When the weather gets colder and wetter, and it starts getting dark earlier and earlier, I find myself involuntarily singing these words from Autumn Almanac by the Kinks: “Tea and toasted buttered currant buns / Can’t compensate for lack of sun / Because the summer’s all gone.”
As Ray Davies noted there, much of what we eat and drink is governed by the changing seasons. In the days before tanning salons and winter breaks in Lanzarote, the only way Britons could get a bit of sunshine in their lives when autumn arrived was by consuming something comforting. Wines such as port and sherry brought the warmth of the south to rainy northern Europe, combined with a good dose of alcohol to keep out the cold. Can it be a coincidence that both have declined in popularity as homes have become better heated? But they really do come into their own at this time of year.
They are not the only game in town for fortified wine lovers, however. There’s also marsala, a unique style from western Sicily that was a great favourite of Lord Nelson and of the Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi, who, as well as the famous biscuit, also lends his name to a sweeter take on this wine: most cheap marsala is suitable for making tiramisu and not much else, so I was delighted to stumble across the 18% Martinez Marsala Superiore Garibaldi Dolce recently. Imagine drinking alcoholic sticky toffee pudding and walnuts. Doesn’t that sound good? Even better, it’s only £8.99 for a half-bottle from Majestic when you buy a mixed case of six bottles.
Winter warmers don’t have to be sweet and boozy, but they must have plenty of flavour. That neutral white that tasted so good in July with spaghetti vongole just isn’t going to cut the mustard on Bonfire Night. If you’re looking to splash out a little, Yapp Brothers has the perfect autumn white in Arbois Savagnin Domaine Jean-Louis Tissot 2020 (£24.75, 14.5%), which comes from the Jura, which is sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland. It has a taste somewhere between a rich white burgundy and a fino sherry, with fresh apples and a finish of toasted almonds. Roast a chicken with plenty of herbs and butter, open a bottle and you won’t care that you haven’t seen the sun for days.
Five bottles to keep the cold at bay
Asda Extra Special Languedoc White 2023 £8, 13%. With its citrus and thyme flavours, this is another splendid roast chicken white wine.
Paul Mas Reserve Merlot 2023 £10 Tesco, 14%. A distinctive southern French take on merlot: think black olives and rosemary.
Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2020 £13 (£10 with clubcard) Tesco, 14.5%. This ripe blend of syrah, grenache and mourvèdre is a perennial autumn favourite that never fails to hit the spot.
Larry Cherubino Ad Hoc Cruel Mistress Pinot Noir 2023 £14.90 Noble Green, 12.5%. Bursting with maraschino cherry and cinnamon notes, this is one of the best pinots I’ve had all year.
Babylonstoren Babel 2022 £17.49 Waitrose, 14%. A magnificently sturdy yet perfectly balanced Cape blend of shiraz, cabernet and other varieties.