September Seasonal Drinking Guide
Back to Blackthorn
September always smells like sharpened pencils and cool mornings, even long after you’ve left the classroom behind. It carries that peculiar electricity of a fresh notebook waiting to be filled, the thrill of beginnings, and the relief of structure returning after the chaos of summer. At Blackthorn, we call this month Back to Blackthorn: a return to the basics, a gentle reclaiming of ritual, and a reminder that wine is not about memorizing facts, but about remembering yourself.
This guide is both syllabus and spellbook: wines to anchor you as the season turns, and a handful of rituals to draw you back into a slower rhythm. Consider it your September coursework. But don’t worry, there are no wrong answers here.
Wines That Belong to August
1. Beaujolais-Villages (Gamay)
Think of this as the syllabus’s opening note: approachable, bright, and impossible not to like. Beaujolais-Villages is fruit-forward and lively, but with a grounding minerality that makes it more than just a “summer red.” It’s the perfect wine for the in-between — the days when the sun still lingers but the evenings ask for a sweater. Pour it slightly chilled, pair with anything from roasted chicken to a bag of chips, and remember that sometimes the most joyful lessons are the simplest.
2. Soave
Soave is the clean slate of the wine world: crisp, refreshing, and quietly complex. It has a chalkboard-mineral edge and orchard fruit brightness that makes it ideal for late summer produce — zucchini, corn, stone fruit. This is your fresh notebook wine, waiting to be filled with whatever you choose. Let it remind you that starting over doesn’t mean erasing the past; it means allowing space for the new.
3. Sangiovese
If Beaujolais is the class clown and Soave the clean page, Sangiovese is the old professor: wise, earthy, and a little stubborn. This is the wine that grounds September with its savory herbs, cherry brightness, and dusty tannins. It demands food — tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, something simmered for hours. Pour a glass, open a book, and let it be the backbone of your autumn transition.
4. Chenin Blanc
Chenin is the overachiever — versatile, expressive, and hard to pin down. It can be bright and zippy or lush and honeyed, sometimes both in the same sip. This is the wine that teaches us the most important September lesson: nothing about wine (or life) needs to fit neatly into categories. Let it surprise you. Pair it with market vegetables, roast chicken, or even a little fruit tart. Chenin will meet you where you are.
How to Drink in September (Ritual > Rules)
☼ The Notebook Ritual
Start fresh. Dedicate a notebook to tasting notes, doodles, or daily gratitudes. No grades, no expectations.
☼ Wine & Study Date
Dust off that book you’ve been meaning to read and give yourself a cozy evening with wine and words.
☼ Declutter and Reset
Clear one small space — a shelf, a drawer, a desk. Celebrate the lightness with a glass of something crisp.
☼ Slow Market Morning
Wander your farmers’ market without a list. Let intuition (and late-season peaches or early squash) guide you. Pair with Soave or Chenin while you cook.
☼ Harvest Walk
Step outside and notice what’s shifting — the light, the air, the leaves. Promise yourself a glass of Beaujolais when you return.
September is for Reclaiming Rituals
September is not about cramming facts or memorizing rules. It is about reclaiming your rituals, embracing beginnings, and finding joy in the small acts that mark the season. Wine is simply the ink in your pen — what you write with it is up to you.
