Cozy Wines for an Evening In

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's the secret pleasure of staying home.

- KAREN MACNEIL

Add something delicious for dinner and a great bottle of wine and, well, a fall night doesn't get much better. Great wines aren't inexpensive, but they are so incredibly satisfying. Best of all, they encourage us to sit around the dinner table, talking with loved ones long into the night. And the memories created? Priceless. Here are some of my favorite wines for a cozy evening this fall. Each of these wines appears in the new third edition of my book THE WINE BIBLE (Workman Publishing, October). 

01 Just Like Pie

DUNDEE HILLS, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON 

When people who love Oregon Pinot Noir talk about the wine's sensual texture and earthy flavors, lots of ears prick up. In particular, the Pinots from Oregon's Willamette (rhymes with dammit) Valley are sensational. Ken Wright's "Latchkey Vineyard," is savory, supple and has a core of rich red fruit. Think cherry cobbler disguised as wine. Ken Wright Cellars, 'Latchkey Vineyard' Pinot Noir 2020

02 Designer Double

WALLA WALLA VALLEY, WASHINGTON

One of the best things a wine can do is taste like it costs twice as much as it does. That's this Seven Hills Cabernet. Washington had about 100 wineries 20 years ago; today it has more than 1000, and wine quality has soared. Most of the wineries are in the very dry eastern part of the state (leaving rainy Seattle to its coffeehouses). Seven Hills, 'SHW Founding Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

03 Crème de la Crème

SONOMA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA