Risotto question

I was experimenting a little a few nights ago and made a risotto using some red wine (a 2002 Mayr Nusserhoff Lagrein) with delicato squash. I think this was the first time I used red instead of white wine with risotto. The dish tasted great, the sweetness of the squash was nice with the risotto, but the color was not very appealing. Do any of you guys make risotto using red wine? What types of ingrediants do you think would work well with red wine risotto? The wine wasn't bad with the dish, but I had some of the leftover risotto yesterday with a glass of 05 Fritz Haag riesling and it was an even better match.

Thanks,

[Robin Garr]

I was experimenting a little a few nights ago and made a risotto using some red wine (a 2002 Mayr Nusserhoff Lagrein) with delicato squash. I think this was the first time I used red instead of white wine with risotto. The dish tasted great, the sweetness of the squash was nice with the risotto, but the color was not very appealing. Do any of you guys make risotto using red wine? What types of ingrediants do you think would work well with red wine risotto? The wine wasn't bad with the dish, but I had some of the leftover risotto yesterday with a glass of 05 Fritz Haag riesling and it was an even better match.

Marc, I don't usually do red-wine risotto just because of the color, but I think it could work ... maybe with a Veneto specialty, risotto made with a lot of finely chopped radicchio? The reddish-purple lettuce imparts a funky color, and red wine might kick it up a little.

Also, thinking out loud, I wonder if dropping a little saffron in might warm up the looks of the red-wine-stained rice by adding a little sunny warm golden color to it.

The dish tasted great, the sweetness of the squash was nice with the risotto, but the color was not very appealing.

You could always camouflage the funky color by using a couple of drops of squid ink. This would give the risotto a possibly more appealing deep black glow, although you would also be adding a touch of the sea to the flavor. Squid ink in risotto is not unusual.