Fall is here, and harvest bounty is on full display at the farmers market. But there’s also the natural abundance of the forests to enjoy at your dinner table. The fall mushroom foraging season starts in the first cool days in September and stretches into November. Black trumpet, hen of the woods (aka maitake), hedgehog, lion’s mane, oyster, porcini, chanterelle—whatever fall fungi you find or buy, you can make them the star of a meal by simply sautéing them in butter and olive oil, with crushed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs, and topping them over a creamy risotto. 

Cooking the mushrooms is easy enough, but risotto is, quite frankly, a pain in the ass to make. The richness of the finished dish is well worth the effort, but it’s a demanding endeavor: you have to stand at attention in front of the pot for half an hour, constantly stirring the rice to achieve the proper texture and incorporating liquid every couple of minutes. So you’ll need a wine that you can sip while you develop a repetitive strain injury with a spoon—ideally a wine you can enjoy with the meal when it’s (finally) ready.

Mushrooms are meaty and umami, and they pair well with light, savory, chillable red wines with pliant tannins that will enhance those flavors, rather than overwhelming them. A fuller-bodied white wine will complement the creaminess of the risotto. But whatever the wine, it will need plenty of acidity to balance all that butter and cheese. 

For the risotto itself, I highly recommend Bon Appetit’s "Best Risotto", with one crucial change: though the recipe calls for adding salted water to the rice, use homemade chicken stock—the kind that jiggles with collagen when you pull it out of the fridge. The added richness and savor sends the flavor to the top level, and brings out the best in your wine.

Wines for Mushroom Risotto

2021 Fumey-Chatelain No Sin Tou Tsefs Arbois ($38)

Jura reds, light-bodied and savory, are a tasty match for mushrooms. This cuvée is a blend of all three main black grape varieties grown in the region: Pinot Noir, Trousseau, and Poulsard. The Pinot Noir is made using whole bunches, while the Poulsard and Trousseau are destemmed. Crisp fruit and acidity, with notes of bramble, forest floor, peppery spice, and cranberry, with the Trousseau providing just enough tannic grip to contrast well with the risotto.

2022 Koerner Vivian Vineyard Clare Valley Mammolo ($40)

Just about any earthy Italian red grape plays nicely with mushrooms. Mammolo, aka Sciacarello in Corsica, is used for blending in Tuscany. In this Clare Valley iteration—in keeping with a movement in Australian winemaking using “alternative” varieties in the face of climate change—it’s bright and light-bodied, with just 13.4 percent ABV. Aged in large-format Slovenian oak, it’s fruit-forward and rustic on the palate, with notes of clay pot, strawberry, pomegranate, dried herbs, and violets.

2021 Ar.Pe.Pe. Rosso di Valtellina ($42)

Nebbiolo is a classic pairing with mushrooms. This light-bodied, easy-drinking red brings a freshness and lithe tannins that won’t overpower the risotto. Made from grapes grown on steep vineyards in the Alps—specifically, the lower part of Ar.Pe.Pe.'s acclaimed Sassella and Grumello vineyards—so the aromas and flavors are lifted. Expect sour cherry, dried cranberries, rose petals, anise, dried herbs, and a fresh, alpine forest note. 

2017 Vodopivec Vitovska Friuli-Venezia Giulia ($45)

Made with the rare Vitovska variety, this wine is fermented on the skins in amphorae—but this isn’t your typical orange wine. The tannins are present but reined in, with plenty of acidity to balance the risotto. Dried apricot, lemon peel, and sous bois on the nose, with citrus and stone fruits and sapidity on the palate to bring out the flavors of the mushrooms.

NV Gamet Champagne Brut Rosé ($54)

The red fruit and rounder body of a Meunier-based Champagne is a sleeper hit with mushroom risotto. This cuvée is 85 percent Meunier, with juicy red berries, notes of fresh ginger and savory herbs, and a strong mineral finish—all in harmony with an elegant acidity and fine mousse that together cut beautifully through the fat in the dish, and refresh your palate for the next delicious bite.