The Wines of Autumn

These wines can be combined with a number of different types of meals -- and they can all be found for under $15.

Autumn Harvest

I love the foods of autumn most of all. We still have the great vegetables of late summer like tomatoes, corn, squash, eggplant, beans and beets, and we begin to cook the root vegetables that sustain us through mid-autumn and winter. I cook differently in the fall. I think about it more and spend more time at it. The dishes are richer, heartier and more complex. When it starts to get cold outside, and I can find a free day, I like nothing more than to spend it in a warm kitchen making great food for people I care about. And, of course, I like finding great wines to help the cooking and eating processes. Having a sip of good wine while you are cooking can be conducive to the creative effort.

The wines I found for this column span a broad range of geography and grape varieties and can sustain a number of different types of meals and keep you well fortified through the process of cooking them. They are wines you and your friends will enjoy, and they won’t break your piggy bank. All can be found for under $15. Here are some ideas for how I might use them, which you can adapt to your own taste.

I love stew, the heartier the better. There is something primal about taking tough but tasty cuts of meat and game and some root vegetables and slowly cooking them for hours over low heat with a little wine or beer—in you and in the dish. Cassoulet is my favorite. Beef or lamb and duck and sausage and beans and tomatoes and a little wine and a lot of heaven. Drink the Mas Carlot with this, an almost perfect pairing. Or try the Gallo Cabernet or the Kendall-Jackson Meritage with this or other red meat stews. I also like chicken stews like coq au vin or simple chicken and rice dishes. I might drink the Sebastiani Pinot Noir with the coq au vin or the Domaine De Pouy or the Semi Chardonnay with the lighter chicken stews. I also like fish stews, particularly bouillabaisse with a spicy, garlicky rouille on French baguettes. Drink the Sauvignons Blancs or the Riesling with this and either will make you happy.

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Opening the box containing my new portable television, I removed the remote and turned it over to install the batteries. Molded into the device was this message: "Made in Indonesia—Not Dishwasher Safe."    

-- Marvin Wier