Fall Fun With BOTTAIA

As we “weather the weather” and transition to the cooler months here in Temecula Wine Country, we’d like to pause and take a moment to breathe a collective sigh of relief—one of gratitude for the winemaking and vineyard team who have worked tirelessly over the past several months to deliver a promising 2022 vintage; our service team members for their hard work and dedication; and, of course, a huge thank you to each of you for continuing to choose BOTTAIA as your go-to for the best Cal-Italian wines in Temecula.

We look forward to hosting you here at the Tasting Room and hope you’ll take some time away from the back to the grind activities to raise a glass with us. Whether you’re a fan of white, red, or rosé, we’ve got something to please every palate this fall, and all year round. And while you’re choosing wines for the season of falling leaves, we hope that you’ll enjoy a few of our fun, festive, fall pairing suggestions—like this mushroom risotto dish. You can pair it with whichever wine makes you happy, but we suggest sipping our 2020 Vintage Spumante. Bubbles, good company, and a great meal could make for a pretty fabulous fall evening, don’t you agree?

BOTTAIA Harvest Moon Mushroom Risotto

6 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt freshly ground black pepper 2 medium shallots, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
parsley
crushed red pepper flakes 

In a medium saucepan, heat broth to a simmer and keep an eye on it, then in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper, and sauté 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside in a glass bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the shallots for 3 minutes then add the rice and toast it, stirring often (4-5 minutes or until golden.) Add 1 cup of the simmering chicken broth, stirring constantly. Once the rice absorbs the liquid, reduce heat to medium and slowly add more broth 1/2 cup at a time until all broth has been added and absorbed. * Note that it probably takes 30 minutes to cook down the entire 6 cups of chicken broth. Stir in the the butter, parmesan, and mushrooms. Add crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, pinch of sea salt, and more freshly ground black pepper.