The Best Fall Wines to Pour This Season

Fall wine is less about the calendar and more about what's on the stove. Once the first real chill shows up and dinner moves from the grill to the Dutch oven, the bottles we reach for change with it. Autumn wants something with a little more earth and spice, and a lot more room at the table.

So here's what we're actually pouring right now, from the bottle we open on a Tuesday to the ones we're saving for Thanksgiving.

What to look for in a fall wine

Your first instinct is probably the darkest red on the shelf. That instinct isn't wrong. Red wine works in fall because the flavors line up with the food: dark cherry, forest floor, baking spice, a little pepper. Those notes belong next to roast chicken, mushrooms and anything braised.

But "darker" doesn't have to mean "heavier." Some of the best fall reds are light on their feet, with bright acidity that keeps a rich meal from feeling like a nap. Pinot Noir, Gamay from Beaujolais, and Austria's Blaufränkisch all sit in that sweet spot. If you want more weight, Syrah and old-vine Zinfandel blends bring pepper and dark fruit without tipping into syrup.

Whites still have a place. Look for wines with texture or a mineral, smoky edge rather than straight-up tropical fruit. Dry Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Grüner Veltliner all handle squash, pork and turkey better than most people expect.

And if you're a rosé person year-round, stick with drier, more savory styles made from Grenache or Cinsault. Skip the sweet stuff until spring.

The honest rule, as always: drink what you like. The rest of this guide is just a few bottles we think make that easier.

Best red wines for fall

For a weeknight that feels like a weekend: 2023 Domaine des Marrans Chiroubles "Aux Côtes" ($42)

If you only buy one bottle from this list, make it this one. Chiroubles is the highest of the Beaujolais crus, and the Gamay grown up there is the most floral of the bunch. The Mélinand family's Chiroubles "Aux Côtes" comes from a single parcel of roughly 45-year-old vines on steep granite, all harvested by hand.

In the glass it's raspberry and cherry, a lift of violet, soft tannins and enough acidity to keep you going back. Give it 20 minutes in the fridge before you pour. It's the bottle for mushroom risotto, roast chicken, or a cheese board you're calling dinner.

For the Burgundy lover (or the one you want to impress): 2024 Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Rouge "La Fussière" Premier Cru ($85)

Brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet started their domaine in 2005, and their Pinot Noir has built a real following among people who pay attention to Burgundy. La Fussière is their flagship Premier Cru, blended from seven parcels with vines ranging from 10 to 85 years old.

Expect crisp cherry, a touch of forest floor and fine, chiseled tannins. It's the earthy, quietly serious Pinot that fall cooking was made for: duck, mushrooms, a roast with herbs. This is the bottle we'd bring to a dinner party where the host actually cooks.

For the curious drinker: 2024 Hanna Glatzer Carnuntum Blaufränkisch ($30)

Blaufränkisch is the grape we wish more people knew. Hanna Glatzer makes this one at her family's estate in Göttlesbrunn, southeast of Vienna, with her father Walter and brother Matias, from certified organic vineyards.

The Glatzer Blaufränkisch smells like sour cherry, wild raspberry and dried violets, with a little black pepper. It's light to medium bodied, silky, and spicy on the finish. Think of it as a Pinot drinker's gateway to something new. At $30 it's also the easiest bottle on this list to open on a random Wednesday with pizza or sausages.

For the big-red crowd: 2023 Bedrock Wine Co. "Evangelho Heritage" ($45)

Some people want their fall red to have some shoulders. The Evangelho Heritage comes from a vineyard planted in the 1890s in deep sand near the Sacramento Delta, where many of the original vines still grow on their own roots. It's mostly Zinfandel with Mourvèdre and a handful of other old grapes, all picked and fermented together.

It's raspberry, blood orange and cracked pepper, lifted and fresh rather than jammy. Pour it with braised short ribs, burgers or anything coming off a smoky grill on one of those warm October evenings.

