Not light, not full, these fall wines are perfectly balanced for the season

October 19, 2018

Toasting fall wines

Idon’t believe in the “no white after Labor Day rule,” but I do (loosely) subscribe to the no rosé after Labor Day rule. In summer I drink a few whites and lots of rosés. Every once in a while, I’ll get crazy and drink a chilled red, maybe a Lambrusco, during warmer weather. But for the most part, I think reds should be reserved for winter, when I love a robust Malbec or full-bodied Syrah.

All this to say, in fall, when the leaves are turning colors and the temperatures are cooling, I find myself at a loss on which bottle to open. I need what I’d call “transitional wines” to get me through the season, so I turned to a few experts to see if I was alone in this quest.

Victoria James, beverage director of Cote Korean Steakhouse in NYC, agrees that autumnal feelings require a special kind of wine: “In between the warm summer months and cold winter months, one needs a wine that can transition your palate effortlessly,” she says.

See what she and other female sommeliers recommend for the season on groknation.com.