The Uncorked Life

Cooler nights don't mean you have to jump straight to big, heavy reds. Some of the most useful wines for autumn dinners are crisp whites and lighter reds served with a slight chill. They have fresh acidity, aren't too heavy, and work with almost anything you'd cook on a weeknight in October.

October is when dinner gets serious again. Squash, mushrooms, apples and slow braises are back on the table, and the wine should keep up. Here's what to pour with the dishes you're most likely to make this month, plus a few dates on the wine calendar worth celebrating.

We plan dinners, kids' activities and work calls weeks in advance, but rarely plan time just to sit with the people we like. A wine tasting group fixes that. It gives friends, neighbors or a few couples a standing reason to get together once a month, and the wine gives everyone something to talk about.