Lighter mornings but darker afternoons, the clocks going back has a dramatic instant effect that emphasises the fact autumn is here. This is also reflected in our eating habits and wine choices. Warming soups, casseroles, roast vegetables, notably root vegetables take the place of salads and barbecues.

Herts Advertiser: A selection of autumnal wines.A selection of autumnal wines. (Image: Archant)

In turn, these foods need fuller flavoured warming wines to accompany them. Soups come into their own on cooler days and there are some ideal pairings.

Try some of the chunky vegetable soups with a fruity Cotes du Rhone such as the great value Reserve de l’Abbe from the South of France or an Italian wine from the Primitivo grape such as Visconti della Rocca whose savoury fruity notes will complement the vegetable blends.

Or if it’s a creamy vegetable or chicken soup try Alsace Pinot Blanc from the cave Coop at Turckheim or a more unusual pairing with a South African Roussanne that has a full soft fruity mouthfeel from a producer like Rustenberg.

A lovely combination is soup and sherry – a dry Oloroso adds flavour to the soup and is delicious to drink with it as the dry nuttiness matches the meaty savoury soup. Try Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Oloroso Seco or Palo Cortado dry Amontillado. Sherries will also complement fish soups or a spicy tomato soup.

Wines made from the aromatic Viognier grape are worth looking out for whether unoaked like those from Mont Rocher in the Oc region of Languedoc Roussillon or the fuller lightly spicy new world wines from this grape such as those made by Yalumba in the Barossa Valley where the warm sun means very ripe grapes with lovely ripe peachy, tropical fruit flavours and a light peppery finish.

Don’t forget Chardonnay: try one of the many unoaked versions from Australia and Chile that are full of stylish crisp light ripe fruit or lightly oak aged Chardonnays, such as those from the South of France where the light creamy vanilla notes add a little more flavour are a great match to creamy vegetable soups and warming fish casseroles etc.

Casseroles, like soups are a combination of robust full flavours and demand wines with similar characteristics to match them. Spicy flavoursome casseroles, whether meaty or vegetarian need gutsy wines to accompany them so look out for some of the Southern Hemisphere reds such as Argentinian Malbec like the great value vibrant Chilean Carmenere such as that from Montes. On the other hand, pasta sauces with garlic and tomatoes or a chilli con carne go best with Italian reds whose full fruity notes of cherries plus some balancing acidity are ideal – check out a Montepulciano such as the Caparrone, a Piedmontese Barbera or a refreshing Sicilian white Grillo with a lovely mouthfilling texture.

There’s lots of flavours out there, have a go at matching your favourite autumnal soup or casserole recipe with some new wine flavours. Brilliant warmers after a cold evening trick or treating on Halloween or admiring the colours, sparkles and noise of a firework display!