The Great End-of-Summer Wine Switch: What We're Drinking Now

There comes a point at the beginning of August when something subtly changes.

The sun is still out. The patio is still open. You're absolutely not putting away the sandals. And anyone suggesting it's already time for fall can kindly wait their turn.

But when you open the fridge and reach for a bottle of wine, that pale, ice-cold rosé you've been drinking since June suddenly isn't the automatic choice.

Maybe you want Chardonnay.

Maybe a Pinot Noir sounds surprisingly good.

Maybe the bottle of red you've been ignoring all summer is starting to look interesting again.

Welcome to the great end-of-summer wine switch.

It's not fall drinking. Not yet.

It's that delicious little stretch between peak summer and the first signs of a new season, when we start changing what's in our glass before we're remotely ready to change what's in our wardrobe.

Rosé Isn't Going Anywhere

First things first: nobody is confiscating your rosé on September 1.

A good rosé has plenty of life beyond pool parties and scorching afternoons. In fact, late summer is a great time to move beyond the lightest, palest bottles and try rosés with a little more structure.

Think fuller-bodied styles that can handle dinner rather than simply opening the evening.

Provence rosé beside grilled fish? Absolutely.

A richer Spanish rosado with grilled pork or tapas? Even better.

That bottle you've been saving for "summer"?

This is still summer. Open it.

Sauvignon Blanc Makes Room for Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc is practically built for hot weather: crisp, refreshing and wonderfully easy to drink cold.

But as September moves along, Chardonnay starts calling.

And we're not necessarily talking about the biggest, butteriest bottle you can find.

A lightly oaked Chardonnay gives you a little more texture and richness while still being refreshing enough for a warm evening. Chablis and other cool-climate Chardonnays are particularly good at straddling the seasons.

You still get freshness.

You just get a little more something with it.

It's the wine equivalent of staying out after sunset and realizing you probably should have brought another layer.

Pinot Noir Quietly Re-Enters the Chat

Red wine drinkers, your moment is coming back.

Not that red wine ever really left. Plenty of us happily drink it year-round. But a big Cabernet Sauvignon can feel like a commitment when it's 30°C outside.

Pinot Noir is different.

Its lighter body and bright acidity make it one of those reds that works beautifully during this in-between period. Give it a slight chill and suddenly you've got a red that makes sense beside grilled salmon, chicken, mushrooms, charcuterie or whatever you've decided to throw on the barbecue.

And if you've spent most of the summer drinking whites and rosés, that first really good glass of Pinot can feel like seeing an old friend again.

You may even realize you're entering your Pinot era.

The Barbecue Isn't Finished — But What's On It Is Changing

Late-summer cooking changes too.

The burgers and hot dogs aren't necessarily going anywhere, but farmers' markets are overflowing and suddenly we're grilling corn, peppers, eggplant, peaches and whatever else looked irresistible that morning.

Dinner starts becoming a little more substantial.

That's when wines with more body begin making sense again.

Try Grenache with grilled vegetables.

Syrah with something smoky from the barbecue.

Tempranillo with grilled meat.

Chenin Blanc with roast chicken or richer seafood.

The calendar hasn't changed seasons. Dinner has simply become more interesting.

Sparkling Wine Has No Season

Champagne and Prosecco refuse to participate in this discussion.

They're staying.

And quite frankly, they should.

If summer has been all about Prosecco at brunch and sparkling wine on the patio, late August is a good excuse to start bringing bubbles to the dinner table.

Champagne with fried chicken remains one of life's great pleasures. Sparkling wine with salty snacks is practically impossible to get wrong. And Prosecco doesn't suddenly stop being delicious because someone spotted the first premature pumpkin display at the grocery store.

Bubbles are seasonless.

We don't make the rules.

Chill Your Reds. Seriously.

If you're ready for red wine but the weather isn't cooperating, put the bottle in the fridge.

Yes, the fridge.

Lighter reds including Pinot Noir, Gamay, Frappato and some Grenache can be fantastic served slightly chilled.

You're not trying to make them refrigerator-cold. Around 20–30 minutes in the fridge before serving can be enough to make a red feel far more refreshing on a warm evening.

And if someone at the table looks horrified?

Pour them a glass.

They'll survive.

Don't Rush the Season

Perhaps the best thing about late August is that you don't actually have to choose.

You can drink rosé on Friday and Pinot Noir on Saturday.

You can open Sauvignon Blanc for an afternoon on the patio and Chardonnay with dinner.

You can have Champagne because it's Tuesday.

This isn't about packing away your summer wines and replacing them with an imaginary list of "fall wines."

It's about following what you're eating, how the evening feels and, frankly, what you feel like drinking.

Because wine doesn't need a dress code based on the calendar.

One Last Pour of Summer... Or the First Hint of What's Next?

There will be plenty of time for full-bodied reds, sweaters and cool nights.

We're not there yet.

For now, late summer gives us the best of both worlds: the wines we've been loving all season and the bottles we're beginning to crave again.

So keep the rosé chilled.

Put a Pinot in the fridge.

Leave the Champagne where you can reach it.

The great end-of-summer wine switch isn't about saying goodbye to summer. It's about making a little more room on the wine rack.