What Wine to Drink in Autumn: The Best Reds, Full Whites, and Food Pairings
Autumn is when wine gets to do a little more work. The food gets heavier, the nights get longer, and suddenly a wine that would've felt like too much in July is exactly what the table needs. Here's what we're reaching for this season, a handful of reds with some real weight to them, a couple of whites that can stand up to fall cooking, and what to put next to each one.
The Reds
Pagliarese Chianti Classico 2023 is the kind of red that makes sense the second the weather turns. It's Sangiovese with a bit of Canaiolo and Mammolo mixed in, aged in oak, and it comes out earthy and spiced rather than fruit forward. This is a wine built for the table, specifically a table with wild boar ragu, mushroom risotto, or a hunk of aged pecorino on it. Honestly, just cook something with mushrooms and you're set.
SHOP PAGLIARESE CHIANTI CLASSICO
Elodie Jaume A en Perdre le Soufre Côtes-du-Rhône 2024 comes from old vine Grenache and Syrah, farmed organically and biodynamically in the southern Rhône. Expect black fruit, violets, a bit of cherry, and enough structure to handle something rich. It's a great match for roast lamb or a charcuterie board, the kind of wine you open when dinner's going to take a while and everyone's just going to graze while it cooks.
Barolo Convento Luigi Oddero 2019 is the one to pull out when you want to make an evening of it. Pure Nebbiolo from La Morra in Piedmont, farmed organically, given a 25 day maceration and two full years in large Slavonian oak casks. It leans toward purity of fruit rather than heavy structure, with a mineral streak running underneath. Nebbiolo and mushrooms are a classic pairing for a reason, so a mushroom based pasta or a braised short rib would both work well here.
The Whites
Autumn doesn't have to mean red wine exclusively. Some whites have enough weight and texture to hold their own against heavier food, and this time of year is when they actually make sense.
Domaine du Pélican Arbois Chardonnay 2023 comes out of the Jura, a region known for pushing Chardonnay in an oxidative, savory direction rather than the fresh, citrusy style most people expect. It's nutty, a little saline, and has real presence on the palate. Try it with roast chicken, something mushroom heavy, or a wedge of aged cheese, it's built for exactly that kind of food.
Domaine Paul Cherrier Sancerre Blanc 2025 isn't your typical light, zippy Sancerre. This one's built with real body, still Sauvignon Blanc, still citrusy, but with more weight and a touch of white flowers filling out the mid palate. It's a good match for grilled fish, a salad with something creamy in it, goat cheese, or roast chicken, food that would make a leaner Sauvignon Blanc feel thin by comparison.
Nicolas Maillet Mâcon-Verzé 2022 comes from 50 year old Chardonnay vines on the chalky, limestone soils around Verzé in southern Burgundy, farmed organically and biodynamically. It's crisp and mineral driven up front, but there's real fruit underneath giving it some weight, a more textured, serious style of Mâconnais Chardonnay than most. Good with roast chicken, richer fish, or just about anything you'd usually reach for a bigger white Burgundy to match.
