What Wine With Rice Dishes?

Paella – this encompasses a huge mish-mash of flavours, which somehow work to perfection – with prawns, fish, chicken and spicy chorizo often in the mix, go for a crisp, yet full-flavoured dry white such as Albarino or a Rueda Verdejo, or opt for a juicy, young Garnacha or Tempranillo based Spanish red.

Seafood risotto – keep it fresh, zesty and flavoursome with a good Italian white from the north – Gavi or Verdicchio, or a modern style, fragrant white such as Fiano from the south, or a Greganico/Catarrato from Sicily. -vegetable or ‘primavera’ risotto is best with crisp, refreshing whites, which pick up the freshness and herbaceous edge of the vegetables, such as Chilean or South African Sauvignon blanc.

Mushroom and chicken risotto – a northern Italian classic, especially with wild mushrooms, and either a juicy, aromatic Pinot Noir from Chile or Italy, or a fresh, modern style Barbera or northern Italian Merlot would work. If you prefer white wine,opt for a light, northern Italian or southern French unoaked Chardonnay.

Risotto cooked in red wine ( risotto al’amarone) – a classic from the Veneto region of Italy, with powerful flavours of red wine, and often rich cheese – the only way to go is a big ,bold Italian red, preferably the same wine as the risotto has been cooked in!