This month we are showcasing our wine that is best for transitioning from summer to fall with; our gamay! It’s the kind of wine that is great a little chilled making it a perfect patio wine, but it also can pair with hardier fall cuisine as well. Over the next few weeks we will be posting blog entries with different recipes show casing gamay’s versatility. LCBO 615062. To find a store near you check out: http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/details.do?language=EN&itemNumber=615062

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This week’s recipe: Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Risotto.

What you’ll need:

8 oz Italian sausage, 3 cups chicken stock, 3/4 cup Arborio rice, 1 T butter, 1/2 medium yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 T white wine, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

To prepare:

Simmer chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter to a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and break up with a wooden spatula as it browns, cook about five minutes. Add garlic, red pepper and onion and cook about eight minutes until softened. Add black pepper and rice, stir to coat. Add wine and cook until liquid is almost all evaporated, about one minute. Add chicken stock, one ladle at a time, to the rice mixture. Stir almost constantly. When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, add another ladle full. Repeat this process until you have added all the stock to the rice mixture. This process will take about twenty to thirty minutes. The rice mixture should be thick and creamy. The rice should still be al dente but not hard. Add 3/4 of the cheese and stir to combine.

Why it works:

Gamay is a wine with so much pairing potential. This particularly pairing is so nice because the wine works as a palate cleanser for the dish, so as not to overwhelm with flavors. Firstly the acidity of the wine balances both the fattiness of the sausage as well as the creaminess of the risotto. It also does a good job balancing any spiciness in the dish that may come from the sausage; especially if served slightly chilled (because the chill will bring out more of the sweet fruit notes). If you find your preparation of the dish is earthier, with more character from the roasted red pepper and herbs, that’s ok as well; an un-chilled gamay, perhaps in an oaked style (such as ours) will complement those flavor profiles.