What's in season: September and October

Tom's wine recommendations
Curry and shellfish both suggest fragrant wines, and Pinot Gris from Alsace is a good choice, as is its cousin Pinot Grigio from Italy. The Rulaender from Baden in southern Germany is the same grape, and this is an area producing soft, ripe, appealing wines. They would just as well accompany the vegetable stew and the chicken cobbler. For the same style of wine, you might also consider some of the English wine varietals, Ortega, Scheurebe and Muller-Thurgau in particular. Try them too with the blue cheeses.

If you are looking for a red wine, try a Chilean red, and look for Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot or Cabernet Franc for a fresh liveliness. Or try a Spanish red or rose from Somontano, one of the newly famous wine growing regions, right in the foothills of the Pyrenees.