It’s difficult, sometimes, to pin down when it’s time to shift from summer wines to fall wines. In the American northeast, where I live, we almost always have a few unseasonably cool days in late August or early September. “Cool” may be stretching it, but it’s days when it’s not totally boiling and muggy, with a nice breeze and a slight morning chill. Let’s call them sweatshirt-and-shorts days. Inevitably, that’s when those of us who love fall try to pull the season forward. We begin sharing all the autumn memes—soup season, spooky season, sweater season. Where my pumpkin spice girlies at, amiright? Then the cold snap ends and it goes back to being 90 degrees and everyone sweats their asses off again until October.

This current state of fall confusion, of course, is a more serious issue in the world of wine. Grape harvests traditionally took place in September and October in the northern hemisphere. But climate change is pushing harvest dates of grape harvests earlier and earlier every year. This year, I saw some favorite producers in southern Spain start harvest as early as late July.

Regardless of the actual date, wine drinkers eventually realize it’s time to set aside the beach and pool wines—as delightful as they’ve been—and slip into something slightly more complex, more full-bodied, perhaps more savory. But even complex, full-bodied, and savory doesn’t quite define a fall wine. There’s something ineffable about wines that can pair with campfires, apple picking, and football tailgates.

Autumn is a vibe, and certain wines just feel right. I can’t tell you exactly why, but Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, and Jura whites are all autumn wines. We will be taking no further questions on the matter.

Some of this has to do with the fall menu. We’ve moved out of summer fruits and into that special time of year when food publications regale you with the Magic of Root Vegetables. If you’re a regular reader, you surely know the drill. Just around the time when we set our clocks back, you’ll be inundated with recipe articles on turnips, beets, rutabagas, celery root, and whatnot. I think it’s a little overplayed: I’ve never seen anyone queuing up at the farmers market, full of wide-eyed, breathless Parsnip Fever. “What beautiful parsnips!”—said no one ever.

Still, there’s something about the comfort-food predictability of fall. It’s the season of soups, stews, goulashes, borscht, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, poached pears, and apple pies. The wines below all pair wonderfully with this cozy season.

Wines We Love for Fall

2023 Storm Point Chenin Blanc ($15)

Roll around the orchard at harvest time. Juicy apples, with a good splash of tartness. Very energetic, super crunchy with minerality, and great drive. A drink-all-day kind of wine. Not just a really good deal from this South African producer—this is a really good wine, period. Jon Fine

NV La Staffa “Mai Sentito!” Marche Verdicchio Pét-Nat ($22)

“Mai Sentito” means “never heard of it”—a phrase that may well come to mind if someone mentions sparkling Verdicchio. This is a fun pét-nat with a cidery edge to it: notes of grilled almonds, Asian pear, white peaches, and fresh herbs, all riding the variety’s soaring acidity. Perfect for picnics on bright, autumn afternoons. Sarah Parker Jang

2021 Johanneshof Reinisch St. Laurent ($22)

Not so long ago, the Sankt Laurent grape, from Austria’s Thermenregion, would have been the height of obscurity. Now, a wine like this is commonplace, at least on certain big-city wine lists. And why not? This is a perfect red wine to pair with the shift from warm weather to those first chilly evenings. Lively, balanced, elegant, a swirl of red fruit, zest, and minerality with notes of cherry, plum, and blood orange, grilled herbs, tobacco, ripe tannins, and a saline finish. Delivers a lot for the price, too. Jason Wilson 

2022 Les Lunes North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($32)

If California Cabernet Sauvignon evokes thoughts of something with heft—this is not that. Les Lunes North Coast Cab is refreshingly acidic and surprisingly light, making it wonderful for cool-but-not-cold nights. Located just outside of Berkeley, Les Lunes makes wines that are beautiful expressions of the local terroirs of their leased vineyards: herbaceous, saline. This dark fruit-forward Cabernet has traditional textures and tannins, but a crisp and bright finish that make it perfect for a season of warm stews and rich sauces. Sara Keene

