“Come Over October” is a national awareness campaign aimed at getting more people to hang out with friends and drink wine. Sounds pretty good, right? It’s the perfect time to organize a casual get-together and I’ve got four wines to inspire you. Ready? Let’s go!
Fall Picnic with Bodegas Garzon Albarinõ 2025
That’s right – Albarinõ from Uruguay! Albarinõ hails from the Rias Baixas region in northwest Spain. But the people at Uruguay’s largest wine producer, Bodegas Garzoñ have figured out how to grow and vinify this amazing white grape like it was born there!
I love this wine because it’s a little like Sauvie B and Chardy had a baby. It’s bright and lush with tropical fruit, without the herbaceous note of Sauv Blanc. It has lovely acidity and just the teensiest bit of salinity (an Albarinõ hallmark). It’s an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser of a white wine.
You might be familiar with Bodegas Garzon’s Tannat (it’s everywhere). I think it is super funned interesting that more white wines are coming out of Uruguay. It matches what more people are reaching for these days (but their Tannat is still the bomb, too.)
Pack up your picnic basket and head outdoors to enjoy the fall weather with this wine. Pair it with fried chicken, French jambon-beurre sandwiches, potato chips and onion dip – you name it. It’s a crisp white wine that goes with so many types of food. Plus: screw cap means you don’t even need a wine key!
Price: About $19. Find it Binny’s stores or ask your local wine shop for it. Alcohol: 14% More info here.
Girls Night In with Esporaõ Bico Amarelo 2025
Message your besties and invite them over for a casual wine get-together with a real conversation-starter of a wine from Portugal.
Esporaõ is one of Portugal’s largest wine producers, with properties in Alentejo, the Douro Valley and Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is primarily known for the white wine of the same name that is bright, zesty with citrus fruit and a slight fizziness.
But now, Esporaõ is introducing a red wine from Vinho Verde. There are very few reds from this land of white wine and Bico Amarelo is one of the newest. It’s made from Espadeiro, Padeiro and Borraçal grapes, and it’s fermented and aged in stainless steel. Notably, there are no Soušao grapes in this wine (which can be quite tannic).
The wine is vibrant with ripe strawberries and red currants, medium-bodied and fresh. It’s almost like a pinot noir, but juicier with a little more body. It could also be compared to France’s Beaujolais Nouveau, the bright and bouncy red wine bottled and sold soon after harvest (the third Thursday of every November).
Pair this with snacks, snacks and more snacks. Hummous and crudités? Yes. Cheese and charcuterie? Yep. Chips and dips? Of course. Salads? Please, girl, yes! Oh, it’s also great chilled!
Price: about $17. Alcohol: 11% Find it at Le Midi, Beautiful Rind, Olivia’s Market and Family Wine & Liquor in Chicago, or ask your wine shop for it. More info here.
Sunday Funday with Root 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Fall Sundays have a built-in occasion for get-togethers and that is football (or post-season baseball if you’re lucky!) Round up your sports pals and crack open this casual Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.
Root 1 is Chile’s first sustainably certified winery, using solar power, conserving water and supporting people and projects in their community. (It always feels great to support wineries that are doing the right thing.)
It hails from the sun-soaked Maipo Valley in Chile, where Cabernet Sauvignon thrives. It’s full-bodied and you’ll get a rush of juicy, ripe black and blue fruit (plums, blackberries), balanced with a hint of vanilla and mocha. The oak is here on this wine and I am here for it.
This Cab is an easy drinker and easy to pair with your football faves like sliders, chili (with cheese on top, please!), meat nachos, and BBQ ribs or brisket. And it’s also got a high “affordalicious rating at about $13 per bottle. It’s an approachable and versatile crowd-pleaser to share with your sports fans.
Price: About $13 Alcohol: 13% Find it at Mariano’s in Chicago or ask your wine shop for it. More info is here.
Cozy Fall Dinner with Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella 2021
Backyard BBQs and porch parties might be behind us, but indoor dinner parties are here! I love setting a table, building a menu – or a potluck list – and inviting friends to my table to connect over great food and wine.
This luxurious bold Italian red wine was made for all your dinner party favorites: lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, mushroom rags, braised short ribs, pot roast – you name it, this wine works. You could even pair with roasted chicken or a pork roast with onions and potatoes. Yum.
The thing that makes this wine cool is its method. The “Ripassa” part translates to “re-passed.” But what does that mean? It means that a Ripassa wine is made from the “left-over” grapes (seeds, skins, all of it) after Amarone is made. Amarone is a very rich, expressive red wine from this region (and can be a pricey meatball). This wine is your affordable luxury!
After they make the Amarone – using Corvina, Rondinella and Oseleta grapes – they trigger a second fermentation to make Valpolicella Ripassa. That makes this wine very silky (because all the big tannins are in the Amarone).
Now don’t get me wrong – this wine is bold – but it’s also super juicy with black cherries and currants, and vibrant with dried violets, smooth tannins and great structure. This feels like silk on the palate, as ripe black and blue fruits glide over your tongue. It’s bold – but not overly tannic. It’s your perfect fall dinner party wine!
Price: about $30 Alcohol 14.5% Find it at Binny’s or ask your wine shop for it. For more info, go here.
Off you go. Call, text or email your friends and invite them to Come Over this October! Cheers!
