Fall Food and Wine Pairings: A Guide to Seasonal Delights

Fall in Salmon Arms is a favourite season for many. Leaves transform into beautiful colours, temperatures drop to cozy sweater weather, and harvest season fills us with pumpkins, squash, apples, and, most importantly, wine grapes. With comforting aromas and flavours, autumn is the perfect time for wine and food pairings. 

Read on to discover some of our favourite fall wine and food pairings, plus tips on serving and autumn presentation. 

Some popular ingredients associated with fall are apples, spices, and pumpkins. Let’s see how these three flavour profiles interact with wines such as Gewürztraminer, Rosé, and Merlot and wine and food pairings that go with them.

Gewürztraminer Pairings

This white wine has a prominent spiciness with a floral bouquet reminiscent of rose petals - notes of crisp almonds and tropical fruit shine through with a slight sweetness and dry finish. 

• Apples: Gewürztraminer's tropical fruit and floral notes complement the tartness and sweetness of apples, while the slight sweetness of the wine balances the acidity, making it a great wine and food pairing. This wine pairs well with apple recipes, such as: 
• Baked brie and apple chutney
• Apple pie
• Apple crisp
• Fall spices: The natural spiciness of Gewürztraminer aligns well with the fall trio of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.  Gewürztraminer wine and food pairing is perfect with:
• Pumpkin muffins
• Pumpkin pie
• Apple pie
• Pumpkin: Gewürztraminer enhances the earthy sweetness of pumpkin with its spicy, floral notes. This wine and food pairing is ideal for:
• Pumpkin soup
• Pumpkin risotto
• Pumpkin ravioli

Rosé Pairings

Rosé wine is either sparkling or still and ranges from dry to sweet, but flavour-wise, it typically has red fruit notes like raspberry and strawberry with citrus and floral undertones and a clean finish.

• Apples: A semi-sweet or dry Rosé can compliment the apple’s natural crispness and balance its tartness and sweetness. This wine pairs nicely with apple dishes like:
• Waldorf salad
• Gouda quesadillas with apple
• Apple-cheddar kabobs
• Fall spices: The red berry notes and citrus undertones of Rosé elevate the warm spices in fall recipes, making it a great pairing with: 
• Roasted root vegetables
• Holiday turkey
• Blue cheese
• Pumpkin: A dry Rosé offers a refreshing contrast to the earthy flavour of pumpkin and pairs beautifully with dishes like:
• Pumpkin lasagna
• Pumpkin mac and cheese
• Pumpkin hummus

Merlot Pairings

Merlot is a medium to full-bodied red wine full of rich cherry, plum, and blackberry flavours with hints of almond, cocoa, spice, and a smooth, soft finish. 

• Apples: Merlot’s velvety, dark-fruit character bodes well with apple-based recipes like:
• Apple stuffed pork chops
• Pork tenderloin and apple sauce
• Baked apples
• Fall spices: The light chocolatey, and gentle spice notes of Merlot complement warm fall spices. This wine and food pairing goes well with:
• Hearty beef stew
• Rack of lamb
• Italian tomato-based dishes

Read also about how to pair Merlot with various cheeses

• Pumpkin: Merlot balances the earthy richness of pumpkin with its deep fruitiness and silky smooth finish, making it an excellent match for:
• Pumpkin fettuccine
• Pumpkin gnocchi
• Pumpkin chili

Cabernet Sauvignon Pairings

Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied red wine with flavors of blackberry, plum, and notes of pepper, tobacco, and sometimes green bell pepper.

• Apples: The robust nature of Cabernet can pair with savory apple dishes.
• Apple and blue cheese-stuffed pork loin
• Beef and apple stew
• Fall spices: The peppery notes in Cabernet can complement hearty dishes with fall spices.
• Spiced lamb shanks
• Beef bourguignon with star anise
• Pumpkin: Cabernet's depth can match well with hearty pumpkin dishes.
• Pumpkin and beef curry
• Pumpkin and lentil stew with smoked paprika

Serving and Presentation Tips

Enhance your wine and food fall pairings by serving your wine at the perfect temperature, in the proper glassware, and with seasonal ambiance.

What is the Perfect Temperature?

Serve wine at the right temperature to fully experience its flavours, aromas, and nuances. 

• White wine: Refrigerating white wine for one to two hours before serving allows it to reach an optimum temperature of 10-13°C (50-55°F).
• Red wine: Storing your red wines in a cool, dark place will keep them at their perfect serving temperature of 18-19°C (65-67°F), typically slightly cooler than room temperature. Open your red wine at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the air to revive the flavour characteristics. 
• Rosé wine: Refrigerate your Rosé wines and serve them chilled at a temperature of 7-12°C (45-53°F), slightly lower than your white wine. 
• Sparkling wine: Champagne and other sparkling wines are best served well-chilled to a temperature of 4-7°C (45-55°F), and once opened, keep it on ice to stay chilled.

Which Wine Glasses Do I Use?

Yes, the glass makes a difference in your tasting experience. 

• White wine: Wine glasses featuring the traditional U-shaped bowl with a slightly narrow top concentrate the aroma, allowing you to experience the delicate nuances with every sip. Use medium to small glasses so your wine doesn’t warm before finishing.
• Red wine: Wine glasses for red wine have a larger bowl for aeration to help release the flavours and aromas. The glass size can vary for full-, medium-, and light-bodied reds. Full-bodied wines with high tannins need a larger bowl to help soften their mild bitterness. 
• Rosé wine: Glasses for rosé wine should have similar qualities as white wine glasses since they’re both served chilled. Rosé has a higher tannin content than white but not enough to need aeration, so a bigger bowl isn’t necessary.
• Sparkling wine: Flute glasses, with their elongated shape, concentrate the bubbles, sending the effervescence to the narrow opening, allowing you to experience delicate aromas with every sip. 

How Do I Set My Table For Autumn? 

Everything always tastes better when you love your surroundings. Set your fall table with warm, cozy features to give your guests a sense of seasonal charm. 

• Tablecloth and placemats: A tablecloth with fall colours like burnt orange, dark red, or earthy browns and contrasting leaf or acorn-shaped placemats are a nice seasonal touch.
• Centrepieces: Fall flowers, gourds, pumpkins, fall leaves, or a cornucopia with harvest decor make stunning autumn centrepieces.
• Tableware: Use wooden charger plates under your dinner plates and add decorative fall-coloured napkin rings to your cloth napkins, or purchase disposable napkins with a rustic fall design.
• Glassware: Choose your wine glasses according to your wine choice; use coloured glasses for water and tea and coffee cups with fall designs.
• Place cards: Tie a leaf-shaped place card to each wine glass with some twine to add a personalized, fall-themed touch.

Add Decadent Wines to Your Fall Feasts With Larch Hills

Autumn meals taste better when served with family, friends, and a perfectly matched wine. When food and wine balance each other out, neither overwhelms the taste of the other. When considering your wine pairings, remember that red wines are more bitter, white and Rosé are more acidic, and sweet wines have mainly sweeter notes. 

Explore our selection of Merlot, Rosé, and Gewürztraminer wines today.