Foliage, football games, orchard visits and even sweaters: The most fun of the fall involves getting outside to actively revel in the changing weather. Fortunately, the rise of alternative packaging now makes it easier to enjoy wine while you tick off that to-do list of cool-air activities. Here are four favorite ways to embrace the season, and the convenient canned wines that best complement them.
Tailgating
Pick a sport—baseball, football, field hockey, roller derby—set up in the parking lot and pop open an Old Westminster Carbonic. Fermented with wild yeast and canned without fining or filtering, this 100% Maryland-grown Cab Franc is medium bodied, vibrant and just plain game-changing. Plus, it’s great with trunk-side barbecue or on its own to celebrate team victories.
Trick-or-Treating
While the little ghouls and goblins make their rounds, treat yourself to white Merlot from Long Island’s Bridge Lane, an offshoot of Lieb Cellars. As surprising as some of the costumes that’ll cross your doorstep, this doesn’t see any skin contact, and, unlike the pink stuff from other white Merlots, is straightforward yet expressive, with a wet stone aroma, lemon flavor and lots of lively acidity.
Hayrides
Whether you’re wagoning around a fall fest or trolling the local pumpkin patch, a cruise through crisp air deserves to be paired with a crisp beverage. Ferdinand’s California Albariño is a perfect match for this situation. It’s whole-cluster pressed and spends eight months on lees, which results in a savory wine full of quince and lemongrass that offers a nice salinity on the finish.
Apple Picking
Skip cider and tote around The Great Oregon Wine Co.’s Pinot Noir. Earthy and juicy in red cherry character, this is slightly smoky, silky in feel and sports a light-to-medium body—totally gluggable, to put it plainly. It’s just right for your trek through the orchard and complementary to the flavorful, just-picked fruit you’ll be nibbling.
Published: September 13, 2018
