WINE+FOOD MATCH

THE DISH

Mixed Seafood Risotto

Visit mindfood.com/mixed-seafood-risotto

THE DROP

If you’re a fan of risotto as much as I am then this recipe will seduce you into the kitchen very quickly. A great risotto needs a solid foundation using onion (or leek) and garlic cooked in butter (or oil) to form the base flavour. Layering in stock, rice and natural salty sweet flavours of seafood and for this recipe a whisper of chilli, a lush and moist dish emerges. Overall, the flavours and textures of such a dish need a wine that is complex, doesn’t mind the saline and natural sweetness in the food and can refresh the palate. Albariño is a natural match with seafood and many risotto dishes, its core mineral quality, citrus and white peach and naturally higher acid line. Tohu’s ‘Whenua Matua’ 2019 from Nelson is superb, showcasing all these attributes with its youthful, refreshing and salivating qualities plus finesse and charm. RRP from $25.99.