Try These Wines!
Natural wines that are perfect for saying hello to fall.
Happy, September, friends! Can you believe it’s already time to talk about fall wines? Whether you live somewhere warm or you’re already in the depths of crisp weather, these natural red wines are all a great choice for this time of year.
One of my favorite ways to shop for new wines is to look for a grape I’m familiar with from a country that I’m not familiar with. This Slovenian Pinot Noir is the perfect example. Though I knew I loved Slovenian wine, I wasn’t sure I’d tried a Pinot Noir from there when I picked up this bottle. It’s exciting to try a grape you know and love that has been grown on different land: this is a great way to explore the wine term terroir. You can really taste how grapes grown on different land influences the taste of the wine.
This Pinot Noir from the Goriška Brda region of Slovenia is the perfect wine to pair with cooler weather. It’s also the perfect red wine to open if you live in a warm climate and want to pretend it’s cooler weather. It tastes like cherries and raspberries accented by that beautiful earthy mushroom quality for which Pinot Noir is so beloved. The high acidity of this wine lends a freshness that makes it a great choice for early fall wine pairing.
Kékfrankos is a popular Hungarian grape, and winemaker Péter Wetzer has crafted a wine that celebrates the taste of this grape with minimal intervention. Wetzer bottles this wine unfined and unfiltered, so it has that yeasty quality that natural wine lovers often seek out. The grapes are grown organically, and the wine is made with respect— exactly what I look for in a winemaker!
Wetzer Kekfrankos tastes like cherry juice. Black cherries, red cherries, plums, leather, and tobacco dance on the palette with each sip of this wine. Medium body, medium tannins, and high acidity make it a cozy red wine that’s not too heavy. This wine goes great with roast chicken and veggies!
Chile is one of my most favorite wine regions: the wines from the country are so lively and flavorful! This Cabernet Franc by Echeverría is no exception. It tastes like juicy plums, black cherries, and green peppers with an herbal finish. I found it to be comforting and uncomplicated while full of delicious tasting notes. This wine can hold its own alongside dinner and makes a great table wine.
Echeverría is a natural winery that holds itself to high standards. The wine is fermented spontaneously using native yeasts; nothing is added; and it’s not filtered. These low-intervention winemaking techniques are tenets of the natural wine movement— just grapes fermented naturally. I love this high level of low-intervention winemaking, and this is the perfect example of how interesting and quality natural wine can be.
Looking for a wine with a bit more body for a cool fall evening? This Rioja from Bodegas Lacus is perfect! It tastes like dark fruits— blackberries, plum, black cherry— and has a delicious spicy finish— black pepper and baking spices. The acidity and ripe fruit tasting notes balance out the tannins and body making this wine cozy but not too heavy. It pairs well with fall comfort food: think chili, or ragù, or after dinner as you sit outside in the crisp evening with friends.
Fifth generation Spanish winemaker Luis Arnedo is crafting this wine using minimal intervention in way that marries natural winemaking with traditional Riojan winemaking practices. His wines are truly unique and offer a fresh take on Rioja!
I hope these natural wines help you usher in the autumn season with lots of shared meals and bottles split with loved ones! If you’ve tried a great low-intervention wine that you want to share with me, let me know below.
Cheers!