As the air turns crisp and the landscape glows with autumn’s palette, our tastes naturally gravitate toward wines of greater depth, expressions layered with spice, warmth, and richness. These wines pair effortlessly with hearty fall dishes and invite moments of comfort and connection.
This season, Salamander Middleburg’s sommelier, John Leight, unveils his top five wine recommendations, each thoughtfully selected to capture the spirit of autumn. Available at Harrimans Grill, these wines invite you to explore nuanced tasting notes and inspired pairings whether you’re elevating a gathering at home or raising a glass with us at Harrimans.
As the air turns crisp and the landscape glows with autumn’s palette, our tastes naturally gravitate toward wines of greater depth, expressions layered with spice, warmth, and richness. These wines pair effortlessly with hearty fall dishes and invite moments of comfort and connection.
This season, Salamander Middleburg’s sommelier, John Leight, unveils his top five wine recommendations, each thoughtfully selected to capture the spirit of autumn. Available at Harrimans Grill, these wines invite you to explore nuanced tasting notes and inspired pairings whether you’re elevating a gathering at home or raising a glass with us at Harrimans.
At Harrimans Grill, our passion for exceptional wine was recently recognized with Wine Spectator’s 2025 Best of Award of Excellence, a testament to our thoughtfully curated program and the expertise of our sommelier, John Leight.
Composed around the harvest of 2016, Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is a blend of 146 wines from 11 different years. The youngest is from the year 2016 and the oldest dates back to 1998. The final composition of this champagne is 44% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier.
Pairing Notes: There is nothing quite like a fantastic bottle of champagne to toast to the holiday season with your family and friends. Remember, champagne pairs with every dish.
The 2021 Reynolds Chardonnay is a beautifully layered expression of the Carneros region. Delicate yet compelling aromatics reveal crisp apple, juicy Asian pear, and light citrus, framed by subtle hints of toasted meringue, custard, and fresh coconut. On the palate, a vibrant acidity lifts the rich texture, creating a balanced interplay between brightness and depth. The stainless steel component highlights the wine’s lively freshness, while the concrete egg adds a touch of minerality, and the barrel fermentation provides a creamy complexity.
Pairing Notes: The richness provided by the new oak used in making this Chardonnay is the perfect pairing with cassoulet or any fall root vegetable soup.
Prunelle de Navacelle is a trailblazing vigneronne in the emerging Beaujolais-Lantignié region. She produces small lots of her personal project at her family’s Château du Basty, home of the Perroud family since 1482. Prunelle farms old vines with regenerative agroecology methods to encourage biodiversity while fighting climate change. Her Régnié is made from a single .64ha, 80-year-old, certified organic gamay parcel that she received in a trade from her friend Julien Sunier, who had previously converted the parcel to organic farming. The vineyard is planted in pink granite at 390m, produced with respect to her natural principles with biodynamic farming methods and cover crops. Bottled without fining, filtration, or added sulfur, the result is authentic, elegant, and transparent Régnié.
Pairing Notes: Gamay is the ideal Thanksgiving pairing as it provides those acidic and tart cranberry flavors without having to crack open the canned cranberry that my family always put on the table - even though nobody ate it.
The Etna Rosso is a wine that speaks the language of its land and embodies its spirit. A pure sip of authenticity offering bright, transparent, and ruby red color. Expect a fragrance that opens with strawberry and raspberry notes, soon embraced by the citrusy freshness of tangerine and a lightly mineral hint. Lastly, a nuance of white chocolate mixed with precious white pepper and cardamom. Particularly crisp and refreshing in the mouth, with a vivid and harmonic tannic perception. The aftertaste is pleasantly clean and sapid, as well as appealing and lively.
Pairing Notes: In an age where the delicious Pinot Noirs of Burgundy have become increasingly more expensive, I find myself gravitating toward the red wines of Sicily for the combination of deep red fruit and volcanic minerality. I love how those flavors interact with a grilled seafood or charred component of any dish.
Winemaker Heidi Barrett’s tasting notes: “Showcasing a deep magenta and garnet hue, the nose immediately offers notes of currant, pomegranate, and raspberry fruit intertwined with caramel and holiday spice. Medium body with moderate tannin, rich and decadent layers of chocolate, blueberry, and north star cherry predominate more subtle hints of gingerbread and orange zest. This is a playful yet elegant Cabernet that continues to express its beauty as it evolves in your glass.”
Wines from this vintage are exceptionally balanced and 2020 could be one of the best growing seasons in Santa Barbara County yet.
Pairing Notes: I am thrilled to be able to feature any wine made by the legendary Heidi Barrett on our list, but to be able to share it by the glass is even more special. With deep red fruit flavors and silky tannins this wine is guaranteed to be a showstopper to impress your family and friends with a Cabernet they have more than likely never had before.
