Decanting Digest - Three great wines for autumn entertaining

Autumn is a special time for entertaining. Summer’s bounty of fresh vegetables gives way to a harvest that benefits from roasting and caramelization. There’s a crispness in the air that makes gathering around a fire feel like an ideal way to spend an evening among family and friends. And the feeling of warmth that surrounds us there translates into a greater warmth within us.

If you’ll have loved ones gathering with you this autumn, give these wines a try. They add just the right punctuation to a variety of dishes that are likely to grace your table as the temperatures dip and the leaves begin to fly.

Fielding Estate Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2020
Beamsville Bench, Ontario
LCBO # 164491 or direct from the winery
$16.95

Chardonnay doesn’t need oak to shine, and some of the best examples of that fact can be found right here in Ontario. And as a bonus, underappreciated varietals tend not to be overpriced. Fielding Estate Winery is a standout in many areas, but their Unoaked Chardonnay is an especially brilliant one. This 100% VQA Chardonnay features notes of late summer fruits like melon, plum, and sweet apple, underscored by a crisp minerality that makes it pair well with salty and savoury dishes. Try it with sesame-crusted seared Ahi tuna in a tamari glaze.
Score: 7.5/10.

Canonica a Cerreto Riserva Chianti Classico 2016
Tuscany, Italy
LCBO # 275867
$24.95

Medium-bodied reds that marry fruit with warm complements are a perfect way to transition out of the lighter wines of summer and look ahead to frosty days. This highly tradtional Chianti Classico carries DOCG designation—check out the Decanting Digest column “A Tour of Tuscany” if you’d like to learn more about what that means—layers flavours of cherry amid cedar and licorice notes. Turn to this overperformer as richer dishes like braised short rib return to your table.
Score: 8/10.

Cave Spring Select Late Harvest Riesling 2017
Jordan Village, Ontario
LCBO # 415901 or direct from the winery
$24.95

For those times when you want to mark a special occasion but an ice wine feels too heavy and over the top, a late harvest is just the ticket. This VQA late harvest Riesling from Cave Spring is bursting with flavours of stone fruits like peach and apricot but is just lightly syrupy as though sweetened with a hint of honey. It’s definitively a dessert wine, but it can stand up to desserts that are even richer. Try this with a rich chocolate cake or pot de crème.
Score: 8/10.