Picture a Saturday in late October. Squash is roasting in the oven, a friend has already found the cheese, and someone opened a bottle before anyone decided what’s for dinner. Around here, that’s how most fall evenings start.
If you’re new to Clif Family, here’s the short version. We’re a winery and organic farm in Napa Valley, started by Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson, the couple who co-created Clif Bar. Winemaker Laura Barrett makes our wines from organically farmed vineyards. Executive Chef Magnus Young cooks with what comes off our farm on Howell Mountain, and our preserve kitchen turns the extra fruit into jams.
In fall, the farm, the kitchen, and the cellar are all busy at once. By mid-October, Tessa and the farm crew are pulling the last peppers and winter squash and planting beets, kale, and chicories in their place. In the cellar, the 2026 harvest is in, and things have finally gone quiet.
So we asked Laura, Magnus, Gary, and Kit the same question: what’s the one thing you keep going back to this fall, and what do you pour with it? Laura chose a wine, Magnus a dish, Gary a ritual, and Kit a way of setting the table. Try any one of them on its own, or put all four together for a night with friends. Let’s get into it.
Laura Barrett, Winemaker: The Pour
Her pick: 2022 Valle di Sotto Zinfandel
Laura has made Clif Family’s wines since 2014, and Zinfandel is the grape she lights up about. This one comes from Valle di Sotto, our organically farmed vineyard in Napa’s Oak Knoll District. Cool air and a long growing season keep the grapes fresh, so the wine never turns heavy or jammy. It’s 97% Zinfandel with 3% Petite Sirah, a dark, bold grape that adds a little backbone.
In the glass, you’ll find black cherry, licorice, and spice. It has structure, meaning enough grip to stand up to food, but it stays easy to drink.
Why now: Zinfandel loves fall cooking. Anything grilled, smoky, roasted, or a little sweet gives it something to work with.
“It feels like Zinfandel is starting to become a trendy grape varietal. Whenever we pour the Zinfandel at events and music festivals this is the glass people want to refill again and again. I feel like Zin is one of the most versatile food wines I craft.”
Pair it with: Ribs or tri-tip brushed with our Blackberry BBQ Sauce, made with jam from our preserve kitchen. It also works with Magnus’s squash if you roast it until the edges char.
Try this: Put the bottle in the fridge for 15 minutes before you pour. A slight chill tightens up the fruit and brings the freshness forward. Most of Zinfandel’s jammy reputation comes from serving it too warm.
Magnus Young, Executive Chef: The Plate
His pick: Roasted chicken or pork loin with winter squash
Magnus runs the kitchen behind our food truck and our Enoteca, and most of what he cooks starts on the farm. His fall go-to is simple. He roasts kabocha or butternut squash until it’s deeply caramelized, then finishes it with Clif Family olive oil, fresh sage, and a little chili. Chicken or pork loin roasts right alongside it.
Why now: the farm is harvesting winter squash right now, and roasting brings out all of its natural sweetness.
“It’s a weeknight dish that behaves like a Saturday one. You can make the whole thing while people are already in the kitchen talking to you.”
Pair it with: The 2024 Reyna White Blend, half Chardonnay and half Viognier. Viognier is a white grape known for its floral, apricot-scented aromas, and here its apricot and honeysuckle notes pick up the sweetness of the roasted squash. Magnus likes an aromatic white like this because it goes with more kinds of food than almost any other wine.
Gary Erickson, Co-Founder: The Tradition
His pick: 2022 Climber Red, opened after a long day outside.
Gary’s fall ritual hasn’t changed much in twenty years. He spends a long Saturday on the bike, at the gym, or hiking up Howell Mountain. When he gets home, he opens the Climber. The man on the label is his friend Ron Kauk, the Yosemite climber, and that friendship is the whole reason the wine looks the way it does.
The Climber is a Merlot-led blend, meaning Merlot makes up most of it, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a little Petit Verdot. It tastes of juicy plum and black raspberry with a touch of cinnamon and cedar. It’s soft and generous, and you don’t have to think hard about it.
