Wine Box Experience - Dustin Mangas

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 flip this sheet over to look at 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 Chappellet Cabernet Franc Pritchard Hill Napa Valley, a choice pick for fall. Its autumn in a bottle. Elegant, brooding, and richly layered, just like the season itself. Grown high above Napa Valley on the volcanic slopes of Pritchard Hill, this wine exudes deep forest berry fruit, graphite, violet, and dried herbs. All flavors and aromas that feel right at home when the air turns crisp and the sweaters come out. Cabernet Franc’s natural lift and savory structure make it a perfect pairing for slow-roasted meats, wild mushroom risottos, or anything that feels right at the intersection of comfort food and fine dining. It’s a wine that commands attention, invites reflection, and captures the soul of the harvest season with every complex, lingering sip. 

Our second hand-picked juice of the vine is the Robert Biale Vineyards Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard. A textbook example of why Zinfandel is the unsung hero of fall drinking. Sourced from one of Napa Valley’s most historic old-vine vineyards, this wine delivers plush layers of blackberry compote, dried fig, cinnamon stick, and smoky oak spice. It’s basically a Thanksgiving table in liquid form. Its bold yet balanced structure makes it ideal for the hearty flavors of the harvest season, whether you’re carving into roasted turkey, glazed ham, or a rich vegetable gratin. This is the kind of wine that doesn’t just go with fall, it embodies fall, wrapping you in warmth and nostalgia with every glass.

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!