In just a few days, many of you will rush to your local purveyors of fine wine and purchase the first commercially available bottle of wine from the 2026 vintage. Beaujolais Nouveau , made from the gamay grape, is always released on the fourth Thursday of November which this year falls on the 19th. In many years, that fourth Thursday is also celebrated in the United State as Thanksgiving. Regardless of when they fall  on the calendar, these two events could not produce a more symbiotic relationship for folks who enjoy good wine and superb cuisine.

You can expect Beaujolais Nouveau to be a lively, frothy, fruit- forward mouthful of wine. At its best, the wine is a pleasant quaff that is never meant to be taken too seriously but rather should be enjoyed in celebration of the new vintage. It is also priced reasonably – usually under $20 a bottle. Nouveau would also be a good wine to use as an aperitif before your Thanksgiving dinner which is exactly what I plan to do. I’ll also uncork a bottle of Champagne to get everyone in a celebratory mood. You can certainly use both wines as accompaniments to your turkey day meal, but there is more to Beaujolais than Nouveau and they are more serious food friendly wines.

The Beaujolais region lies just south of Burgundy and descends along a 34-mile stretch of rolling hills ending where the Rhone wine appellation begins. Gamay is a lighter pigmented red grape that regularly produces a medium bodied wine similar in texture to pinot noir. Wines in the appellation are labeled Beaujolais, Beaujolais Superior or Beaujolais Villages. These wines are all more substantial in texture and flavor than Beaujolais Nouveau and generally priced between $20 and $30. The very best wines of the region, though, are called Cru Beaujolais and some of them can improve in the bottle for many years. You can expect to pay $30 to $60 a bottle for the Cru wines.

Cru (which means “growths” in French) wines are named after the villages around which the grapes are grown. The ten Cru Beaujolais wines are: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie and Saint Amour. Each of these Crus produces distinctly different Beaujolais from very light and delicate (i.e., Chiroubles and Fleurie) to fuller-bodied wines (i.e., Moulin a Vent and Morgon). Like Burgundy, it is very important to select your Beaujolais from reputable producers and shippers. Among the most reputable of these are: Manoir Du Carra, Joseph Drouhin, Georges Duboeuf, Louis Jadot and Louis Latour. In matching these wines to food, I suggest you use the Crus Beaujolais like you would a medium-bodied pinot noir. These Crus show the best qualities of the gamay grape.

I’ve written about this many times before, but it bears repeating, Thanksgiving is truly a wine lover’s holiday! It’s a meal that provides a food pairing for just about every vinous taste because of the varied cooking preparations for the turkey (i.e. oven baked, grilled, smoked or deep fried). Add to this the types of dressings and multitude of side dishes and desserts, and there will be some component of the Thanksgiving meal that will please your palate. Whether you prefer a light, slightly sweet German riesling or Alsatian pinot gris, a fruit forward gruner veltliner or medium bodied reds such as pinot noir, Beaujolais or Chianti Classico, the turkey day meal will present you with a delicious wine pairing.

So celebrate the first wine of the 2026 vintage by sipping a glass or two of Beaujolais Nouveau or Champagne. Try either with cheese or as an aperitif and then open a bottle of Beaujolais Villages, Cru Beaujolais or your other favorite wines to accompany the Thanksgiving feast.

A Votre Sante and Happy Thanksgiving!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. The novels are also available as audiobooks. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

As an American with Italian roots, I was proud and happy to observe last weekend’s Columbus Day celebration. According to Wikipedia, the Italian diaspora to the United States totaled 5.5 million immigrants between the late 19th century and 2005, with most of them immigrating from the 1880’s until about 1920. I also assumed that more Italians immigrated to the US than to any other country, but that is not accurate. The nation with the most citizens of Italian descent is actually Argentina. So, it’s not surprising that Argentina has a vibrant wine industry, featuring a plethora of reds and whites.

