Summer is for crisp whites. Winter is for the deep rich reds. Spring is for rosés. But what wine pairs best with autumn? Anything that pairs well with the flavors of the season: pumpkins, apples, and cinnamon. It doesn’t matter if you’re a sommelier, a wine newbie like me, or somewhere in between, we all want the same thing: to drink good wine. But we don’t want to spend a lot of money, and the good news is, we don’t have to. This fall, crack open a bottle under $20, and get into the fall spirit.
What should I look for when it comes to fall wine?
Fall is all about the spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary. This applies to wine as well. When looking at the flavors of wine, a good fall wine will have spices. It also should feel “a little warm going down, have a little spice component to it, or pair well with fall dishes” according to Warner Boin, a wine educator and influencer. It is also recommended to try oak wines for flavor. Oak wine is wine that has been aged in oak barrels. This aging process gives the wine more flavor, such as vanilla or coconut. It can even add a smokiness to the wine. If you are in the grocery store looking for the perfect fall wine, and at a complete loss, you can never go wrong with a pinot noir. The drink of the season is pinot noir. Its flavors pair well with traditional fall food. But above all, “ a great fall wine is something cozy — something that warms you when the temperatures drop” Boin says.
1. Domaine Bousquet Malbec Reserve, $9.99
A strong red wine with fruit flavors, this wine is the perfect fall transition wine because “it’s the epitome of cozy” according to Boin. It pairs well with spicy food and meat, so fall dishes such as short rib and roasted mushrooms go perfectly with this wine.
2. Solara Natural Amber Orange Wine, $9.99
This is a flavorful wine filled with the sweet fruitiness of apricots and oranges. It has a full body and it pairs well with chicken, fish, and seafood dishes. A perfect fall dish to pair with this wine is seafood gratin.
3. Jadot Beaujolais Villages, $11.99
“[This is a] perfect Thanksgiving wine that will pair with everything,” Boin says. It’s light-bodied and similar to pinot noir in flavors. Holding flavors of ripe berries, this wine pairs well with meat, especially turkey meat. “One of my favorite underrated wines that over delivers on flavor and quality,” Boin says.
4. Adirondack Winery Sweet Home Apple Pie, $12.99
Made to elicit the flavors of apple pie, this wine is autumn in a glass. This is a semi-sweet dessert wine designed to be paired with any cinnamon-based dessert. You could even try it with real apple pie.
5. Borrasca Rose Cava, $13.99
A bubbly rose with candied strawberry, raspberry, and pink rose flavors, this sparkling Spanish wine “can be enjoyed year-round,” but pairs deliciously with the roasted chicken or a fall charcuterie board, according to Boin.
6. B Lovely Late Harvest Riesling, $14.99
Coming from the state of Washington, this wine is known for its apricot and honey flavors. The apricot gives the wine a hint of sweetness. As a sweet wine, it pairs well with desserts or cheese boards filled with strong cheeses such as Cotswold.
7. Inniskillin Late Autumn Riesling VQA, $15.99
This one is for turkey lovers! Filled with citrus, spice, honey, and pear flavors, this wine pairs perfectly with turkey, mashed potatoes, salad, and cooked vegetables. Or, in other words, gobble, gobble this wine on Thanksgiving.
8. Bougrier ‘V’ Vouvray Chenin Blanc, $15.99
Fall is the season of apples, so of course, I had to include an apple wine. A white wine with strong flavors of apples, lemons, fresh herbs, and a dash of honey, this wine tastes sweet and fall-like. It also has an oily texture, which (although sounds gross) means that the wine is concentrated and a rich texture. Oily texture is often used to describe dessert wines.
9. Hardwick Harvest Maple, $16.99
It doesn’t get more fall than the words maple and harvest. Hardwick’s Harvest Maple is a white wine combined with Massachusetts maple syrup. Known as a sweeter wine, this wine pairs well with fall desserts such as apple crisp.
10. Hardwick Vineyard Pioneer Pumpkin, $16.99
A grape white wine with distinctive pumpkin and spice flavors, this wine is a fall favorite. One customer reviewed it on Total Wine: “Tastes like a true pumpkin with just the right amount of sweetness.”
11. Philippe Chainier Chinon Cabernet Franc, $16.99
Another bottle of red that is perfect for fall! Containing ripe berry and spice flavors, this wine tastes well with a cheese board, a sausage pizza, a bean dish, or steak.
12. Nashoba Valley Cran Apple, $17.99
The red hue of this wine makes it obvious that the most significant flavor of this wine is cranberry. As such, the wine tastes tart with a hint of sweetness. Red apples are used in this wine as well giving it another touch of sweetness. This cranberry wine pairs well with goat cheese and salads.
13. Carmen Gran Reserva Carignan, $17.99
This red wine holds aromas of cherries, baking spices, and dark chocolate. The spicey nature of this wine makes it the perfect pair with butternut squash, beef, or any hot holiday meal. “Lovely earthy wine, medium body, pleasant finish. Huge hit with the dinner guests.” a customer on Total Wine says.
14. Double Black Zinfandel Reserve Paso, $18.99
A red with rich blackberry, black cherry, and spice flavors, this strong wine pairs perfectly with barbecue chicken or pizza. As the weather starts to chill slightly, this rich wine will keep you warm.
15. La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, $19.27
Pinot noir is a fall wine fan favorite. The flavors of it go well with stuffed mushrooms, turkey chili, and beef and cider stew. This specific wine has lots of flavors including cherry, pomegranate, plum, cocoa, and baking spices. Listed as the perfect sipping wine, this wine is the classic red of fall.