Why now: once the heat breaks, the long rides and hikes start again, and the Climber is what he opens when he gets back.
“I never wanted a wine you have to earn. I wanted the one you open at the end of a day you already earned.”
Pair it with: crusty bread with our olive oil and whatever’s already in the fridge. If Kit has put out a board, even better.
Try this: Pour a glass as soon as you walk in, before you settle down. Twenty minutes in the glass opens this wine up more than a decanter (a glass carafe for letting wine breathe) would.
Kit Crawford, Co-Founder: The Gathering
Her pick: The 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay, opened before dinner is even decided.
Kit usually starts pouring before she’s figured out what she’s cooking, and the Unoaked Chardonnay lets her get away with it. It’s an easy glass to hand someone while everyone’s still standing around the kitchen, and it goes with almost anything that ends up on the table.
A lot of people hear “Chardonnay” and think big and buttery. This one isn’t. Unoaked means it never touches an oak barrel. It’s aged entirely in stainless steel, which keeps it crisp, with flavors of Meyer lemon, jasmine, and caramel apple. It comes from Valle di Sotto, the same vineyard as Laura’s Zinfandel.
Why now: fall is when the jams from our preserve kitchen fill up Kit’s board.
And there’s always a board. Hers usually has apple butter, plum jam, or blackberry jam, a hard cheese and a soft one, something salty, good bread, and a bowl for the pits.
“Nobody has ever walked in and admired my table. They walk in and start eating, which is the whole point of setting it.”
Pair it with: the board, of course. For a full how-to, see How to Build a Wine, Cheese & Jam Board.
Try this: put the jams down first and build the board around them instead of tucking them in at the end. Then open the wine before anyone arrives. People relax faster when a glass is already waiting.
Build the Fall Table
Put all four picks together and you have an easy evening with friends. Here’s how it unfolds.
- As people arrive: Kit’s board goes out with the Unoaked Chardonnay already open, and it stays out while everyone settles in.
- At dinner: Magnus’s roasted squash with chicken or pork loin comes to the table on one big platter, with the Reyna White Blend beside it. Most people don’t expect a white with the main course, so this is usually the bottle guests ask about.
- For the reds: if anything came off the grill, open Laura’s Zinfandel. Once the room slows down and nobody’s in a hurry to leave, open Gary’s Climber.
You don’t need to choose a red ahead of time. Set both out and let people pick. For more ideas, see our Fall Charcuterie Board Ideas.
Quick Answers
What Wine Goes With Butternut Squash?
An aromatic white. Squash is sweet and a little earthy, and a Chardonnay-Viognier blend like the Reyna White Wine Blend matches that sweetness. If you roast the squash until it’s dark and caramelized, a fruity Zinfandel works too.
What Should I Pour With a Cheese and Jam Board?
Unoaked Chardonnay. Its crisp acidity (the bright, mouthwatering quality in a wine) cuts through rich cheese and keeps the jams from tasting too sweet.
What Wine Should I Bring to Thanksgiving?
Bring something that works with the whole plate, not just the turkey. A fresh, food-friendly Zinfandel handles the bird, the sweet sides, and the tangy ones.
Is White Wine Still a Good Choice in Fall?
Yes, and often the better one. Fall food runs rich and sweet (squash, root vegetables, jams, and braises), and a crisp white handles that better than a heavy red. Want to explore more whites? Read Beyond Sauvignon Blanc: 5 White Wines Worth Discovering.
Bring the Fall Table Home
None of this needs a special occasion or a perfect menu. Pick one bottle, roast some squash, put out whatever jam you have, and invite a few people over. That’s pretty much how dinner works around here. If you’re ever in St. Helena, come find us at our tasting room at 709 Main Street, where our food truck serves Magnus’s cooking. Tastings are on us on Tuesdays.
Cheers.
Napa Valley Wine Delivered to Your Doorstep
Liked meeting the people behind the bottles? The Wine Drop brings their newest releases to your door, so you’re always the first to try what Laura’s been making. Start with three bottles, choose how often they arrive, and skip or swap a shipment whenever you like.