What is surprising, though, is that the most prominent and heralded red in Argentina is malbec—a grape mostly used as a blending component with other varietals. In Bordeaux, for example, it is sometimes combined with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot to compose the world-famous claret cuvée. Other countries, including our own, plant and produce the wine, but none with the success of Argentina. Today, we’ll examine Argentinean malbec, and I’ll provide a few recommendations along with foods that pair well with the wine, particularly beef where for more than a century legendary Argentinean cowboys (called “Gauchos of the Pampas”) literally invented roasting meat over wood fires.

Argentina is a very large country with the wine regions in the north on the same latitude as Morocco while the ones in the South are on a plane with New Zealand. The major grape-growing provinces are in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and are producing exciting wines. Surprisingly, the terroir here, characterized by an arid climate, poor soils, and irrigated mainly by snow melt, is ideal to produce excellent wine. Just like other fine wine regions of the world, wine grapes flourish when they are forced to struggle for water and nutrients in the soil, and in climates that are warm and dry. Most of Argentina’s grapes are grown at altitudes between 2000 and 3000 feet to take advantage of cooler temperatures.

The most prestigious wine province is Mendoza in the west-central part of the country on the border with Chile. Salta province in the north and the Rio Negro Valley in the south also produce wines, but most of the major wine production (80 percent) is in Mendoza. The main grape varieties in addition to malbec are chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, barbera, tempranillo, and bonarda. By the way, bonarda is an obscure varietal which has its roots (no pun intended) literally in Italy’s Piedmont region and was brought to Argentina by Italian immigrant wine makers.

But there is no doubt that when people think of wine from Argentina, they think of malbec because no other appellation in the world has been able to coax as much flavor, value and quality out of the varietal. I recently tasted several malbecs from Mendoza and here are a few for your consideration.

2024 Catena Malbec High Mountain Vines ($27) – This wine grown at more than 3000 feet is a medium to full bodied red wine with bright and juicy fruit flavors and with nuances of spice and oak. The wine would be an excellent accompaniment to ribeye steak grilled over a wood fire or charcoal.

2022 El Enemigo Malbec ($23) Deeply colored malbec with full throttle, yet approachable and balanced flavors of blackberry, chocolate and hints of vanilla, It’s balancing acidity would make this wine a great pairing partner to an Italian dish such as grilled beef braciole accompanied by  pasta in a marinara sauce.

2024 Zuccardi Q Malbec ($26) – Deeply purple, this lovely, full-bodied, yet silky malbec has perfect structure with dark cherry flavors and plum notes. While it has aging potential, the wine would marry seamlessly now with a marinated, herbs and vegetable-stuffed and then grilled flank steak.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. The novels are also available as audiobooks. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

It’s harvest season in the northern hemisphere and that means exciting times for this West Virginia Wino because soon our small group of amateur winemakers will be both bottling last year’s wine which is in the barrel, and then shortly thereafter we will receive this year’s California grapes to crush and ferment. This year our group will be concocting a blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot into our version of a “Super Tuscan.”

But harvest is not limited to winemaking. It is also a special time of year for those of us who will venture to our local farmer’s markets to collect the ripe bounty from our farms and fields that we will turn into edibles to both can and turn into all manner of culinary delights for immediate consumption. Here in Charleston, we have access to world-class, homegrown vegetables at the amazing outdoor Capitol Market. With a bounty of locally grown products, my wife and I graze there daily through the aisles and stalls, selecting fresh vegetables to can for future enjoyment and for the evening dinner table.

Today, I am going to share with you my recipe for sweet and hot peppers that, combined with fresh tomatoes, make a wonderful harvest dish. This nostalgic dish brings back fond memories of my Calabrian grandmother frying peppers just picked from the garden and placed on slices of hard-crust Italian bread. The bread, freshly baked and still warm, came from our family bakery just across the street. And with this recipe, you can adjust it to accommodate your tolerance for spiciness by limiting or eliminating the hot peppers to control the heat. I use Hungarian wax peppers which range in color from light green to red and which approximate the heat of a jalapeno. For the sweet (non-hot) peppers, I use mostly red and yellow bell peppers with one or two green bells for color. You can also use sweet Hungarian Wax peppers which have the same flavor as their spicy cousins, but without the heat. And of course, I’m going to provide you with a couple of wines to make this meal even more special