2020 Sierra de Toloño "Raposo" ($25)

People have been conditioned to think one way about Rioja—big, oaky reds that are reliable but unexciting. But, as we wrote a few months ago, there’s a new wave in Rioja, and it’s one of the most dynamic stories in wine right now. This bottle, by winemaker Sandra Bravo, is a great introduction to that new wave, and at an incredible price for such complexity. Tempranillo with classic notes of leather and dusty tannins, but with a freshness and bright, juicy fruit that you’ve rarely tasted. And the soon-to-be-released 2021 vintage may be the best-ever version of this. JW

2021 Mas de Brousses Terrasses du Larzac ($27) 

Serious garrigue wafts up from the glass. Rich, but not too rich, and comforting like a good bistro wine. Dark fruits mingle with sage and rosemary on the palate. This and a takeout rotisserie chicken sounds like a damn fine weeknight in late October to me. Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache; the Mourvèdre cuttings for this Languedoc wine come from Domaine Tempier. JF

2022 Domaine de L’Iserand Syrah ($30) 

Olives, black pepper, and high-toned blackberries—classic Northern Rhône Syrah aromatics, but this one is an absolute dancer. Remarkably lithe, and even refreshing, while retaining the broody/moody characteristics and grip that make Syrah such a classic fit for autumnal nights scented with woodsmoke and the richer fare that goes with them: stews, pot roasts, grilled meat. From the remarkable emerging winemaker Jean-François Malsert, who we’ve recently visited and who we heartily endorse. JF

2020 Quinta da Confeiteira "Oxalá" Calcário Reserva ($30)

As the weather turns cooler, you want a richer, more full-bodied white. And, contrary to perception, Portugal is a wonderful source for full-bodied whites. A good example is this field blend of Arinto, Antão Vaz, and Roupeiro from Portugal’s southern Alentejo region. Flinty, smoky, with warm citrus and ripe, fleshy stone fruit, and a gentle creaminess to balance the intense minerality. Oxalá means “I hope so”—and I really hope to find this white more widely available in the U.S. JW

2021 Nathan K Cabernet Franc ($32) 

Few places in the U.S. epitomize autumn vibes like the Finger Lakes—roadside farm stands, apple picking, the lakes reflecting the brilliant colors of the turning leaves. But too many people are still sleeping on the delights of Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc. This one, from Nathan Kendall (who also makes the wines at Hickory Hollow), is one of the region’s best. It leans into the best savory and mineral qualities of Cabernet Franc, with notes of roasted red pepper, tobacco, and violet, balanced by juicy raspberry. You want to drink this in a flannel shirt, sitting in an Adirondack chair next to a campfire. JW

NV Domaine Pignier Crémant du Jura Brut Nature ($35)  

A bracing, brut-zero experience: serious crunch, salt, rocks, and zing. But a neat dash of black pepper darkens the vibe—this is a compliment—and makes this more suited to an autumnal dinner than a summertime party. Eighty percent Chardonnay, 20 percent Pinot Noir. Really good, even surprising—and just as good on night two, which you don’t always see in sparklers. JF

2021 Domaine Fabrice Gasnier “Le Côteau de Sonnay” Chinon Blanc ($36)

This fabulous, full-bodied Chenin Blanc clearly demonstrates the grape’s aging potential. Fermented and aged 14 months in oak, but very integrated and balanced. Pretty, floral nose of peach blossom, lavender, acacia, honeysuckle, and lanolin. In the mouth, lots of bright energy, fresh juicy apple and pear, and viscous, supple structure that finishes long and mineral. Don’t sleep on this biodynamic producer who still flies somewhat under the radar—that likely won’t always be the case. JW

2022 Marie and Vincent Tricot MC Pinot Noir ($38)

You can’t talk about fall without talking about Pinot Noir. And you shouldn’t talk about Pinot Noir without talking about Marie and Vincent Tricot. This 100 percent carbonic Pinot Noir, which aged 12 months in wooden casks, is no exception. Notes of red berry, sour cherry, and warm spice, and a slight effervescence at the start which is rounded by a silky finish. As the days start to shorten, this is a wine that draws out time. It begs to be lingered over, sipped slowly in good company. SK

