What to Pair with Risotto? - Food & Wine

If you are pressed for time

It all depends on how well you prepare!

• For a vegetable risotto, choose a white wine: a white from the Loire or a Vouvray.
• For a meat-based risotto, choose red wines: a Beaujolais, or perhaps a Bordeaux or a wine from the Loire Valley.
• For a seafood risotto, opt for a white wine (from Alsace) or a white Château de Prémeaux from Burgundy!
• For a spicy risotto, choose a rosé or a white wine: a Pinot Blanc

Wines for every taste

There are countless variations of risotto. We can categorize these recipes into three main groups: vegetable-based risottos, seafood-based risottos, and meat-based risottos.

A vegetable risotto, such as one made with lemon, fresh herbs, and asparagus, calls for a wine that isn’t too sharp—one that is fruity and fresh, with a smooth texture and a bit of body to balance the fresh, slightly tangy flavors of the risotto. Dishes with mushrooms will require a wine with higher alcohol content and more body—or even a red wine for porcini mushrooms or truffles.
Fish-based risottos, such as a shrimp and avocado dish, pair wonderfully with a mineral, fruity white wine that has a slightly lively edge to once again cut through the richness of the risotto. If you add spices like curry, be sure to choose a more refreshing white or a rosé, but always one that is fruity and lively.
For meat-based risottos, such as those with pancetta or Parma ham, opt for a slightly young, lively, and “light” red wine. It will cut through the dish’s richness and pair perfectly with this type of risotto.

Finally, if you’re making a risotto with just cheese, always go for a fairly crisp white wine—or why not a red with a bit of character, without being too bold?

Risotto

The fabulous Italian risotto! A traditional Italian dish, risotto continues to delight us with its many different variations, inspired by all corners of the world. First appearing after the first rice paddies were established in Italy’s Po Valley region toward the end of the 15th century, risotto didn’t begin its international expansion until the 1970s.
So what exactly is risotto? First and foremost, it’s a dish made with special rice varieties like Carnaroli or Vialone Nano. This rice must be cooked by gradually adding broth, so that it absorbs the liquid thanks to its high starch content. At the end of cooking, Parmesan is added to thicken the mixture slightly and create that rich sauce that gives the dish its charm. We love risotto in the summer—a bit fresh with lemon, herbs, and asparagus, for example. And when you think of risotto (and summer), you think of wine! Italy is a great wine-producing country, so they haven’t forgotten to pair this dish with wine.

Discover our Beaujolais wines, straight from the winemaker