Fall Beverage Styles – Selections For Your Holiday Plans

The long, hot “Dog Days” of summer give way to the brightly colored, nip-in-the-air-time, of the harvest. Fall is the season of plenty, the season of change. As your wardrobe changes with the season, so might your spirit, beer, and wine selections. The best advice ever given on the style of wine has been, and will always be “Drink what you like!” For those whose tastes run omnivorous, there are few suggestions to pair with the cooler shorter days that grace us during Autumn and we can help with our blog – Fall Beverage Styles – Selections For Your Holiday Plans!

Wine Styles

The soft, summer blushes and crisp, white wines that squelch the summer sun are replaced with medium bodied, complex reds and whites. These pair nicely with the heartier fall vegetables and roasted and barbequed meats that accompany autumn weekends.

Reds

Pinot Noir

This thin-skinned varietal has the reputation of being one of the most difficult to grow and vinify successfully. It can command a stout price of 4 to 5 figures for a Grand Cru Burgundy (yeah, up to $10k for a great bottle) or be had for a paltry $12 for a 3-liter box. The differences in the two are as vast as the price. Great domestic pinots can be easily obtained for a modest $15 to $50.

Old World

Although truly meaning Burgundian and therefore from the central part of France, good examples can be found in Germany (Spätbegünder), Spain, Italy, and other French regions. The fruit in old world pinot is usually soft and darker with a finish of forest floor, leather and smoke.

New World

California, Oregon, South America and Australia all have wonderful offerings. Here the fruit will be brighter with flavors of cherry, strawberry and red plum. Vanilla notes will pair with floral aromas and the finish will plush and vibrant with few tannins.

Any style will pair nicely with roasted fowl or smoky, salty ham. Pinot Noir doesn’t scream for food so it is an excellent stand-alone wine or with an ice-breaking cheese plate.

Zinfandel

Whether it hails from Amador County, or is called Primitivo in Puglia, Italy or even crljenak kastelanski in its native Croatia, the big luscious black Zinfandel delivers fall flavors like no other. Big, jammy fruit coincides with black pepper, nice spice, and even some flattering vegetal notes. It’s a perfect companion to the seasoned notes of the festive season.


Carmenère

The lost grape of Bordeaux is the vineyard artist’s palette in Chile. From the Aconcagua Valley in the north, 440 miles as the crow flies to the southern Malleco Valley, Carmenère is king in Maipo, Colchagua, and Maule Valleys as well. Soft red and black fruit elegantly blend with light leather and fragrant wood on the finish. Without the big, bold tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine can be enjoyed young with great results. It is also generally easy on the wallet.

Whites

Oaked Chardonnay

Like Pinot Noir, it’s Bourguignon cousin, Chardonnay can command a myriad of prices. It is also vinified in as many ways. The perfect fall wine has fair amount of oak to lend a vibrant golden hue with a woody aroma and flavors of vanilla, baking spices, and tropical notes. This is mostly New World examples from the Pacific northwest, South America and Australia. Oaked examples from Burgundy can fetch hundreds of dollars and can be austere until they reach a certain age. Look south to Beaujolais to find some French bargains.

Chenin Blanc

Originating in Loire Valley France, this varietal has a great deal of food friendly acidity paired with apple, quince, pear and honey notes. Vouvray and Savennières appellations are the best examples out of Loire, but South Africa (known locally as Steen) and California offer outstanding examples as well. Cremànt de Loire is a méthode champenoise sparkler made from the Chenin Blanc and is affordable and wonderfully crisp and inviting.

Albariño

Medium to full bodied white wine with the best coming from Vihno Verde, Portugal, Rias Baixas, Spain and the central coast of California. The citrus flavors are matched with floral notes and soft perfumes. A touch of minerality will also lend clues to the grape’s origination. Soft limestone from Portugal; granite and slate in Spain, alluvial soils and marl in Paso Robles. This racy white is a perfect companion for the seafood repose interrupting the many turkey and barbeque days of fall.

Fall Beers

Like gourds, beans, and corn, beer’s main harvest is in the fall. Pumpkin Ales, Märzen Oktoberfest, Chocolate Stouts and many others surface just in time for football and hayrides. Your local beverage store will have an expanded selection and most will have singles available to mix and match until you nail your favorite down.

Be advised that beer is food and therefore is perishable. With winter right around the corner, fall beers with the fruity, mild hops and roasted barley are fleeting and tend to disappear into the darkness like a Halloween ghost.

Spirits

A body-warming snifter of brandy to end the day or an amontillado sherry to begin a meal, fall spirits lean to the hedonistic side of humanity. There is nothing like donning a light sweater, pouring a dram or two of your favorite single malt or rich bourbon and watching the night sky in ethereal bliss. Too warm in the summer? Too cold in the winter? Too wet in the spring? Fall is the perfect whisky weather.

A few of our favorite spirits are The Balvenie 12yr double wood single malt scotch. Speyside with a touch of sweet peat finished in oloroso sherry casks. Stateside, enjoy a rich caramelized Kentucky bourbon with notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Chestnut Farms 12yr “Bottled in Bond” is a trusted go to. We’re also suckers for Spanish Solera Brandy. These dark rich gems have nutty floral aromas and legs that outlast the finest Cognac. Gran Duque d’Alba and Cardenal Mendoza are outstanding examples.

Gatherings and festivities also call for communal beverage stations known as punch bowls. Great recipes abound and you’ll find some new ones here, shortly. Research and Development are in full swing!

Final Thoughts

Hopefully these suggestions help with some beverage decision making for your fall festivities and bring nothing but fun and good times. Consult your local beverage salesperson or the other articles in The 55 Lifestyle for further information. We hope we’ve helped to make the season livelier for you and your family and friends. Check back for our winter beverage selections and individual information on spirits, beer, and wine.

As always, preferences on fall beverage styles for your holiday meals are a personal choice, one you can get from experience or simply just buying a sample and trying it. We hope that you’ve found some useful information with our piece – Fall Beverage Styles – Selections For Your Holiday Plans. As always, if you don’t see something here you want us to cover, feel free to reach out to us directly through our Contact page or leave a comment below. Stay healthy and happy! ~ Glen.

Bob Hollowell has been exploring the world of wine for almost 40 years and has no plans on slowing down anytime soon! He’s no stranger to the culinary circles and is passionate about teaching other’s the experiences one can receive through food and drink.

Bob is a Certified Sommelier from Court of Master Sommeliers and a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, but most importantly has been in the restaurant and commercial sales (wine, spirits and beer) industry for over 25 years, bringing a wealth of professional knowledge to The 55 Lifestyle and to our readers.