October's wine list: Nine perfect pairings

Whether it's a weeknight dinner or an elaborate Thanksgiving spread, liven up your meals this month with these perfect wine pairings, hand-picked by sommelier Jamie Drummond. From a dry rosé, to an organic sauvignon blanc and a crisp riesling, these are the wines we're sipping with this month's recipes!

Château Val Joanis Rosé Tradition Syrah, France, $15.

Bring some French sunshine into our cool Canadian autumn with this syrah-and-granache-based dry rosé. This is a wine with considerable depth, matching perfectly with these zesty noodles.

Pair it with: Speedy pad Thai

Adobe Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Chile, $13.

A terrific organic wine from Chile's Casablanca Valley that's a treat with this harvest salad. The nose is incredibly herbaceous with touches of green grass and citrus. In the mouth you'll find a bright,  crisp green-apple character.

Pair it with: Warm chicken and apple salad

Terra d'Aligi Tatone Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy, $16.

This well-priced wine from east-central Italy sits exceptionally well alongside these tasty falafels. On the nose and in the mouth, the wine exudes a ripe blackberries, spicy oak and vanilla. Approachable tannins make it a food-friendly option.

Pair it with: Red pepper falafel cakes

Perrin Réserve Cotes du Rhône, France, $18.

The Rhône Valley is a great choice for good-value wines. The grenache, syrah and mourvédre blend makes for a sexy nose of spicy forest berries followed by soft tannins. Perfect with this pork dish.

Pair it with: Pork chops with brandy sauce

Clean Slate Reisling Qualitatswein, Germany, $15.

Mouth-watering flavours of lime, clementine and apple blossoms abound in this refreshing riesling. At 11 percent, this crisp wine is a little lower in alcohol and made in more of an off-dry style, which suits this fresh pork dish perfectly.

Pair it with: Pork and zucchini meatballs in lettuce cups

For our modern Thanksgiving menu:

Inniskilin Winemaker's Series Barrel aged Pinot Gris, Ontario, $20.

With 30 percent of the fruit being barrel-fermented in new French oak barriques for three months, there is a richness, complexity and weight here that one rarely fins in the more simple fruit-focused wines. The bouquet is all ripe stone fruits: apricots, peaches and golden plums. A unique and lovely sipper.

Malvoire Albert's Honour Old Vines Foch, Ontario, $25.

Marechal Foch is a rather obscure grape that you don't see too often. Malvoire's superb example is an explosion of dark, inky, musky fruit and leather with a pronounced acidity that makes it a worthy foil for this menu.

For our fresh fall menu:

Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay, British Columbia, $20.

Pioneering Okanagan winemaker Howard Soon's Reserve Chardonnay is a treat for the senses. Aromatics of tropical fruits are coupled with nuances of nuts, vanilla, toffee and baking spices for a rich and satisfying wine.

See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Noir, British Columbia, $20.

While the Okanagan is not well known for this grape, this wine shows that good pinot noir is possible here. Bursting with berries and cherries on the nose, and great fruit intensity in the mouth, it works wonders with a wide variety of dishes.