In my humble opinion, our chef friends who contribute to our wine clubs come up with their best material in the fall. While summer asks us to whip up a dish as quickly as possible so we can spend more time outside, autumn calls us back inside, to chop away while we listen to music, stir a simmering pot, check on a roast, and bask in a warm, glowing kitchen. Maybe it’s just me who does my best cooking in the fall, but either way, I am excited to dig into the four recipes included in this sampler, created for past autumn wine clubs.
     Gougères are the quintessential apéro snack for the coming months, and Tanya Holland’s secret is to pair them with Seyssel’s exuberant sparkling “Petit Royal.” Inspired by a fall trip to Tuscany, Gary Podesto created a colder-weather version of pappa al pomodoro, perfectly suited to Sangiovese. There is no autumn without risotto, and Christopher Lee adorned his with meaty chanterelles and Bayonne ham: a match made in heaven with Kuentz-Bas’ bright and food-friendly Pinot Noir. And in one of my all-time favorite club recipes, Georgeanne Brennan prepared a chicken in a hearty mustard sauce and served it with Valentin Montanet’s joyous, soul-warming Bourgogne rouge.
     This month’s sampler includes a booklet of these four recipes and twelve fall-friendly wines for you to pursue your own inspired pairings at the table.