Rosé days are over: here’s the best wines for autumn
Autumn means new seasonal wines, leaving the long rosé days behind and embracing a cosier, more rounded vino. Tom Mabon of Cotswolds Wines shares his autumnal pours.
The sunglasses rest closed at one end of the kitchen table. The barbecue remains optimistically positioned on the patio. Somewhere in the fridge, the final bottle of rosé waits for the weather and occasion, but neither end up arriving.
Summer doesn’t end on a fixed date, or with a bang, but slips quickly and quietly into the distance. Autumn makes a subtle entrance. School shoes have reappeared by the front door, the evenings are drawing in, and conversations are gradually retreating from the garden to dinner tables and sofas.
The crisp Picpouls and pale Provences that sustained us through garden gatherings and long summer evenings no longer nestle so comfortably alongside slow cooked casseroles, hearty Sunday lunches, and evenings curled up on the sofa after the kids have gone to bed.
As the weather evolves, so does the wine in our glass. The light, crisp white is replaced by whites with more body and structure. The rosés by medium body reds, maintaining those red fruit notes, but complimented by more spice and texture.
As we swap sandals for sensible shoes and alfresco dining for comfort food, here are the bottles I’ll have in my autumn rotation.
The best wines for autumn: Pinot Gris, Alsace
Pinot Grigio’s significantly cooler, older sibling went backpacking around the world for a year to find itself. On its travels it went to foreign lands, discovered different cultures, developed an attitude and gained some independence.
Whilst pub stalwart Pinot Grigio is light-bodied and bone dry, with flavours of lemon & lime, typically Pinot Gris is more full-bodied. It’s richer, rounder, and ever so slightly viscous. Expect flavours of pear, honey, and potentially some ginger. It pairs well with white meat, pasta, and Asian dishes.
I’ve selected this one from Alsace, but you can also find examples in supermarkets from Australia and New Zealand too.
Cave de Beblenheim Pinot Gris Reserve, Waitrose, £12.25
The best wines for autumn: Chardonnay, France
Whenever a friend says to me “Oh, I don’t like Chardonnay”, I place a white Burgundy in front of them, then sit and wait for the inevitable backtracking to begin. We’ve all had terrible Chardonnay in our time, but those flabby pub wines from yesteryear are a million miles from this. The grapes provide a tropical fruit flavour to this Chardonnay, which is stored in oak barrels. This provides a subtle vanilla flavour, buttery notes, and a bit of body.
Lauded after, decent wines from this region can start at about £40 (do splash out on a Pouilly Fussé if you’re looking for better value for money), which isn’t to everyone’s wallet.
Fortunately, where there is no reputation, there is no premium price point. To the south of the country, towards Perpignan, sits Limoux. They’ve made a Chardonnay in the style of its Burgundian compatriots, but can’t demand the same money for it. Full bodied, creamy, and singing with tropical fruits, this a perfect wine for roast chicken or that lovely fish pie of yours.
Definition by Majestic, £15 or £13 mix six
The best wines for autumn: Crozes Hermitage, France
The Rhone in France is divided into two. The Southern Rhone is host to one of the most famous wine growing regions, Côtes du Rhône. Here, many grapes are blended to create their wines, working together like instruments in an orchestra to create a harmonic melody. But if the Southern Rhone is an orchestra, then the Northern Rhone is the star soloist.
Syrah takes centre stage and shows you just how much range this grape has. You may know Syrah by its bold Australian alter-ego: Shiraz, where it swaps the concert hall for a rock venue; loud, brash, and exuberant.
The Shiraz notes of red fruit, pepper, and spices can still be identified in Syrah, it’s just the volume has been turned down from 11 and they’ve been re-balanced. In the Northern Rhone there are 8 appellations producing incredible wine. Croze Hermitage is the largest of these and is the best starting point for trying something new.
Expect suave flavours of plum and fresh berries and serve it with red meats and cheeses. Paul Jaboulet Aine is a solid benchmark of a Crozes Hermitage, at a reasonable price.
Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage at Sainsburys, £18.50, £16.75 Nectar Price
The best wines for autumn: Beaujolais, France
In the 1980s Beaujolais gained a terrible reputation with its “Beaujolais Nouveau” release. In truth, it’s never really recovered. Written off and overlooked, it has never been a staple of the wine rack since. But with the spotlight gone, it has been knocking out some absolutely phenomenal wines. And because it isn’t trendy, they can’t charge trendy prices for it. A win-win for you, the consumer.
Made from the Gamay grape there are 10 crus (villages) that make top notch Beaujolais. One of those is “Fleurie”, which is known as the Queen of Beaujolais. It’s fruity and floral with flavours of pomegranate and violet and is often served after spending a bit of time in the fridge. It’s light enough to accompany fish but with enough body to stand up to a beef stroganoff.
I’ve selected one here from Morrisons, but most supermarkets stock one and they tend to be at a similar price point.
The Best Fleurie, Morrisons, £12
The best wines for autumn: Sangiovese Appassimento, Italy
Sangiovese is the grape behind one of Italy’s more famous exports, Chianti, and is the most planted grape in all of Italy. It unsurprisingly therefore pairs well with Italian foods, such as tomato-based pasta dishes.
“Appassimento” is a wine making technique, where picked grapes are left out in the sun allowing them to start dehydrating, like a raisin. This method removes moisture, which concentrates the remaining flavours and sugars, creating a more intense wine. This method is applied to many different grapes and is used to create Italy’s great Amarone wines.
Don’t be surprised to see “Appassimento” appearing on more labels in supermarkets soon. When it’s used on Sangiovese grapes as it is here, we can expect flavours of cherry, raspberry, dried fig, prune, and vanilla. This wine is rated in the Top 3% of wine in the world in Vivino and it’s an absolute bargain at this price.
Aprimondo Appassimento, Tesco, £10
The best wines for autumn: Mencia, Spain
The hipster’s choice, but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious. If you’re looking for something a bit different and not yet mainstream in the British psyche, then this wine is for you.
Coming from the Iberian Peninsula, it’s called “Jaen” in Portugal. With floral, herbal, and mineral notes, you’ll want to pair this with leaner white meats, or it would go perfectly with charcuterie.
This wine, available online, is from Bierzo region, from where it originates, and where it is at its best. Bierzo is often called “little Burgundy” which should tell you about its quality. At just shy of £19, this wine represents excellent value.
Petit Pittacum, Brindisa (online), £18.75
Tom Mabon is a girl-dad and wine enthusiast. As co-founder of Cotswolds Wines, he enjoys helping others discover wines that are approachable, interesting, and great value.
Read this article in the FQ Autumn e-zine
