style of France. Which is why when you taste Résonance wines, you’ll discover a distinct French influence, as the owners are Maison Louis Jadot.

Their top-rated single vineyard Résonance Vineyard Pinot Noirs are an impressive group, with stellar years like 2022 and 2023 tasting of red berries and chocolate, with soft tannins on the finish. They’re perfect for a special Fall dinner, selling for $75 per bottle.

The Sonoma Valley in Northen California is known for its Pinots, too, with special bottles coming from Buena Vista Winery since it was founded in 1857. Now owned by John-Charles Boisset, the famed French vintner, this winery produces a number of top Pinots. Try our favorite, the 2023 Otelia’s Selection Pinot Noir and you’ll swoon at the flavors of strawberry, blueberry and spices ending in a deep tannic finish ($58).

Further south, California’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA is the home of Sea Smoke, whose Pinots are considered some of the Golden State’s best. These Central California wines are limited, but you can find them at high-end shops across NYC; go for the biodynamically produced estate vineyard wines known as “Ten” and “Southing.” They retail for about $100 each and each one of these distinctly different Pinots meld flavors of berries, hazelnuts and savory spices into unforgettable wines. For a less pricey yet still distinct and incredibly delicious Sea Smoke wine, opt for the Botella Pinot Noir at $55.

NOVEMBER’S THE TIME FOR THE BIG TASTES OF CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND ZINFANDEL
Every New Yorker knows what happens in November, when it is still technically the Fall, but those cold winds start blowing down the city streets, reminding us that Winter is coming on December 21. That’s exactly when it is time to bring out those big tastes of dense red wines like Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandel, designed to pair with hearty stews, big cuts of steak and other comfort foods we all need to face the chill.

I’m a tremendous fan of the Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District AVA, where a thin strip of growing area (3 miles long, 1 mile wide) consistently turns out some of the world’s greatest Cabernets. In the USA, an AVA is a governmental “appellation of origin,” a wine area that is unique in every way (climate, geology, soils, physical features, elevation) in order to receive the designation.

The fact that the Stags Leap District is so small and has a terroir that is so unique is what makes this a spectacular spot for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes a place to remember. Perhaps the best-known winery here is Shafer Vineyards, so try their 2023 One Point Five Cabernet ($115) or the 2023 TD-9 Cabernet that is a gorgeous blend of Cab, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot ($85). Either one will rock your world if you love Cabernet.

We love Baldacci Family Vineyards in the SLD too, especially when opening their organically produced 2022 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) that melds flavors of chocolate and plummy red fruits into a heady mix with a solid tannic finish. And don’t miss the 2022 Cliff Lede Vineyards Poetry ($375) if your budget allows, as this is a Cabernet that makes Napa proud, with tastes of currant and fig, with a mineral underpinning and a long and strong tannic finish.

Over in Napa’s famed Rutherford AVA, Cabernet is king. And no winery proves that more consistently than Sequoia Grove, where sustainable green farming makes for incredible red wines. Try the classic 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) for a deep, dark quaff of plummy intensity, or splurge on the 2022 Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet ($90) that showcases the place that made Napa a household name worldwide.

Rounding out this Fall plan for having fantastic wines on hand from warm September days to cool November nights is the 2023 Limerick Lane 1910 Block Zinfandel ($70), made from vines still growing grapes after more than 100 years. Inhale the nose of spice and blackberry, then let the cherry and rhubarb tastes roll off your tongue. Finally, as the season really begins to move into the cold months of Winter, feel this wine’s warm, smooth tannins coast down your throat to warm your innards. It’s a decadent way to face the chilly days to come.