What wine would you suggest for this? I’m doing a risotto meets shrimp creole mashup, using the normal risotto method and most typical ingredients but in place of saffron using paprika, basil, thyme and a wee bit of cayenne pepper. I know, maybe a disaster but I’ve been wanting to try it. I was thinking of a restaurant I went to long ago that had all manner of risotto variations as a theme. Cheers.
It might be rather flexible for wines, from rosés / very light reds, through all manner of whites.
I’ve certainly had great joy with paprika (inc. chorizo) in risotto, and the richness of flavour works great with risotto. Fresh thyme, sage and oregano usually chucked in as well.
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I agree on rosé as the first choice. If I was going to do a red, a low tannin red like a Beaujolais or the Valdiguié I recently had from Battuello would probably be a fair pairing.
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My first big “wake-up call” wine experience was at Bayona in New Orleans in the late 90s as a penniless grad student at the table on someone else’s dime.
The Somm recommended Pesquera Ribera de Duero to go with the Cajun-creole gastronomic mosh pit that we had ordered (I think I had rabbit etouffee).
It was amazing.
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Sounds pretty similar to a Jambalaya-esque dish with andouille we do. Thyme, oregano, smoked/sweet paprika, onion/garlic powder. Finish it with a touch of heavy cream and parmesan. Call me crazy, but I enjoy it with light, fresh, young red Burgs every week.
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pinotage?
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For jambalaya with seafood I like viognier.
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Auslese or Spatlese.
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Sweet mitigates spice, but the way you desciribe the risotto it doesn’t sound too spicy. The shrimp creole is made with a tomato sauce and that would be where a pairing would get tricky. Shrimp Etouffee would offer many more choices for wine.
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Well the dish worked well and would make again probably with a little sliced red pepper which goes really well with shrimp. This is sill a lighter dish and I think important not to get too carried away with seasonings, which is easy to do, not treating it as paella or gumbo but allowing the more delicate arborio and shrimp to take center stage.
I decided to go with a lighter but friendly cabernet franc, a 2018 Savage Grace two blondes vyd CF, and it worked just fine. I think going with a red you need one with bright and fresh fruit just as with a rose it’s the freshness and fruit profile that would make it work. Thanks everyone as I’ve got more ideas for other risotto hybrid dishes and wine pairings.
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