This past weekend, I decided to prepare risotto twice, each time a little differently, and both with Italian red wines.

For the first preparation I chose to use chicken stock and Portobello mushrooms, skip the saffron. Not really the classic Risotto alla Milanese, but along those lines with Arborio rice. The risotto turned out wonderfully creamy and rich. I opened a bottle of Cabutto Barolo 2004 ‘Tenuta la Volta’ and it was stunning. I grilled a few chicken tenderloins alongside the risotto and it was a lovely match. I only wished, for the sake of the Barolo, that I would have used a beef stock rather than the chicken. Still, it was very enjoyable. It got me thinking about having another go at it, so the next evening, I did.

The second evening, I used beef stock and saffron in the preparation, again with Portobello mushrooms, but this time with no meat course, just the risotto and some crusty bread. The dish was awesome, again rich and creamy and full of flavor, like a French onion soup that you could chew on! I chose to open a bottle of Toscana Rosso, a blend this time of Sangoivese, Cabernet and I think I also tasted some Merlot. The wine was fine, but I really wished I would have served this wine the night before, and had the Barolo tonight. The Tuscan red seemed to either lack the acidity/freshness that the risotto required, or maybe it was a tannin thing. It was too big, too round, and probably would have worked better with grilled chicken beside it. So the Barolo was just fine with the first recipe, and probably also it would have been better with the second… I guess that’s why risotto is considered a northern dish!

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor. Follow me on Twitter: @ABCwineshayne.