Harvest Peppers and Pasta

Ingredients
Six multi-colored bell peppers, sliced into five-inch long by one-inch-wide pieces
Three hot banana peppers (optional) sliced the same as above
One large onion sliced into approximately three-inch lengths, a quarter-inch wide
Two large ripe, red tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped
Three garlic cloves coarsely chopped
Three ounces of olive oil
Two tablespoons each of freshly chopped basil and one of oregano
One teaspoon of salt and coarsely ground black pepper
One pound of linguine

How To
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet to medium high heat
Add onions and sauté until translucent, then add all peppers, salt and pepper
Use a spatula to stir the peppers regularly
Add garlic and tomatoes to the mixture and continue stirring
Lower heat and cook until most of the liquid evaporates
Continue to sauté until the peppers and onions begin to caramelize
Remove from the stove (cooking usually takes 25-to 30 minutes)
Place in a large bowl and mix in the basil and oregano
Boil water for linguine, drain when al dente and add to saute pan.
Preserve a cup of pasta water and add the pepper mixture slowly until integrated in a sauce

This dish needs a wine that can stand up to the spiciness of the dish but not overwhelm it. Here a couple of my recommendations that should be served slightly chilled.

2024 Ken Wright Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($28)- This Oregon wine has excellent flavors of bright red cherries, with silky smooth hints of oak nicely balanced with refreshing acidity. The wine stands up to and complements this pasta and pepper dish really well.

2023 Vietti Barbera d’Asti Trevie ($21)- This is a medium-bodied wine complemented by crisp acidity, making it an excellent choice for pairing with our pasta and pepper dish. In addition, soft tannins add a layer of complexity to the wine, creating a well-balanced and refreshing note with just enough body to pair well and cool the spiciness just a bit

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. The novels are also available as audiobooks. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

I’ve never been one to abide by conventional wine dictums – those inelastic rules created more than a century ago by a bevy of rich old men smoking pipes in their exclusive ‘members only’ clubs as if these principles were etched in stone by Bacchus and presented to them. The first commandment was probably: “Thou shalt only consume meat with red wine and fish with white.” I’ve happily broken that particular wine “commandment” on many occasions. But until this time, I don’t think I’ve ever recommended a wine pairing with a food so regularly consumed in our state.

Here in West Virginia, a good argument could be made that the state food is that multi-faceted tube steak more commonly known as the hotdog. I’ve heard it said that a West Virginia seven course gourmet meal is a six pack of beer and a hotdog. But I’m sure there are any number of wine lovers out there who would be chagrined at the thought of paring that humble sausage with wine. Not me. We’ve already got just about every category of animal, vegetable, mineral, floral and avian species awarded a designation as the “state” (you fill in the blank). And I would guess there is no more food annually ingested per capita in the mountain state than the humble, but ubiquitous, hot dog.

And the hotdog enjoys national and even international popularity in its various iterations. For example, in the U.S., the folks in Chicago top the dog with mounds of things such as giardiniera featuring whole florets of cauliflower, red bell peppers, carrot slices and celery all finely chopped into a coarse relish for easy spreading. In New York City, the Coney Island hot dog is simply topped with sauerkraut and spicy mustard.

In West Virginia, the main types of dogs generally fall into two categories: the northern ones which are topped with spicy chili, yellow mustard, onions and sometimes doused with chili flakes; and the southern hotdog where it is mounded with chili, coleslaw (sometimes yellow), onions and mustard. Coming from Clarksburg, I’m pretty much dedicated to the northern-style dog. While arguments about the best hot dog between both groups can get heated sometimes, the disputes are usually moderated by ample cooling beverages – mostly beer. Well today, I’m going to give you some vinous options to pair with the above-mentioned West Virginia hotdogs.

