Wine Box Experience - Karen Joiner

Harvest Picks: Fall in Love with Autumn Wines

When the air turns crisp and the trees start showing their colors, the wine world hits its most sacred stretch of the year—harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the culmination of months of sun, stress, and sugar accumulation. Winemakers are elbow-deep in crush bins, bees are buzzing over freshly picked fruit, and the scent of fermenting grapes hangs in the air like the promise of a good vintage. And while those wines will need time to evolve, you, loyal drinker, get to celebrate the season in real time with a glass in hand and a nearby plate of something roasted, stewed, or spiced.

Fall calls for wines that match the mood: earthy, warming, textured, and layered. Think reds like Pinot Noir, Grenache, Dolcetto, or Cabernet Franc. Grapes that play nicely with mushrooms, turkey, root vegetables, and those cozy umami vibes. For whites, go richer and rounder: Chardonnay (especially with a touch of oak), Alsatian Pinot Gris, or aged Riesling. This is also prime time to branch out. Don’t sleep on orange wines, chilled Lambrusco, or dry Sherry styles like Amontillado. These “off-the-beaten-vine” wines speak autumn fluently, with nutty, savory, spiced profiles that basically taste like a bonfire-lit dinner party under the stars.

Just like the summer winds shift to that crisp feeling in the air, time to shift our focus to the wines in your box this month… each one a perfect companion for fall’s golden glow.

The first wine to be picked off the vine is the Jim Barry Lodge Hill Dry Riesling, a choice pick for fall. It may not be your typical fall wine, but that’s exactly what makes it such a thrilling seasonal curveball. Hailing from the cool-climate vineyards of Clare Valley in South Australia, this Riesling brings piercing citrus, green apple, and white blossom aromas wrapped in a taut, mineral-driven frame. Its dry, zippy profile slices through the richness of autumn dishes like roast turkey, creamy squash soup, or anything involving caramelized onions and sage. Think of it as the crisp breeze in your glass. Bright, refreshing, and sharp enough to wake your palate from its pumpkin spice slumber. It’s fall, reimagined; more like an orchard frolic than a bonfire smoke.

Our second hand-picked juice of the vine is the Surrau Naracu Cannonau di Sardegna. A rustic yet refined red that feels tailor-made for the cozy, flavor-rich embrace of fall. Cannonau, the Sardinian expression of Grenache, brings warm, countryside charm to the glass with its notes of sun-dried cherries, roasted herbs, and a whisper of earthy spice that echoes the scent of autumn leaves crunching underfoot. Its smoothness makes it versatile enough to pair with everything from roasted root vegetables to game birds and smoky grilled mushrooms. This is the kind of wine that bridges the last golden rays of summer and the cozy comforts of fall, evoking the windswept Mediterranean hills of Italy while feeling right at home around the harvest table.

So as you stash away your beach whites and summer chillables, lean into the deeper hues and fuller textures. Let the season shift your palate from zippy to contemplative, from picnic to harvest table. Autumn isn’t just a vibe, it’s a portal. One glass might remind you of walking through a forest of fallen leaves. Another might taste like the last tomato of the season, roasted and sweet. Welcome to sweater weather, where your wine gets just as cozy. Zum Wohl!