As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, autumn brings a cosy ambiance and a bounty of seasonal ingredients to the table. Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner party or a festive fall gathering, the right wine and food pairings will elevate your autumnal experience. With this in mind, we’ve put together a selection of Autumn Wines to showcase at your cosy gatherings to help capture the essence of this wonderful season.
GlenWood Vignerons Selection Chardonnay and Butternut Squash Risotto.
Chardonnay is known for its versatility, offering crisp, unoaked styles and rich, buttery expressions. During the autumn months, a creamy, roasted butternut squash risotto is the perfect complement to a fuller-bodied Chardonnay. The wine’s moderate acidity cuts through the richness of the risotto, while its buttery and toasty flavours mirror the creaminess of the dish. Topping your risotto with sage or nutmeg toasted hazelnuts will enhances the warm, autumnal flavours between the pairing.
Angus Paul ‘Barbary Fictions’ Chenin Blanc paired with Roasted Pork, Apples and Sage.
Chenin Blanc is not only a South African icon but is also an exceptionally dynamic wine, making it an ideal wine pairing for any seasonal feast. For this pairing, we suggest pork loin with caramelised apples and sage to bring out the bright orchard fruit character of Chenin Blanc. The wine’s juicy acidity balances the richness of the roast meat and cuts through the sweetness of the baked apples, while its minerality and natural floral perfume complements the earthy herbaceousness of the sage.
Metzer Cinsault and Venison Carpaccio with Balsamic and Fig.
This old-vine Cinsault has a light body with gentle tannins and exudes notes of vibrant red fruit along with a subtle ‘churned earth’ character which pairs beautifully with the lean and savoury flavours of venison carpaccio. Drizzled with balsamic reduction and served with figs, this dish brings out Cinsault’s red berry notes while the wine’s lighter body and low tannins allow the delicate and lean nature of venison to shine. In our opinion – the perfect Autumnal starter!
McFarlane Wines Capitoline Wolf Red Blend (Cinsault and Grenache) paired with Roast Chicken with Chestnut Stuffing.
This expertly crafted red blend comprises of 92% Cinsault and 8% Grenache. Grenache is a medium-bodied red wine with bright red fruit character. In this sense it shares many similarities with Cinsault but generally, Grenache will contribute a little more body and a touch of spice to the blend.
Lighter red wines pair well with roast chicken, especially when accompanied by earthier ingredients like mushrooms or chestnuts. With juicy red berry notes and hints of spice, Capitoline Wolf Red pairs beautifully with the milder intensity of light meats such as chicken or turkey. The wine’s fruitiness lifts the richness of the chestnut stuffing and, of course, is a perfect match for a classic cranberry sauce!
De Toren Edition Z Bordeaux Blend paired with Braised Short Ribs with Root Vegetables.
A Bordeaux blend is the term used to describe a wine composed of the ‘Noble Bordeaux Varietals’: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. These wines are renowned for their bold structure, full body, high tannin and acidity levels and layer of complexity.
Bordeaux Blends therefore pair well with hearty, full flavoured, earthy dishes like slow braised short ribs with earthy root vegetables like carrots and parsnips. The high acidity and tannin levels in the Bordeaux blend help to cut through the richness of the meat, while its dark fruit and herbal notes enhance the similarly rich flavours of the food. Consider this your match made in heaven for any cold evening!
Beau Constantia ‘Stella’ Syrah paired with Duck with Blackberry Glaze.
Syrah is a medium to full bodied wine showing both red and dark fruit characteristics complimented by layers of spice such as black pepper and clove. This makes it a wonderful match for rich, gamey meats that are often the staple of cooler weather cooking! While Syrah is considered to have a full body, it is generally lighter in body than Bordeaux Style blends and when made with gentle extraction can have a fantastic vibrancy and elegance.
Pair our Beau Constantia Syrah with whole roast duck, served with a blackberry jus. The wine’s fresh fruit and savoury spice complement but do not overpower the gamey yet lighter style of meat. The blackberry juice will mirror the wine’s dark fruit notes.
What (Generally…) Doesn’t Work: Avoid These Pairings
Fish and High Tannin Red Wines.
Delicate fish dishes, do not pair well with high-tannin red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or some Bordeaux blends. The tannins in these wines can overpower the delicate flavours of the fish and clash with the oils in fish, resulting in a bitter or metallic aftertaste and an elevated astringency.
What to do instead: Opt for white wines such as Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay when serving fish. If you prefer red wines, go for a light-bodied low tannin option like Cinsault!
High Alcohol Wines and Spicy Autumn Dishes.
Alcohol intensifies the warming sensation of spice, resulting in increased burning on the palate. This can make the dish seem excessively spicy and the wine overly alcoholic and can throw off the balance of the pairing.
What to do instead: Pair spicy foods with off-dry wines like Riesling or Gewürztraminer. The slight sweetness in these wines will balance the heat and provide relief from the spice, while their lower alcohol content keeps the meal vibrant and balanced.
This blog was edited and posted by Digital Squeak.
