This is it. Summer has barely begun and it’s already over… And all our hopes of an Indian summer have been dashed with the weather forecast at around 10 degrees. Don’t get depressed, there’s at least two pieces of good news about that: Christmas is coming, and we’re going to give you the opportunity to comfort yourself with wonderful dishes and fine wines perfect for autumn weather.

Don’t worry about the selection, we’ll take care of everything!

Autumn wines

The flowers are wilting, the weather’s cool and you’re in the mood for a stroll in the forest, gathering walnuts and chestnuts. In the evening, you’ll juggle between preparing the fireplace and dishes based on pumpkin, mushrooms and simmered meats.

To warm up and spend a delightful evening, we recommend elegant, smooth wines with a fine, subtle tannic structure. Evolutionary wines are even more enjoyable at such times.

This naturally brings to mind a Côte de Nuits from Burgundy with some ageing potential (around ten years), or a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Côtes-du-Rhône, also with some ageing potential.

In a different vein, for the start of an evening or to help the cook at home in the kitchen, we’d be delighted to uncork a small Beaujolais (AOC Fleurie, for example) with 4-5 years of cellaring, so as not to be too fruity and to gain a little substance.

Finally, if you fancy a white wine, ask your wine merchant for a fine Pinot Gris d’Alsace or a Pouilly-Fuissé. These more structured, generous wines offer fairly complex aromas that can be enjoyed by the fireside.

Autumn food and wine pairings

Let’s talk small, let’s talk big. What’s the point of bothering to choose a good wine if you can’t pair it with a delicious meal? Here are some food and wine pairings.

For your Pouilly Fuissé, to magnify the Chardonnay and fill out its structure, we recommend concocting a lovely pumpkin velouté with chestnuts, a leek fondue or steamed white-fleshed fish. Cuvée Françoise Poisard from Albert Bichot’s Hospices de Beaune estate will be perfect with a vintage 4-5 years old.

Beaujolais means aperitif or starter. You can pair your wine with a fine country terrine or pork rillettes with jelly and large gherkins. Similarly, a carpaccio of pig’s trotters or boiled eggs with porcini mushrooms will go perfectly with a Beaujolais that’s a little older. On this occasion, we recommend the Abbaye Road cuvée(Fleurie) from Marc Delienne, a 2015 vintage. The fruit is as present as ever, but the wine’s structure is much more complex and the palate feels more consistent.

Tripe and steamed potato arrive at the table, so bring out a fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape to accompany the dish. For any other game or marinated meat dish, you can choose the same pairing. Syrah’s powerful, fruity and spicy aromas are sure to delight these meaty, powerful flavors. If you’re looking for THE estate in this appellation, do yourself a favor and opt for a slightly aged vintage of Château Rayas from Emmanuel Reynaud, the pope of Châteauneuf! (no pun intended…). You’ll find finesse, spice, smoothness and elegance.