Mushroom risotto will make most wines taste delicious. In general, the earthy pasta is especially good with earthier reds, like Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Mushrooms are a versatile ingredient to pair wine with because they’re meaty enough to stand up to a red and pair wonderfully with a fuller-bodied white wine, like lightly oaked Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. Mushrooms are often more affordable than red meat, making this meal pairing approachable yet luxurious.
Mushrooms are often sautéed or roasted in butter or olive oil, or paired with fat-heavy ingredients like cheese, adding richness to their flavor. Keep the level of richness in mind when choosing a wine as certain wines help cut through heavier dishes. Tannins and acid in particular help balance fatty foods by providing a refreshing contrast, cleansing the palate and preventing the sensation of excessive greasiness.
Mushroom risotto is the dish to make if you have a special bottle of, say, Barolo or Barbaresco from Piedmont or of red or white Burgundy (made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, respectively). The pasta dish will show off these complex wines without distracting from them. Red wines, with their complex and layered profiles, can stand up to and enhance the richness of mushroom-based dishes.
That said, mushroom risotto will likely make your less-than-stellar wines taste better than they do alone. Here’s a dinner party trick: Pour your $10 Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, or Chardonnay into a pretty, unlabeled carafe. Make a mushroom risotto, and presto: Your wine will seem like it’s twice the price.
Remember, there are no strict rules when it comes to food and wine pairings. The point is to experiment and to choose wines that complement, enhance, or balance certain elements in a dish — in this case the creamy richness of risotto and earthy, meaty mushrooms.
Kristin Donnelly is a former Food & Wine editor and author of the forthcoming The Modern Potluck (Clarkson Potter, 2016). She is also the cofounder of Stewart & Claire, an all-natural line of lip balms made in Brooklyn.
