How Wine Pros Celebrating ‘Come Over October’

As the air turns crisp and we lean into harvest season, a new month-long campaign aims to celebrate wine culture and its power to bring us together. Launched by wine industry pros Karen McNeil, Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles, Come Over October, a counterpoint to Sober October, is encouraging people to invite family members, friends and neighbors to connect over a glass of wine. The goal? To promote the positive attributes of wine.

“We believe that through the simple act of sharing wine, we share other things that matter— generosity, caring and a belief that being together is an essential part of human happiness,” reads the campaign’s mission statement. 

Since launching Come Over October earlier this year, McNeil has been overwhelmed by the response. “It has gone from a humble idea I had early one morning while walking the dog to a global campaign that, as of October 1, had already reached 1.1 billion people [in impressions],” she says. 

Given the interest in the campaign, we reached out to wine industry experts to see how they plan to honor the month-long celebration and enjoy wine with the people they love.

Leaning into Nostalgia

Alison Smith Story, founder of Smith Story Cellars

“Wine these days for me is a time capsule,” says Alison Smith Story, who founded Smith Story Cellars with her husband in 2014. She notes that many of her first memories of learning about wine involved social gatherings with friends who introduced her to new bottles and styles.

This October, Smith Story is planning to embrace nostalgia and revive a tradition she started in her mid-twenties: Sunday Night Blues Club. On these evenings, she’d invite friends over for a cozy home-cooked dinner, classic jazz and a conversation about life and the week ahead. 

“The only ask was for each person to bring a bottle of wine to share,” she says. “Those nights were truly some of the most relaxing and interesting wine sipping and gatherings of my youth.”  

Living in wine country, Smith Story and her friends “are mostly in the thick of harvest and wine club season,” she says, so they could all use a night of fun and relaxation. “At least one night, the menu will consist of a longtime favorite recipe of mine, Italian ragu with creamy polenta—a Nancy Silverton recipe that stole my heart years ago.” 

She plans on opening a new bottle of the 2024 Smith Story Russian River Zinfandel and “a killer bottle of F.lli Cigliuti Barbaresco ‘Serraboella’ from the cellar.” There’s just one rule for the night: “The wine has to be made by friends of course!” 

Smith Story is setting the dinner table with a mix of vintage Heath Ceramics, hotel silverware, vintage wine glasses and her favorite casual glass by Zalto. She says, “their stemless cocktail/tumbler is safe from long fluffy dog tails” that are always circling her dinner table. 

And last, but not least: John Coltrane and Nina Simone will be on shuffle.

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Keeping it Casual – but Opening Something Special

Karen McNeil, wine journalist and co-founder of Come Over October 

McNeil is embracing the everyday magic of sharing wine with community and friends, so she plans to keep it low-key and informal at her Napa Valley home. 

“We’ll probably stand in the kitchen (where else?) and I’ll open a wine I’ve saved, knowing that an important part of the enjoyment of a great wine is sharing it with the people you love,” she says. “Which wine exactly? I will decide at the last minute because that’s how wine inspiration works.”  

Gino Colangelo, wine communications and co-founder of Come Over October

There’s another exciting reason to celebrate this October: a certain New York baseball team has defied the odds. “This October is extra special for me because the Mets are in the playoffs,” says Colangelo, who plans on opening some New York State sparkling wine to celebrate. “Maybe I’ll pair it with some hot dogs and other baseball favorites. Then my son and I are going to settle in and ‘root, root, root for the home team!’”

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Putting the Phones Away

Channing Frye, founder of Chosen Family Wines

After his parents died in 2016, October through Thanksgiving has been a tough time for Frye, former NBA champion and founder of Chosen Family Wines. “Every year since, I always make sure to be present with the people I love,” he says. 

To Frye, Come Over October is an opportunity to connect with loved ones and open that special occasion bottle. “Life moves so fast sometimes we forget to just put our phones away, open that bottle we’ve been saving, and just talk,” he says. “Come Over October is about doing just that for me.”

Cooking a Seasonal Feast

Kimberly Noelle Charles DipWSET, co-founder of Come Over October

October is spooky season, and Charles plans to celebrate accordingly. “I live in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission District and the annual Dia de los Muertos procession happens right in front of my house,” she says. “I host friends and cook mole, pozole and many other late October Mexican dishes. I will be enjoying wines from Mexico as well as wines made by Mexican heritage winemakers in California to honor the origins of this very special festival.”

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Enjoying Fuller-Bodied Reds and Whites 

Rodolphe Sangster, VP of wine merchandising at Total Wine

Rodolphe Sangster is eager to invite over some close friends for an outdoor dinner that leans into all things autumn—even the dress code. “I’m asking everyone to dress cozy and warm in their favorite plaid while we enjoy some grilled meats with hearty side dishes featuring squash and pumpkins,” says Sangster. 

He’ll open a few fuller-bodied red and white wines, including his favorite Harvester Cabernet Sauvignon from Hope Family Wines. “This full-bodied delight boasts flavors of red berries, a hint of spice and smooth, velvety tannins—it is the perfect pairing for the great conversations I know we’ll have,” he says.

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Enjoying new and old wines 

Barbara Banke, chairman and proprietor at Jackson Family Wines

To pair with seasonal autumn dishes made with vegetables from the garden, Barbara Banke is looking forward to opening a variety of wines from the Jackson Family Wines portfolio, including a new white blend from Stonestreet, plus “treasures from our library, like Vérité and Cardinale” and Oregon Chardonnays from Penner-Ash and Gran Moraine. “I’m thrilled about big ideas like Come Over October because they highlight the positive role wine plays in bringing people together,” she says. “Wine is a unique beverage—it’s woven into the fabric of our traditions here in California’s wine country.” 

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Sharing Special and Rare Wines

Cynthia Lohr, co-owner J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines

“Come Over October is exciting for the trade and consumers alike,” says Lohr. “At our J. Lohr Paso Robles and San Jose Wine Centers, we are celebrating the discovery of limited-release wines, including a bonus pour of our 2022 J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay, wine club benefits that can be shared with friends and family, an after-hours complimentary tasting night and a chance to win the just-released San Luis Obispo California Edition Monopoly game featuring J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.”

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Playing Host for Come Over October (and Every Month of the Year)

Anna-Christina Cabrales, tasting director Wine Enthusiast

“Every month for me is like Come Over October,” says Cabrales, who lines out her table with multiple types of glasses for guests to pick-and-choose from as well as a dump bucket and spit cups, so everyone can taste through the offerings without stress. 

“My friends and guests should be able to consume what they like, how much they like and whatever they like,” she adds. “That ranges anywhere from NA spirits and wine to, of course, my favorite: bubbles. Cheers to the moments—especially over wine and other beverages—that bring us together.”

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Published: October 7, 2024