GISMONDI ON WINE: Warm Days and Cool Nights - Falling for Red Wine 
by Anthony Gismondi

Shorter days and longer nights signal the end of summer, and for wine drinkers, a switch in style. It’s out with the light whites and the fruity reds, and in with the richer, slightly more intense flavours that can stand up to cooler evenings and heartier fall recipes.

In terms of style and grapes that means less un-oaked whites and a little less of the aromatic grapes such as sauvignon blanc, riesling, ehrenfelser, and friends. In their place think zinfandel, shiraz, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, garnacha, mourvèdre, petit sirah, and other boisterous red blends.

Which reds you choose to buy and/or sell really depends upon your needs. Keep in mind that your customers will be turning to traditional fall foods such as mushrooms, root vegetables, and roasted meats. You can add to that braised beef, stews, pork belly, and classic cassoulet from southern France and, well you get the idea, richer, beefy, spicier wines will be required.

To prepare you for the season I have put together a list of full-bodied reds built for the cool, rainy days to come. As always there is plenty to satisfy under the $20 mark and each will complement a variety of rich fall foods. Say good bye to summer.

We begin in Europe, in southern Italy. Piero Antinori’s modern southern project has produced a delicious Tormaresca Neprica 2004 ($14). The clever Neprica blends negroamaro, primitivo and cabernet sauvignon to capture the warm, almost tropical essence of southern Italy. Rapitalà Nero d'Avola 2003 ($15) takes us to Sicily with its rich peppery, chocolate, and cherry licorice notes.

Spain is equally well-endowed with fall-style reds, and none will break the budget. My current favourites include the supple, plummy flavoured Castillo de Monséran Garnacha 2004 ($11). The unusually named Mad Dogs and Englishman 2005 Jumilla ($15) is worth checking out, and don’t miss the perennial star Castaño Hécula 2004 ($16). All are soft, fruit forward reds that are ready to drink now.

From Australia it’s hard to pass on the Heartland Stickleback Red 2005 ($15) and its mouth-filling mix of peppery, cassis, and raspberry fruit or the MadFish Shiraz 2003 ($17) with its big smoky, blueberry, and black cherry flavours.

Chile remains a treasure trove of soft, supple, medium weight reds. Some of my current best buy favourites include Vina Casablanca Syrah Coleccion Privada 2005 ($13), a Maipo-based red packed with spicy, blackberry fruit nose with smoky roasted pepper notes, or the amazingly consistent Casillero del Diablo Syrah 2005 ($14) with its spicy, smoky, rosemary, sausage meat flavours.

In nearby Argentina, where red is born to be served with beef, there is no shortage of savoury, earthy, potent reds that can subdue even the richest of fall dishes. Malbec is the grape of choice here and three “can’t miss” labels include: Pascual Toso Malbec 2005 ($13), Los Cardos Malbec 2005 ($15), and Jean Bousquet Organic Malbec 2005 ($16).

We round out our selections with California zinfandel, almost a forgotten grape. The best value is at the lower end where you can enjoy the juicy, cedary, blackberry plum flavours of Painter Bridge Zinfandel 2005 ($14), or the cherries and plum with a spicy, sweet, vanilla Delicato Old Vine Zinfandel 2004 ($14).
Let the rain begin. 

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, BC. For more of his thoughts on wine, log onto www.gismondionwine.com.