White Wine Pairs Great With Heavier Fall Foods, Too

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Although the weather hasn’t yet gone full-on autumnal, fall is finally here. Before long we will be eating stews, braised meats, game, pumpkin, squash, and beets as if sun-ripened tomatoes and grilling outside had never even happened. While common wisdom holds that the change of seasons signals the moment to swap out our white-wine glasses for larger stems filled with hearty reds, many of us are not quite ready to completely make the switch. “I don’t think the calendar should dictate the glass,” says Dana Johnson, director of outlets at InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, whose dining venues include the Americano. “A wine with real weight, texture, and a little richness can stand up to braises and roasted vegetables just as well as a red can, and sometimes it does the job better because it keeps the plate from feeling overly heavy.”

For instance, the Americano serves truffled polenta and wild mushrooms, which at first glance seems fit for a red. However, Johnson pairs it with Pieropan La Rocca Soave Classico from the Veneto. “Truffle and mushroom read as red wine territory to most people, but the dish is soft, creamy, and earthy rather than gamy, and a red will just fight the truffle instead of framing it,” she says. “The volcanic soil gives the Soave a stony, almost saline minerality that plays well against truffle without ever getting sweet or fruity.” This time of year, the restaurant also serves up black cod with whipped cod spread and fennel-citrus spice, which Johnson says calls for “a structured white that pairs well with the salt cod without the harsh clash of red wine tannins.” She recommends a Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige: “It has enough spice and lush fruit to meet the richness of the baccalà mantecato [whipped cod spread], while the citrus in the dish keeps the wine from feeling too perfumed.”

Regine Rousseau, senior sales advisor at Chicago retailer Verve Wine, finds that sweet potatoes are a staple of her diet in fall and winter. She says she found an ideal pairing with Perez i Barbier 2022 Dido Montsant Blanco, a blend from northeast Spain. “There is a synergy between these two, not competition,” she says. “The wine has this beautiful texture that mirrors that of the potato, plus an oxidative component that frames the caramelized notes.” Pointing out that we often think of white wines to be refreshing and reds as comforting, Rousseau says, “I think this idea of choosing a wine based on seasonality is a lack of understanding that wine, no matter its color, has a vibe or an energy. So don’t box varietals by their outward appearance; seek the vibe of their personality.”

When we had dinner at Italian restaurant Il Giardino at Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez in early September, chef Nicola Canuti had just added a few fall-themed dishes to the menu. With his earthy risotto with pumpkin and red Sicilian shrimp, he poured glasses of Marchese Antinori Tenuta Montenisa 2020 Donna Cora Satèn Franciacorta, a 100 percent Chardonnay from the esteemed sparkling wine region in northern Italy. The acidity and citrus and apple notes were a perfect foil to the richness of the dish. As Canuti explains, “The pumpkin and red shrimp are both a little sweet, so after each spoonful you need something fresh in the mouth.” We all agreed that almost any red wine could have tasted slightly sour and bitter and would have added heaviness to the palate rather than an invigorating note.

“When it gets cold out, humans naturally look for fat for our bodies,” explains Steve Kim, beverage director of New York City’s Kuma Hospitality Group, which operates l’abeille, l’abeille à côté, and Muku. “It is why we always crave heavier meals like steak, butter, or roasted salmon, but we can also substitute a full bodied, oaky, buttery, white wine for the food.” With duck on the menu for fall, Kim suggests Château Malherbe Cuvée Louis Ferrari from Côtes de Provence in the south of France. A blend of Rolle (the local name for Vermentino) and Sémillon, it sits on its lees in Burgundy barrels for 12 months, adding creaminess and body. “When wine is made this way, it builds more structure and smoothness.”

Duck is also on the menu at Bosq in Aspen, where wine director Nick Heileman likes to pour an agedLe Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc next to roasted duck breast with grilled potimarron squash studded with puffed quinoa. “I think duck is one of those dishes that can be complemented really well by either a white or red wine, but the inclusion of the natural sweetness and creamier texture of that beautiful squash really lets me lean towards a great white wine,” Heileman says. “The wine’s beautifully dense texture lets it stand up to the duck breast’s bold flavor, while the stony minerality and flavors of tart white peach really do a great job amplifying the natural sweetness of that perfectly in-season squash.”

When pouring white wine along heavier fall foods, it is important to prioritize balance among elements such as acidity, body, and fruit. “Excessive acidity can taste bitter, while over-fruitiness may be perceived as sweet,” says Kisong Mun, wine director at the Dearborn in Chicago. He prefers whites aged in neutral oak or that use minimal new oak, because neutral barrels enhance the wine’s texture and mouthfeel without masking its delicate flavors. While he is known to recommend a high quality Vinho Verde with dishes such as bone-in sakura pork milanesa with apple and pear salad, citing the wine’s great acidity and mineral backbone, he is also a big fan of trusting your gut. “Don’t let anyone tell you that your wine and food pairing is wrong,” he says. “If you like an oak-bomb Chardonnay with your ribeye, enjoy!”

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