Once again I find myself scribing another Wine Blogging Wednesday post so quickly, it feels, since the last. Fortunately this month’s theme does not stray beyond the parameters of my own Wine Wednesday series of late: Wines for Fall.

Russ at Winehiker Witiculture is October’s host. Given his passion for the great outdoors and wine, it is no surprise he chose a linking theme: “Which wine will you pour in the great outdoors?” This may be the first theme I didn’t even think twice about. For me, the Great Outdoors means a nice bike ride, a grassy knoll and  – if my romantic destiny is every fulfilled – a picnic blanket (with some fall leaves scattered here and there) and a bit of sweet bubbly.

Brachetto d’Aqui is one of the greatest forms of bubbly I have encountered. These wines, named for the grape used (brachetto) and the area from which they hail (the Piedmont, Italy DOCG, Asti), are perfect “Picnic Wines”. Just two weeks ago I was sharing this theory of mine with a couple of colleagues. They couldn’t have agreed more as we tasted Garitina’s 2007 Brachetto d’Aqui release. And we thought 2006 was a good year for this wine. Hello, fresh, ripe, red raspberries and strawberries! Tiny, tiny, bubbles that funnel up to your nose bringing scents of baby roses and violets? Check! Mouthwatering acidity? Check! Gentle tannins to coax your desire for a gorgeous brunch spread?? Check! A sweetness that simply satisfies you??? CHECK!

I don’t think Carrie ever unpopped the cork of this small production (aka special) wine with Mr. Big, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha – but at least one of them should have. Lightly sweet, pink bubbly is the absolute perfect thing when a picnic blanket, red berries, peach tarts, marscapone or pastries are involved. Chocolate, well, now there’s a match made in heaven, too. Friends or lovers could actually be considered optional it is so charming all on its own.

User-friendly tips: A traditional “champagne” cork is NOT used for this wine, much like the Moscato d’Asti I blogged about last WBW re: wine & politics. So make sure you have your corkscrew on hand. Champagne flutes are necessary only if you feel so compelled – no need to run out and buy any.

What’s your outdoor wine of choice this fall?

Red Sox fans were so wrapped up in ending the 86-year Championship drought back in 2004 everyone had some “thing” they were doing to keep the Hope alive and end The Curse. The team was taking a (group) shot of Jack before each World Series game. For me it was wearing different red and navy gear and watching the game at a different bar each night. Since we were moving venues with great regularity and – let’s face it – wine options were pathetic and/or scare, I did my part to “rehydrate” the Sox (if you will) by consuming noteworthy quantities of Hoegaarden beer. I ate a lot of french fries, too, but that wasn’t as intentional.

When we won again last year I was happily consuming the 2005 Winner’s Tank Shiraz. That selection was too perfect. I only happened to grab that bottle out of my wine fridge because it was a solid pairing with our meal that night. The fact that we won in only 3 games, well, who could have guessed? But I do believe the Winner’s Tank contributed in spirit to our glorious victory.

As we are revving up for a fight against Tampa Bay (or so I hope) in the ALDS finals I’ve been contemplating what truly is the best pairing.  As I said, I’m not wholly committed to the idea that wine and baseball are the best pairing, despite last year’s go. My second question is what do you drink in anticipation of greatness (or at least a hell of a good fight)? Yes, folks, herein lies my greater quandry…. Should such things even be planned? I may be a Virgo, but I do realize there can be a Planning Line.

What’s your wine & baseball philosophy? Are they a match?

‘Going with your gut is one of the most important skills you can have in the wine world,’ believes a great colleague of mine who’s been doing this since before I was born. Today I’m applying that skill to my wine blogging. No doubt there are other wine news and events ideas circulating the world wide web that may be valid contenders for my Friday post. Usually there are several. But today, today, I’m going with my gut before I get side tracked with all the possibilities. Decanter’s article this week about Skinner Auction House was just too intriguing to sort, sift, hem and haw over other topics you might enjoy reading about.

The economy is officially in the crapper, I think we all agree by now, and yet Skinner just put up record numbers for bottles of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. The first went for over $20K. That was triple the estimate. The Screaming Eagle went for $2,430 and the Harlan Estate broke Sotheby’s April record (of $655) going for $810/bottle.

Did I say “just”? There is something to be said for the fact that the Skinner auction happened 3 weeks ago. Three weeks is like a lifetime given how much things have shifted even in the last few days.

My question – everyone’s question – is which investments are most “sound” given the state of affairs we’re facing. And what you can afford to invest in, if at all, is another great question. (Hell, most bloggers, shop owners, distributors and importers are talking about the extent that people’s day to day wine buying habits (read: consumption) may or may not change in the coming months. Forget the idea of people making significant investments in wine!)

And then you read an article about serious cash being dropped on a bottle of wine, something that many believe is meant to be drank. Or is it…? Perspective is everything, no?  If you follow Steve Bachmann at Vinfolio, a year and a half ago he was all in favor of drinking the stuff, or investing to reinvest in your wine consumption. Today? His position may be somewhat less firm.

In these economic times, is wine an investment opportunity you might consider?

What better way to continue our discussion about wines perfect for fall than to start the month of October with some banter about a monster wine? Petite Sirah (note the “i” in Sirah) is also a stealthy little operator, or the masked creature standing on your front steps in just 30 days time. Boo-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

“What the heck is she getting at today,” you ask with incredible anticipation and a smile dancing at the corners of your mouth?

Most people have never heard of this lesser known, somewhat cloak-and-dagger varietal. Petite Sirah is a test tube grape that actually got its start in the Rhone Valley of France. It is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin, and was originally named Durif, after it’s human father. Dr. Durif developed the varietal in the 1800s to resist Powdery Mildew, to which Syrah is prone. Unfortunately being a tightly bunched varietal meant it wasn’t equally resistant to gray rot. In the humid Southern Rhone this wasn’t exactly a recipe for success.

Not to worry! California’s drier climate provided just the breath of fresh air this varietal needed. Petite Sirah is a high-tannin, high-acid, darkly-purple grape varietal used to add structure (aka aging power), oomph (body) and/or color to other wines. So how/why the dramatic name change from Durif to Petite Sirah? It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that folks in California started to get particularly concerned with labeling wines per the varietals involved. And because the grape’s characteristics so resembled those of Sirah, it was called Petite Syrah. (The longer story of it’s confused genetic background and resolution by Dr. Meredith can be found here, via the notes of Dennis Fife of Fife Vineyards.)

So why is it so poorly known? For whatever reason – and I’m truly uncertain as to why – Petite Sirah is just not grown in major quantities. Something like 3200 acres of vines in California are considered Petite Sirah today. And so it is a cult wine. Many wine shops don’t even carry it as a single varietal offering. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen it as such on a restaurant wine list, either. But somewhere along the way I was introduced to this great monster of a wine. I enjoy it even more in the fall because it packs such a great punch – particularly when the grill is going (yea meat paired with highly structured, deeply flavored wines) and the night’s are cooler (and a little something extra to warm you up never hurts)!

I’ll spare you my own wine notes this post because I want you to really seek out one of these big, blackberry-fruited, peppery, single-varietal Petite Sirahs this fall. If your shop doesn’t carry a single varietal offering, see if they can bring in Vinum Cellar’s Pets Petite Sirah (~$12), the Peltier Station Petite Sirah (~$17) or the Mettler Petite Sirah (~$23). Once you taste these on their own you’ll unmask this monster of a wine and better understand what this grape contributes when blended into wines like Trentadue‘s Old Patch Red or Owen Roe‘s Abbot’s Table.

Do you enjoy this bold, inky, spicy red varietal? Which Petite Sirah is your fall pick?