The fall season brings about cooler temperatures along with a beautiful display of colors in the foliage. It is also the time of year when we trade our shorts and tees for a cozy sweater and our favorite jeans. Just like the way the scenery changes and you switch out your wardrobe, you need to be selecting a new variety of wines that will pair perfectly with all of the delicious fall harvest foods you will be enjoying.
Which Wine to Choose
Those slightly chilled, crisp white wines were perfect for sipping next to the pool on a hot day, but they seem to lose their appeal as the temperature drops. Although you are in search of something heartier, you may not be ready yet for the full-bodied red wines that you enjoy next to the fireplace on a snowy evening. What you need for the fall season are wines that bridge the gap between summer and winter’s classic choices. This would be any of the full-bodied whites or the light to medium reds that pair so well with fall’s harvest of amazing foods.
Pinot Noir
A glass of Pinot Noir is the perfect way to welcome in the fall season. It is a natural choice with its earthy aromas that bring to mind wet leaves and its faint floral smells of the fading summer. This wine’s warm clove, vanilla, and nutmeg spices are well suited to the harvest bounty while the cranberry and tart cherry notes usher in winter.
Merlot
If you love the rich pies, mochas, and cozy atmosphere of this time of year, you will enjoy Merlot. Characteristics like plum, black cherry, and raspberry flavors paired with a hint of vanilla, cedar, and coffee make this wine the ideal complement to all of those wonderful fall treats you will be filling your kitchen with.
Oaked Chardonnay
Oaked Chardonnay was made for crisp fall days with flavors that include ripe pears, baked apples, toffee, caramel, and vanilla. Aged in oak barrels, this wine has a richer, nuttier characteristic than the typical Chardonnay. You can’t get a flavor closer to the fall experience than this.
Cabernet Franc
Sipping a glass of Cabernet Franc gives you a true sense of the season in the same way getting out your favorite leather jacket does when the days get colder. This old friend’s notes of savory dried oregano, red pepper, and leather are balanced by a juicy raspberry sauce and plum, and just like your Oaked Chardonnay, it has been aged in an oak barrel for a superb richness.
Syrah
This wine is like being able to bottle up the feeling of a warm fire. A full-bodied red wine, Syrah is filled with the flavor of rich black and red fruits that are combined with hints of black pepper and smoke. The result is a wine that includes aromas that will leave you in anticipation of the first snow fall.
Where to Store Your Fall Wines
The Wine Cellar NJ residents most enjoy are ones that blends in nicely with the architecture and décor they already have established within their home. There are several different options you can choose from when incorporating wine storage into your own house. Begin by deciding whether you would like a full sized wine cellar or simply a space within the kitchen that can hold a few seasonal bottles of your favorite varieties.
The Wine Cellar
If you have a finished basement, you have the ideal place for a wine cellar. Wine cellars are most often created out of cabinets and wine racks constructed from rich woods that give the space a warm and inviting feel. If there is room, incorporate an actual bar with seating on one side and shelves on the other to hold everything you need to make the perfect mixed drink, serve lovely wines, or simply enjoy a beer with friends.
Floor to ceiling shelves with wine cubbies for bottles serves double duty as storage and visual appeal. Don’t forget to include racks for hanging the wine glasses from. The wine cellar is one area of your home where you don’t want to hide your clutter. Bottles, glasses, and other essentials are an important element to the over-all beauty of this space.
Wine Storage in the Kitchen
If you are limited when it comes to space, you can still have a beautiful storage area for your seasonal wines. Many homeowners now include wine storage into their NJ kitchen design. Use a set of cupboards to be designated for this project. Overhead cabinets work best. This is especially true for the cupboards above the range. Replace solid doors with clear glass so the beauty of the glasses and bottles can be seen. You can also incorporate this type of wine storage into an island where it won’t take up any additional space, but it will still add to the elegance of the kitchen.
