Slightly Chilled

September can be hot and muggy or cool and dry--often in the same day.

In terms of wine, such vacillating weather calls for versatile bottles. We prefer lighter-bodied reds, which will stay flexible at the dinner table as the season shifts.

Here are three styles to try: For best results, serve them (in the spirit of September) slightly chilled:

Barbera d'Alba The high-acid Barbera grape calls Piedmont home, and it's one of the most food-friendly varieties around. The 2007 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Tre Vigne is ultrabright and fruity--charming and flirty, it's anything but dumb (vietti.com).

Cru Beaujolais The region's more serious wines provide amazing value; the 2008 George Duboeuf Fleurie Beaujolais is a firm and slightly chewy bottling bursting with fresh fruit character (duboeuf.com).

Marlborough Pinot Noir New Zealand's Marlborough region isn't just for Sauvignon Blanc anymore: Its easy-drinking Pinots rival those from Oregon for the best non-Burgundy bottles on the planet. The 2007 Matua Valley Marlborough Estate Pinot Noir, which offers a surprising amount of depth and a very silky texture, seems as though it should cost twice the price (matua.co.nz).