Whether a subtle whiff of campfire on a cool autumn breeze or the less-than-subtle lure of a pumpkin spice latte, the spicy, savory harbingers of fall spark a shift in the food and wine we crave.
In the dog days of summer, there’s nothing more thirst-quenching than a brisk zippy white or delicate rosé. But as cooler weather sets in and those heartier, often meatier dishes return to our dinner tables, you may long for wines with a bit more oomph — richer flavors and textures, but also added weight and grip.
As autumn approaches, “It’s the weight of wine that changes the most,” says Jamie McLennan, partner and beverage director of Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar in Humboldt Park. “People start looking for deeper, bolder wines; wines that are a bit warmer and more opulent,” he says, but also structured with components “like tannins and acidity.”
Cooler weather is often associated with an automatic switch to red wine. But white wines with enough texture and breadth can ease beautifully into the autumn months.
Weightier white wines — oak-aged chardonnay and pinot blanc — or Rhone-style blends of grenache blanc, roussanne, marsanne or viognier are all classic examples. Similarly, full-bodied, intensely fruity whites from warmer climates can lend a welcome shock of sunshine on dreary autumn days.
“Autumn in Chicago actually feels like two seasons,” says Tia Barrett, beverage director at Esmé, a fine dining restaurant in Lincoln Park. In the earliest days of fall, “we’re just not ready to let summer go, so you still want those bright, high-acid wines.”
Chenin blanc is “a wine that people don’t talk enough about,” Barrett says, but it offers a gravity and texture that’s ideal for transitional September days. Especially when it’s made in warmer-climate South Africa, chenin blanc has an intensity of fruit “balanced by acidity and minerality,” Barrett says.
By October, Barrett says, “when that hard switch to fall is obvious,” grenache blanc is another “underrated grape” she reaches for often. Most widely associated with the southern Rhone in France, but also grown successfully in Spain or California, grenache blanc offers a plushness of yellow fruit — think pears or grapefruit — along with a subtle herbaceousness of fennel or sage that lends freshness to dishes like fish or poultry bathed in buttery sauces, or roasted root vegetables.
Grenache blanc “is not a summer white; it’s more of a fall or winter white to me,” Barrett says. “It has body and structure, but it’s not an oak bomb.”
Badenhorst 2021 Secateurs Swartland chenin blanc: Dry in style, yet lush and honeyed in texture, Barrett recommends this South African chenin sourced from unirrigated bush vines for its accessibility and wide distribution. $15.99 at Binny’s. Locations vary, binnys.com
Ridge 2020 Adelaida Vineyard Paso Robles grenache blanc: Barrett serves this California grenache blanc by the glass at Esmé. “Everything that Ridge makes is delightful,” Barrett says, but their grenache blanc is an unexpected surprise for many of her guests. $31.99 at Vin Chicago. 1826 N. Elston Ave., 773-489-3454; 1350 Old Skokie Road, Highland Park; 847-831-1049; 311 E. Main St., Barrington; 847-277-0033; vinchicago.com
Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2020 Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône blanc: An accessibly priced introduction to the classic Rhone white blend, this silky dry white balances the fleshiness of grenache blanc and viognier with the bitter-almond grip of marsanne and freshness of bourboulenc. $13.99 at Binny’s. Locations vary, binnys.com
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The often shockingly sunset-hued rosés of southern France’s Tavel or Bandol are classic examples of year-round…
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