Top Wine Picks! Getting Cozy For Fall

There is no doubt that I drink all colours year round.  Whites quench my thirst, rosés bring some sunshine to my day and reds always manage to bring a sense of comfort. But inevitably, seasons do affect what I tend to reach for. As the days get cooler and the amount of daylight reduces, full-bodied reds are what I tend to crave. I call it my vitamin D of wine. Didn’t the doctor used to prescribe wine and alcohol as medicine in the past? Here are some Canadian wines that I prescribe to help you ease into the change of season. And a good album of music to go with it is mandatory. Wine-music therapy.

1) 2012 Orofino Red Bridge Red, Similkameen Valley

I often have my reserve for BC Merlot. They can at times be green and have that confusing mix of ripe and unripe flavours. This is certainly NOT the case here. I enjoy this wine year after year. Rich and unctuous with lush flavours of coco, plum, vanilla and cedar. My music combo? "Trusty and True" from Damien Rice (from My Favourite Faded Fantasy album). What I call the perfect Monday night. ($25, 14.6% alcohol)

2) 2013 C.C. Jentsch Cellars Syrah, Okanagan Valley

I had the honor to judge multiple wine competitions this year and this wine came out as a favourite multiple times (we taste blind). It has everything I love about the Syrahs from the Okanagan Valley - meaty with savoury notes of white pepper, violet, and plum. Full bodied and comforting, it reminds of a classic from the Northern Rhône region. And of course some classic tunes to go with it. Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits album is the perfect company for this wine. ($29.90, 13.9% alcohol)

3) 2014 Pearl Morissette Cabernet Franc Cuvée Persephone, Niagara Peninsula

Put a grape that does excessively well in the Niagara region together with a highly regarded producer like Pearl Morissette and you have something magical. Fresh and lively with savoury tannins and aromas of red cherries and slight floral and herbal notes. Open this when you are not in a rush and savour over a couple of hours. It keeps on changing from sip to sip. A bottle that will satisfy the wine intellect. Great with roasted pork and even better with the music of Tom Waits. I pick the ‘Nighthawks at the Diner’ album recorded in 1975. (I recommend to decant this wine). ($48.20, 13% alcohol)

2012_Red_Bridge_Red 500h syrahhighres_copy2012 500h PM_Cab_Franc 500h

Michelle Bouffard is a wine educator and journalist who splits her time between Montréal & Vancouver. She co-owns the Vancouver-based company ‘house wine’ and is the president of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. She Tweets @michellebwine and Instagrams @michellebouffard.