Buyer’s Guide to Vintages October 11th Release

John Szabo’s Vintages Buyer’s Guide October 11: Come Over October, Tasting Climate Change, & Decriminalizing a Product of Civilisation, Knowledge, Beauty and Tradition

By John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Michael Godel, Megha Jandhyala and Sara d’Amato

In this week of Thanksgiving, we’re reminded by our friends behind the “Come Over October” campaign that being together is an essential part of human happiness, and that wine’s real magic is its unique ability to connect us across tables, neighbourhoods and generations. The message is simple. Wine is Culture: it carries stories from every corner of the world. Wine is Agriculture: it connects us to the land and seasons. Wine is History: it links us to centuries of human tradition. Wine is Food: it enhances every meal and gathering. And Wine is Social… unlike anything else, it has the power to bring people together. That’s a message worth remembering. Care to join? Throw a Come Over October Party and make new connections.

For our part, the WineAlign Crü suggests best buys for such a gathering from the October 11 Vintages release, the theme of which is “Inimitable Italy,” a country which gets more than its fair share of love from this publication. Check out Michael’s recent article De Rigueur Sicilia en Primeur 2025 and mine on the same subject, with a plethora of reviews and recommendations from our island visit last May for the 21st edition of Sicilia en Primeur. It’s fitting that this latest international gathering of wine writers, hosted by Assovini Sicilia in the beautiful baroque town of Modica, had as its central theme the cultural value of wine and the main factors that determine it today: responsible consumption, sustainability and production quality. Another reason to come over this October.

Lastly, conscientious industry adherents should save the date for the fifth edition of Tasting Climate Change in Montreal, from January 18–19, 2026, an international conference exploring the impact of climate change on the world of wine and solutions to address it. It’s well worth attending.

What is Come Over October?

“Come Over October celebrates the togetherness, the history, and the stories of wine that go beyond what’s in the glass. We recognize that alcoholic wine consumption is not right for every adult. We support and respect the rich community of all who have an interest in great beverages of quality, including beverages that are non-alcoholic.”

So goes the mission statement of the Come Over October wine advocacy campaign, co-founded last year in the U.S. by author Karen MacNeil (The Wine Bible), and PR veterans Kimberly Noelle Charles and Gino Colangelo. In the face of slumping wine consumption worldwide, and the demonization of all alcohol as uniformly evil without distinguishing between shots of industrially made hard liquor and carefully crafted wine, McNeil & Co. decided it was time to take back the narrative and remind people of the cultural value of wine.

The month-long campaign, a counterpart, if you will, to the popular Dry January campaign, highlights the positive role of wine, and mindful consumption, in fostering meaningful connections. The initiative invites people to gather over wine to “celebrate friendship, deepen bonds, reconnect in person, and learn more about wine along the way.” At the risk of stating the obvious for readers of this newsletter, not all alcohol is created equal, nor is consumed for the same purpose.

And the message seems to be resonating. In its inaugural year (2024), the COO campaign reached an estimated 1.7 billion unique visitor impressions and engaged over 10 million people across diverse channels including retail and direct-to-consumer channels. Also recognizing the importance of sharing this message, the Come Over October creators were collectively nominated for “Person of the Year” this year by Wine Enthusiast magazine. And this year for the first time, Wine Growers Canada and Arterra Wines Canada are executing a nationwide Come Over October program.

Care to join? Here’s what campaigners suggest: host a game night with wine. Plan a Sunday supper with friends. Start a book-club style wine club in your neighbourhood. Celebrate the season with a porch pour. Throw a Come Over October Party and make new connections.

The COO website also features a useful primer on throwing a wine tasting party, complete with suggested themes. Check out all the tools and tips. Let’s celebrate together this October.

Sicily En Primeur

Modica Alta, Sicily © John Szabo MS

I look forward each spring to the annual Sicily En Primeur event created by Assovini Sicilia, an opportunity to taste a wide selection of new releases and visit different corners of the Mediterranean’s largest island. This year, 2025, marked the 21^st edition, which was hosted in the chocolate-scented baroque jewel of a town, Modica, in the southeastern part of Sicily.

Beyond the tastings and visits, the overarching theme of the event focused on the importance of regarding wine culture as a form of responsible consumption, of connecting wine with wine tourism, and the role of sustainability in the wine sector. Assovini, and indeed hundreds of actors in the wine industry like our friends at Come Over October, are seeking to remind people of the profound cultural value of wine, not to mention it’s economic importance.

In her introductory keynote speech, Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia, said: “Today, faced with global challenges that see wine at the centre of a heated debate, it is essential to return to our roots to reflect on and respond to future challenges. The next challenge for Assovini Sicilia is not only to maintain the high quality of wine production and invest in sustainability, but also to protect cultural value against restrictive international dynamics, against a way of thinking that criminalises a product of civilisation, knowledge, beauty and tradition.”

Also, and perhaps most important, Sicily is producing some extraordinarily good wines. Read the report for my top picks from Etna and beyond, including multiple bottles in the mid 90-point range.

Save the Date: Tasting Climate Change

From January 18 to 20, 2026, Montreal will host the fifth edition of Tasting Climate Change, an international conference exploring the impact of climate change on the world of wine and solutions to address it. See details and buy tickets.

The conference was founded by sommelier and great friend of WineAlign’s — and National Wine Awards of Canada judge — Michelle Bouffard, who recognized an important opportunity to be part of the solution to climate issues as they pertain to the wine industry. The event brings together experts, winemakers, scientists, and decision-makers from around the world for three days of conferences, panels and thematic tastings. Guests for the 2026 edition include Marc-André Selosse, Jean Lemire, Rosa Kruger and Jérôme Dupras. I had the pleasure of participating last year and found the presentations insightful and full of practical ideas and solutions. And I’ll be back for this year — I hope to see many of my industry colleagues there.

If you’re unable to make it, considering becoming a Friend of TCC.

Buyer’s Guide Vintages October 11: Sparkling

Carpenè Malvolti 1868, Veneto, Italy
$19.95, Sylvestre Wines & Spirits
Sara d’Amato – An elegantly dry take on Prosecco Superiore, dressed in a classic label that hints at tradition yet delivers more personality than one might expect. A cleverly composed, refreshingly restrained Prosecco that proves understatement can be its own form of intrigue..
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There are 23 other Vintages recommendations this week that are currently only available to our premium members. This complete article will be free and visible to all members 60 days after publication. We invite you to subscribe today to unlock our top picks and other Premium benefits

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“For the cost of a good bottle of wine we’ll help you discover hundreds of great ones.”

That’s all for this report, see you ’round the next bottle.

John Szabo, MS

Use these quick links for access to all of our October 11th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 60 days prior.

John’s Top Picks – October 11th
Lawrason’s Take – October 11th
Michael’s Mix – October 11th
Megha’s Picks – October 11th
Sara’s Selections – October 11th

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