Imbibing in the fall, a time of transition marked by harvest, holidays and maybe even a day at the beach, demands wine that goes everywhere and does it all. To find the perfect varietals for the final months of the year, SLO Wine & Beer Co. Owner and Sommelier Aaron Warren weighs in.

For the ceremonial welcome of the new season, Aaron’s pours of choice are versatile, Old World reds that create a sense of “bronzed leaves and the flavors that unravel in fall and winter months.” He prefers a traditional, simplistic wine with lower alcohol, higher acidity and a crisp minerality. “Let the terroir sing,” he says. 

During a season when the dinner table is topped with wild mushroom risotto, grilled steak and nutty, sharp cheeses, robust yet food-friendly favorites top Aaron’s list of vinos: Sicilian wines like Etna Rosso are acidic and laced with minerality from volcanic soil; other Italian reds like Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti and Brunello di Montalcino have balanced acidity and tannins and are toasty and laced with dried herbs. “I start feeling Brunello or Rosso di Montalcino right around Halloween,” he muses.

Aaron likes a Bordeaux-style red, too. The fruity flavors, graphite notes and tannins in cabernet sauvignon blends pair well with heavier holiday fare and wild game.

Through September, when we haven’t broken up with summer yet but we’re flirting with fall, Aaron recommends rosé. “Drink it from your finest stemware or smuggle a can of it to the beach,” he says with a laugh. Rosé’s crisp fruit “softens the pain of brutal heat spells in late summer and pairs with damn near everything.” 

Another option for the summer-to-fall transition is zany-yet-wonderful orange wine. Made from a blend of white grapes, these bold, tart and sometimes nutty or fizzy wines are orange because the skins and seeds are kept intact in the maceration process. Accent these natural wines with charcuterie and unctuous, marbleized meats. 

White wine drinkers can tap into the autumn vibes, too. Aaron recommends a dry, mineralized chardonnay to pair with briny oysters, crisp salads, and light seafood and pastas. He also gives a nod to viscous, full-bodied marsanne-roussanne blends that prove a natural match for creamy pastas or simple dish of olives.

Bubbles add a touch of pomp to turning the calendar page. Aaron loves a festive blanc de noirs Champagne: “It’s the grandest beverage of celebration.” 

And while he wouldn’t pair them with food, Aaron insists ciders, meads and mulled wines brimming with crisp, warming spices like anise and nutmeg are a fun fall tradition for celebrating a cool evening. If mulled wine is calling your name, he suggests a light, simple merlot.

When it comes to selecting a specific winemaker, Aaron can name a number of excellent options but is particularly fond of Templeton’s Clesi, which produces wines from rare, heirloom varietals.

“It’s all about gentle extraction and lower yields and making wines with tension,” he says of Clesi’s Old World processes. “They’re making storied, food-friendly wines.”