When the calendar advances to September, our appetites go “click.” Immediately we start craving fall dishes that cry out for red wine. So we’re already on the hunt for this year’s house red. Ideally, we want a bottle with the fortitude to stand up to fall flavors—at a price suitable for everyday drinking. And because we usually drink white wine, we’d like it to display soft tannins and restrained alcohol. Give us this day our daily red.

Contour Pinot Noir 2017 is a contender this year. This vintage tones down the high alcohol of previous years, coming in at 13.8%. That’s still nearly two points higher than an entry-level negociant Burgundy, but it does add a nice sweet note. (Around 14%, alcohol can masquerade as residual sugar.) Moreover, Contour (drinkcontour.com) is truly dry and well-balanced.

Priced $14-15 in Greater Boston wine shops, Contour has a lot of competition from all over the world, including from the black cherry Pinot Noirs of Oregon and Washington. Contour, though, is 100% California Pinot Noir, blended from vineyards in Mendocino, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. The company is a California negociant. While the wine lacks the pedigree of a single vineyard producer, the company makes a product that’s consistent from year to year. From our perspective, the omission of blending grapes (often Syrah) produces a nice, straightforward flavor profile.

It tastes Californian. The nose hints of bramble fruits and nutmeg along with a “hot” sensation from the alcohol. In the mouth, the blackberry and cherry notes expand. The finish is soft, with a minimal tannic grip. A slight bitterness on the back of the tongue is due to the alcohol, but it vanishes with food—like the cherry tomatoes and Grana Padano on the pizza in the photo at the top of the post.