Best white wines for fall

2025 Dönnhoff Estate Nahe Dry Riesling ($28)

Dry Riesling might be the most useful white wine you can keep around between October and New Year's. The Dönnhoff family has farmed in Germany's Nahe since at least 1761, and their estate dry Riesling comes from steep vineyards on stony volcanic soils.

It's green apple, citrus and lemon balm over a smoky, stony core, with no sweetness at all. That acidity is what makes it work with fall food: roast pork, butternut squash, Thai takeout, and yes, turkey.

If you want something with a bit more texture, look for Chenin Blanc from the Loire or a peppery Grüner Veltliner from Austria. Both are white wines that drink like fall.

What about rosé in fall?

You don't have to put rosé away in September. The trick is choosing the right one: dry, savory styles from Grenache or Cinsault, ideally with some color to them. Tavel, from France's southern Rhône, is the classic fall rosé and pairs with roast chicken better than most reds.

Want to try something a little different? Martha Stoumen's Post Flirtation is a skin-contact orange wine from California's North Coast. It has dried apricot, chamomile and citrus peel, plus enough grip to stand up to a fall meal. It's the bottle that gets people talking at the table.

Wine for Thanksgiving and fall dinner parties

Thanksgiving is the hardest wine dinner of the year. There's turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, three kinds of potatoes, and an uncle who only drinks Cabernet. One bottle can't do it all, so don't ask it to.

That's why our sommeliers put together the Sommelier Curated Thanksgiving Wine Gift Box ($125). It has three bottles, one for each part of the meal:

• For the toast: Domaine Christophe Mittnacht Crémant d'Alsace Extra Brut, a dry sparkling wine to open the day.
• For the turkey: Domaine des Marrans Fleurie "Les Marrans," a juicy Gamay that handles gravy and cranberry sauce.
• For the stuffing: Diwald "Luft & Liebe" Grüner Veltliner, with a peppery edge for stuffing and roasted vegetables.

It also comes with our Thanksgiving Guide, with pairing tips, two recipes and a holiday playlist. Bring it as a host gift, or keep it and call it a plan.

How Argaux can help with fall wines

Fall is a good season to get better at tasting, mostly because there's more time indoors and more reasons to open a bottle with friends. Our Blind Wine Tasting Kit comes with two, three or four hand-wrapped bottles from our collection and a guide to tasting them blind. Pour, guess, argue, unwrap. It's a lot more fun than it sounds, and by winter you'll know what you actually like.

Hosting a Halloween party first? Our guide to the best wine for a Halloween party has you covered.

Looking ahead to December? See our guide to the best wine for Christmas.

Fall wine FAQ

What is the best wine for fall?

For most people, a lighter, earthy red is the best all-around fall wine. Pinot Noir and Beaujolais (Gamay) go with almost every fall dish, from roast chicken to mushrooms to turkey. If you prefer white, dry Riesling is the most versatile choice for the season.

Do fall wines have to be red?

No. Red is the classic choice, but dry Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, savory rosé and orange wine all work well with fall food. Look for whites and rosés with texture, minerality or spice rather than tropical fruit.

What wine should I bring to a fall dinner party?

A Beaujolais cru like Chiroubles or Fleurie is the safest bet because it pairs with nearly anything and most guests enjoy it. If you know the host loves wine, a Burgundy Pinot Noir like a Maranges Premier Cru is a bottle they'll remember.

What wine goes best with Thanksgiving dinner?

Plan on more than one bottle. A dry sparkling wine for the toast, a light, juicy red like Beaujolais for the turkey and cranberry sauce, and a crisp, peppery white like Grüner Veltliner or dry Riesling for the sides covers the whole table.

Should I chill red wine in the fall?

Lighter reds like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Blaufränkisch taste better slightly cool, around 55 to 60°F. Twenty minutes in the fridge before serving is plenty. Fuller reds like Zinfandel blends can be served a little warmer, but not at warm room temperature.