It’s going to get cool soon. We promise.
And your Jetsetter wine palate will be looking for something beyond the patio sipper — something with more warmth, texture, personality.
We got you!
As the temperatures drop and the menu turns to roasted squash, creamy pastas, mushrooms, pork, braised meats, apple desserts and bubbling casseroles, our wine choices change right along with them.
And here’s the best part: fall wine doesn’t necessarily mean big, heavy reds.
Some of our favorite autumn bottles include elegant Pinot Noir, creamy Chardonnay, spicy Grenache and Syrah, aromatic Chenin Blanc—and even a little Tawny Port when dessert arrives.
So grab your favorite wine glass. In this two part series, we’re uncovering seven wines worth discovering this fall and the comfort foods we’d pair with each one.
🍷 SHOP OUR FALL WINE PICKS
Ready to discover your new favorite fall bottle?
Discover Wines to Kick-Off Fall, Perfect pairings to crisp weather and comfort foods.
🍷 1. Pinot Noir: The Ultimate Fall Red
If we could choose just one red wine to carry us from September through Thanksgiving, Pinot Noir would be near the top of the list.
Its combination of red cherry and raspberry fruit with earthy, spicy and sometimes forest-like notes seems almost made for autumn.
Pinot Noir is also wonderfully food friendly because it delivers plenty of flavor without overpowering dinner. Wine.com recommends it with turkey and mushroom dishes in particular—two flavors that practically define fall cooking.
Perfect fall pairings: mushroom risotto, roast chicken, turkey and stuffing, pork tenderloin, butternut squash ravioli and a fall charcuterie board.
Undercover Jetsetter pairing: Pinot Noir + mushroom risotto + Parmesan.
🍷 SHOP THE WINE:
This Labor Day, shop wines up to 50% off!
Gold Standard Tip: Look beyond California and explore Oregon’s Willamette Valley for an especially delicious fall Pinot Noir.
🥂 2. Chardonnay: Bring On the Comfort Food
Summer may have us reaching for crisp whites, but fall gives us permission to go richer.
This is when we love a beautifully textured Chardonnay, particularly one with enough oak influence to deliver those wonderful vanilla, toast and baking-spice characteristics.
Those flavors work beautifully alongside some of fall’s richest dishes. Wine.com specifically suggests Chardonnay with roasted butternut squash, polenta, mashed potatoes, roasted chicken and salmon.
Perfect fall pairings: roast chicken with sage, butternut squash soup, creamy pasta, baked brie, salmon, lobster mac & cheese and roasted root vegetables.
Undercover Jetsetter pairing: Oaked Chardonnay + roasted chicken with sage + creamy mashed potatoes.
🥂 SHOP THE WINE:
This Labor Day, shop wines up to 50% off!
Gold Standard Tip: If you enjoy that luxurious, creamy style, look for Chardonnay from Sonoma County or Napa Valley. For something more mineral-driven and elegant, take a virtual trip to Burgundy.
🍎 3. Chenin Blanc: Fall’s Underrated White
Want to put something unexpected on the dinner table?
Discover Chenin Blanc.
Depending on where and how it’s produced, Chenin Blanc can range from bone dry to lusciously sweet, but its characteristic acidity and apple and honey flavors make it especially suited to autumn foods.
In fact, Wine.com calls attention to its natural affinity with apple-based fall dishes.
Perfect fall pairings: pork chops with apples, roast pork, sweet potato hash, sausage, Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots and creamy cheeses.
Undercover Jetsetter pairing: Chenin Blanc + pork tenderloin + apple chutney.
🥂 SHOP THE WINE:
This Labor Day, shop wines up to 50% off!
Gold Standard Tip: Explore Vouvray from France’s Loire Valley or Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
🥂 The Undercover Jetsetter Takeaway
The best fall wine isn’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive bottle.
It’s the wine that makes whatever is on the table taste even better.
Maybe that’s an earthy Pinot Noir alongside mushroom risotto. Maybe it’s a buttery Chardonnay with roast chicken. Or perhaps it’s a spicy Syrah with short ribs slowly braising on a Sunday afternoon.
Our rule?
Explore something new.
Because sometimes the best travel happens without leaving the dinner table—and one bottle can take you from Oregon to Burgundy, the Rhône Valley, South Africa or Portugal.
That’s what being an Undercover Jetsetter is all about.
Luxury First. Experiences Always.™
BONUS🍁 Your Undercover Jetsetter Fall Wine Cheat Sheet
| If You’re Eating… | Pour… |
| Mushroom risotto | Pinot Noir |
| Roast chicken & mashed potatoes | Chardonnay |
| Pork & apples | Chenin Blanc |
| Slow-roasted pork | Grenache |
| Braised short ribs | Syrah |
| Sausage or mushroom pizza | Zinfandel |
| Pecan pie | Tawny Port |
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John Daly and Susan Anzalone are the Co-Creators and Co-Hosts of Undercover Jetsetter, a show on travel, food, wine, and booze. Join them for tips and hacks on the road, at home, or in the kitchen, and all over the world. Susan is an expert in food and wine since her childhood days in Australia and then Hawaii and the United States, being the daughter of two lifelong employees of Pan Am Airlines. John is also a world traveler starting when he studied in Italy through his alma mater Providence College. John is also a Nevada Hall of Fame Broadcaster during his years as a Las Vegas news anchor at KTNV. He gained international fame as the host of the first all-video news magazine show, Real TV while also securing his bartending and mixology credentials from the Harvard Bartending School. Together, they co-authored the book, The TV Studio In Your Hand: How to Shoot, Edit & Deliver the Easy Way on Your iPhone so you can document your Jetsetting adventures. Follow them on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram, and on the free Wingding app.