For the wine lover, autumn is the season of endless possibilities. The summer’s heat, demanding crisp white wines, is almost over. The bone-chilling winter that makes us crave deep, hearty reds is still a ways off. Autumn is the season where anything goes!

The perfect way to start the season, and the perfect wine match for appetizers, is Bubbly! A quality brut sparkling wine will have vibrant, clean, fruity and acidic flavors that mask a small amount of residual sugar. The acidity in the wine makes it a refreshing match for an appetizer array, which typically includes a wide range of intense flavors. The underlying sweetness of the wine cools the effects of hot, spicy, or salty foods. For a great value, try Cristalino Brut, a delightfully crisp sparkling wine from Spain. For a splurge, go with “real Champagne” and try the Louis Roederer Brut Premier, a smooth sparkler from the makers of the famed Cristal.

Autumn’s bounty brings with it a wide choice of main courses. If you serve turkey, make the harvest celebration complete by serving Beaujolais Nouveau. Released every year on the third Thursday of November, still fresh from the vineyard, this fruity, acidic, light red wine is a perfect match for a turkey feast. The fruity flavors of the wine will be a great flavor contrast with the meaty flavors of the roast turkey, emphasizing both flavors. The crisp acidity of Beaujolais will cut through any fat and contrast with the salty overtones in the stuffing or gravy.

Beaujolais Nouveau is always inexpensive, so it can be fun to buy three different labels and offer your guests a wine flight with their dinner. Georges DuBoeuf, with its colorful, modern-art labels, is by far the largest and most popular producer. Other good bets include Louis Tete and Joseph Drouhin. If you would rather serve a splurge wine with your turkey dinner, try an Oregon Pinot Noir. This wine has an earthy flavor that will go great with turkey, and has a natural affinity with herbs, onions, mushrooms, and chestnuts. A fantastic choice would be Beaux Freres Pinot Noir, redolent of mineral, raspberry, cherry and herbs, or the spicy, dark berry-scented Chehalem Pinot Noir from Ridgecrest Vineyard.

On those cool evenings when a fragrant ham is baking in the oven, chill a bottle of California Riesling. Ham is salty, and autumn side dishes such as yams can be sweet, so a crisp, high acidity Riesling with just a hint of sweetness is the perfect choice. The salty flavors in the ham will contrast with a hint of sweetness in the wine and enhance both tastes.

A semi-sweet Riesling will also cool down and refresh the palate if any spicy or earthy dishes have made their way onto your plate. An excellent choice at a moderate price is Chateau St. Jean Johannisberg Riesling from Sonoma Country. For a splurge, try Smith-Madrone Riesling from Napa Valley.

If prime rib, roast beef or other beef dishes are at the center of your plate, a big fruity red zinfandel with lots of chewy tannins is the perfect match. The meaty flavors of your main course will be enhanced by the blackberry fruitiness of the wine, and the tannins in the wine will cleanse and refresh your palate, making you ready for another bite of beef. A great choice in the moderate price range is Valley of the Moon Sonoma Zinfandel. On indulgent nights, try a Biale Zinfandel Monte Rosso Sonoma Valley.

Autumn desserts, such as pumpkin pie, apple pie, or pear tart with pecan praline sauce, contain sweet, spicy, and earthy elements. The perfect wine match for these flavors is Sauternes, a naturally sweet white wine from Bordeaux. An excellent choice in the moderate price range is Maison Nicolas. If you want to impress, spring for a Chateau Guiraud, or go for broke with the ultimate Sauternes, Chateau D’Yquem. Sauternes has the subtle sweetness to stand up to the flavors of fall desserts, and adds a fruity, honey-laced flavor of its own. Most importantly, a Sauternes match will enhance the sweet, spicy, earthy flavors in the desserts, and, in an almost poetic way, remind us that we are, finally, in the cool grip of autumn and its harvest of fall flavors.