2021 Vallisassoli Per Una Volta No. 3 ($38) 

Really intriguing Campanian blend. Red berries and cinnamon on the nose; on the palate there’s smoke, herbs, and some sense of autumnal mystery mingling with dark fruit and a great energy and minerality. Compact on the palate, but very well framed. The sort of wine that will work with everything from roast chicken to pasta to brisket to ribeye. Camaiola, Olivella, Piedirosso, and Aglianico. Trivia for Sopranos nerds: this producer is based in Avellino, from where Tony’s grandfather emigrated. JF

2022 Raúl Moreno La Femme d’Argent ($41)

If rosé is for summer, then clarete—Spain’s classic, skin-contact blend of red and white wines—is for fall. This unique bottle from Andalucia, near Jerez, is a curveball blend of whole-cluster Syrah and Palomino—aged under flor like sherry, yet unfortified and designated vino de pasto. It has the nuttiness of sherry (cashews? pistachio?) along with the herbal and spice character of Syrah. Balanced by bright red fruit, black olive, with an underlying saline note and a crisp finish. JW 

2023 Jolie-Laide Sonoma County Gamay ($42)

Beaujolais almost always makes every fall wine list, and it’s a classic for good reason: with its fresh red fruit, savory profile, and easy-going tannins, it pairs well with most dishes on the autumn table. But branch out and try a Gamay from somewhere different—like Sonoma County, California. Fermentation for this wine started with carbonic maceration and finished whole cluster, so it has fun, fruity aromatics but structure and complexity as well. Cranberry, blackberry, violets, forest floor, and a dash of cinnamon. SPJ

2022 Moreau-Naudet Chablis ($45)

The grapes that go into Virginie Moreau’s Chablis are farmed biodynamically, picked late and by hand, and see no time in oak to preserve purity of fruit. This is a Chablis with the ripeness, depth, and weight of a premier cru, but at a great value. Stone and orchard fruit, lemon zest, white blossoms, and a pleasing little pop of salinity: a white that pairs well with shorter days and harvest bounty. SPJ

2022 Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Vouvray Sec ($49)

I can never manage to keep this wine around long enough to put some age on it. If it’s within striking distance, I can’t resist opening it, and usually around Thanksgiving, because of how well it complements peak seasonal ingredients. From a walled vineyard of only six hectares, biodynamically farmed, and long considered one of the grand crus of Vouvray. Notes of quince, golden apple, pear, chamomile, oyster shell, and honey on a long finish, with a touch of the classic Chenin cozy wool sweater note to wrap yourself up in. I can only imagine how spectacular this wine would be with more years in bottle. SPJ

2021 Domaine Fumey-Chatelain Arbois Savagnin Ouillé ($50)

Another wine that proves our contention about Jura whites and autumn. Apples, alpine flowers, and a hint of smoke and metal on the nose. Rounded on the palate but zinging with acidity, and a briny, limey, tart pear character keeps everything in focus. For fatty fish, stews, chicken Provençal, and smoked pork chops. JF

2021 Dr. Edge Chardonnay ($51)

Surprise your white Burg nerd friends with this excellent Tasmanian white—it should totally freak them out. A hint of petrol/match on the nose, along with juicy apples. Lovely fullness on the palate, along with a nice burst of stone fruit, but a perfectly calibrated acidity keeps it all in balance. Lemons, lots of rocks, and a hint of salinity on the lively and lasting finish. Excellent stuff for roast chicken, roast fish, and pork. JF

2021 Day Wines Johan Vineyard Pinot Noir ($52)

Autumn is Pinot Noir season, full stop. This one, from Brianne Day in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is one of America’s finest Pinot Noirs, full stop. Johan is a top biodynamic, cool-climate vineyard near the coast that’s always the last to be picked. Spontaneously fermented with 30 percent whole clusters, and aged in mostly neutral French oak for 22 months. Gorgeous nose full of wild herbs like sage and oregano along with aromas of lime leaf and black tea. Full of fresh, juicy black and red berries, along with an underlying earthiness and a long savory finish. JW

2020 Jean-Yves Péron Les Oeillets Blanc ($55)

The transition from summer to fall calls for swapping your white wines for something a little more full, which is why autumn is for me the season of orange wine. Les Oeillets embodies this transition: its notes of stone fruit that taste of late August are complemented beautifully by a slight salinity that makes the wine more savory. Two weeks of skin contact provide structure with proper tannins. It’s equal parts refreshing and warm, a line that fall itself straddles. SK

