The hot weather is beginning to fade as warm days give way to cool evenings, welcoming wine drinkers to pull out that stash of darker reds they’ve been hiding all summer. When summer turns to fall, I reach for a red blend to celebrate the harvest season. Check out these five wines—perfect for football season back to school suppers, and harvest parties—each crafted by winemakers who know how to expertly blend grapes of different varietals.
d’Art 2017 The Dance
This artful blend of cabernet sauvignon, barbera, and zinfandel is a dance of three cultures: French, Italian, and American. Ripe red fruit and smooth, integrated tannins make this blend a winner. www.dartwines.com
$28
Oak Farm Vineyards 2018 Tievoli
A complex blend of zinfandel, primitivo, barbera, and petite sirah creates layers of rich, black cherry fruit, ripe raspberry, and vanilla spice. Mellow tannins and a silky finish make this wine an easy fall sipper.
www.oakfarmvineyards.com
$22
Markus Wine Co. Sol 2016 Red Blend
This rich red blend by Markus Niggli is big but unbelievably balanced. With layers of dark, black fruit, this blend of petite sirah, syrah, petite verdot, and carignane gives us all the fall feels. With well-integrated tannins, and a long, lingering finish, this wine will leave you reaching for more.
www.markuswine.com
$39
2017 St. Amant Speakeasy Red
While we’d love to tell you what varietals this blend is made from, we can’t. It’s a secret blend hand-crafted by winemaker Stuart Spencer in the cellars of St. Amant. What we can tell you is this robust and full-bodied wine includes some zinfandel, barbera, souzao, and tempranillo grapes, plus a few other secret varietals.
www.stamantwine.com
$24
Michael David Winery 2016 Freakshow Red Wine
Building off the success of Michael David Winery’s wildly successful Freakshow Cabernet, the Freakshow Red Wine is a bold blend of syrah, petite sirah, and petite verdot! With flavors of dark ripe fruits and aromas of espresso and spice, this full bodied beast boasts blueberry cobbler, caramel, and black pepper. And with supple tannins and a long, lingering finish, it’s the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
www.michaeldavidwinery.com
$20
Soooooo grateful for being included! Thank you, Suzanne!
– Jon at Markus Wine Co.