For the dogs prepared from my neck of the woods in the north, I recommend medium bodied red wines like zinfandel and sangiovese and fuller flavored whites like pinot gris. Try Easton Zinfandel from Amador County in California, Renieri Rosso Di Montalcino from Tuscany and the Elk Cove Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Gris. With southern West Virginia hotdogs, go with a full- bodied and dry rose’ such as the Bernard Griffith Rose of Sangiovese from Washington State, the medium bodied and fruit forward cabernet franc, Messanges Rouge Chinon, from the Loire Valley of France or the Murphy-Goode Red Blend from California.

So, in these (hot)dog days of summer, forget about those conventional wine tropes and wash down the West Virginia state food with a truly counterintuitive beverage – wine!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. The novels are also available as audiobooks. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

When summertime temperatures exceed 80 degrees in the always naturally air-conditioned mountains of Tucker County, residents begin to get concerned because most folks don’t have air conditioning. I am one of those (part time ) residents and when the temperature reached 85 on the 4th of July our picnic seemed to be in jeopardy since moving the party indoors would have been an even more oppressive decision. So, I did the next best thing, I moved the picnic starting time from 5 to 7 O’clock allowing the cooling evening breezes to make outdoor dining possible. I also made the time change to accommodate my selfish desire to sip red wine in addition to the cool and crisp whites I had planned to uncork. Today, I’ll recommend a few picnic wines along with tasty accompanying foods that should lift your spirits and refresh your body even in the blistering heat of summer.

When the weather turns warm, some people’s thoughts turn to cycling, swimming or even golf. Not me. Summertime gets me (and my trusty old Weber) fired up to start grilling various hunks of meat and/or vegetables and accompanying these tasty delights with picnic-style wines. I’m suggesting lighter-bodied whites and reds that fit the casual feel of outdoor cooking as well as pairing terrifically with grilled foods. These lighter-style wines will also benefit from a little chilling, particularly the reds, which will provide a refreshing counterpoint to the sometimes spicy entrees being prepared.

There is just about nothing better than a crisp, herbaceous sauvignon blanc paired with herbal-infused foods such as salmon with dill, cold pasta salad or even a chilled pesto of basil, pine nuts and garlic over fusilli. Try these refreshing sauvignon blancs from California, Washington State, Italy, New Zealand and Bordeaux: Chateau Ducasse Graves Blanc, Zorzettig (Italy), Nobilo, Caymus, Groth, St. Supery, Kenwood, Ste. Michelle and Cloudy Bay. Another great white varietal for summer light meals is Trimbach Gewurztraminer. All these whites are exceptional accompaniments to the above-mentioned edibles.

If you’re a red wine lover, light to medium bodied wines such as sangiovese, cabernet franc and pinot noir are excellent choices in the warm months. Whether you choose grilled hamburgers with all the fixings, Italian or smoked sausages or lamb chops, these wines complement and enhance the flavors these foods. From Tuscany, try wines such as Villa Banfi Centine and Monte Antico, as well as Chianti producers such as Monsanto, Fossi, Cecchi and Nozzole. Cabernet franc from France around the village of Chinon I suggest are Domaine Gouron, Chateau DeCoulaine and Jean Montbray. And from California, look for Lang&Reed, Alexander Valley Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Oakville. I also recommend Barboursville Reserve Cabernet Franc from Virginia.

Of course, light to medium bodied pinot noirs from California and Oregon work well too. David Bruce, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Eveham Wood, La Crema and Scot Paul La Paulee are great pinot noir choices for summer meals. All these wines pair nicely with foods such as grilled salmon,  flank steak, along with barbecued ribs or chicken kabobs.

And I would be remis if I didn’t mention rose’ which is one of the best options for picnic meals. Chilled rose’ can be sipped as both an aperitif or as an accompaniment to foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers or grilled veggies of all types. Some of my favorite rose’ labels are Masciarelli, Domain Lafond Tavel Rose, Elizabeth Spencer Grenache Rose, Tempier Bandol Rose and Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet.

So, stay cool and sated this summer with these refreshing wines and picnic foods -weather (pun intended) you have air conditioning or not.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. The novels are also available as audiobooks. You can find out more about his novels, and review all his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com