2022 Wasenhaus Baden Weissburgunder ($55)

Yes, Wasenhaus is known for their coveted Spätburgunder. But their Weissburgunder is wonderfully evocative of the season: orchard fruit, honeysuckle, gingerbread, with an undercurrent of sea salt and flint. The texture, acidity, and concentration of fruit are all in perfect balance on the palate. A stunning crisp white for fall. SPJ

2021 Joshua Cooper "Shay's Flat" Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) 

A throwback wine: classic Cabernet curranty goodness from this outstanding producer, utterly unobscured by overripeness or lavish lashings of oak. A nice slug of sunny Aussie fruit mingles with seasonally appropriate savory and leafy notes. Dashes of black pepper, sanguinity, and iron add further interest. Delicious, and 13 percent ABV; please make more Cabs like this. JF

2020 Dautel Forstberg Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs ($72)

If fall is Pinot Noir season, then it’s the perfect time to learn a little German. Well, at least one word: Spätburgunder—German Pinot Noir. Dautel is one of Württemberg’s top red-wine producers, and this incredibly elegant and silky Spätburgunder delivers the goods. Savory, leafy aromas mingle with red fruit on the nose, and then comes the juicy, fresh black cherry and cranberry on the palate. Full of energy and balanced with serious minerality. With Burgundy prices at an all time high, this is world-class Pinot at a great price. JW

2022 Agricola Vintners Theel’s Handfibel Syrah ($85)

A very interesting nose—pepper, garrigue and herbs, and a hint of sweetness—but the ever-evolving palate of this Australian Syrah is what really surprises. Sour black cherry and plum battle it out with crushed black rocks and black pepper, in an ever shape-shifting and even kaleidoscopic effect. Surprising complexity, and, despite the density of its Barossa fruit, its flavors are savory and (blessedly) not sweet. Really fascinating, and a very good surprise for those whose notions of Aussie Syrah are stuck in the past. For a big hunk of grilled meat when late autumn gets chilly; shake off the cold and watch this one go. JF

2017 Baricchi Rosé delle Casasse Barbaresco Riserva ($90) 

Dead-classic Nebbiolo aromatics—tar, rose—and that kind of correctness and purity carries through to the palate. The tannins are there too, so decant for an hour, but soon the palate is open and lifted and delivers it all: the seductive floral sweetness at the outset, the silky textures atop the tannic grip, the deep rich notes of tobacco that emerge, the broody intellectual depths. Cook something rich and warming, settle into your evening, meditate upon the fallen leaves. Believed to be the only wine made entirely from the rarely seen Nebbiolo Rosé clone. JF

2017 Joseph Roty "Les Champs-Chenys" Gevrey-Chambertin ($115)

Full-blooded old-school red Burgundy from this old-school producer. Mouthfilling flavors—forest floor, autumn leaves, and black cherry and darker Burgundy fruit. Intense purity. Very fine, almost invisible tannins, and very seductive in the mouth. Deeply pleasurable, even while its endless layers reward contemplation in this uniquely contemplative season. Long mineral-tinged finish. May be hard to find, but a retail source tells me that its importer (Alain Junguenet Selection) has several cases in stock, so ask your local shop to bring it in if you don’t see it on the shelves. JF

1994 Domaine Pêcheur Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune ($140)

A bottle of the Pêcheur family’s vin jaune with some age on it is well worth seeking out. Old-vine Savagnin that has spent seven years sous voile. An incredible nose of toast, nuts, lemon peel, dried fruit, burnt sugar, spices, salt, and bread dough. The body is big, but it’s bone-dry, with racy acidity. This is a wine for fireside contemplation, and even with 30 years of age on it, it will more than hold its own with fall fare. SPJ

NV Bollinger PN TX17 Champagne ($150)

When the weather turns brisk, I like to turn to Champagnes with a more autumnal profile and a richer, leesier body. This bottle, made with 100 percent Pinot Noir, fits the bill. Aromas and flavors of Meyer lemon, apricot, anise, ginger, brioche, hazelnut, and a bit of smoke and sous-bois. There’s something about it that has one foot in the abundance of summer and one in the elegant decay of fall. SPJ