I'm planning to make this for Thanksgiving, but will not use mushrooms, because they will be featured prominently in another dish (and I may also...

...serve sausage stuffed mushroom caps). I'm thinking about folding in a couple of tart apples, cubed, right before serving. What kind of wine should I use in this dish? Or perhaps I should use cider (the good stuff you need an I.D. to buy)? ;o) Thank you, everyone

AntoniaJames
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Toni's Nutted Wild Rice
Recipe question for: Toni's Nutted Wild Rice

6 Comments

AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 30, 2015
Just checking back on this . . . I ended up using the mushrooms - just mushroom stems, leftover from the appetizer I made (stuffed mushrooms), and I added roasted small dice of carrots for color. I had planned to make a different side dish that was very much about the mushrooms, but then scrapped it in favor of a leek bread pudding, fairly light, from Hugh Acheson via PannaCooking.

I used Madeira in the rice dish, in which I used toasted slivered almonds instead of pecans. Madeira was perfect with the overall combination of flavors.

This is a delightful dish - although it really does need the carrots, or some other colorful component, to make it more attractive. (As drafted, the recipe creates a brown-on-brown dish.)

I still plan to make it without mushrooms the next time, so thank you, everyone, for the many helpful suggestions. ;o)
 
sydney
sydney November 8, 2015
A premium dry cider sounds so lovely in, but also to drink WITH the tart apple addition; domestic cider producers have really stepped up their game in the past few years! But I just wanted to take a moment to proselytize for a wine to accompany (not pour in) any mushroom-centred dish: A good Savennieres (Loire) Chenin Blanc can be INSANELY mushroomy and a fabulous pairing. And I'm always here to cheer on a dry Riesling. :-D

Happy Thanksgiving, Americans! We passed our Thanksgiving a month ago in Canada but I just logged on to see what you are all eating (wow, yum!).
 
Nancy
Nancy November 5, 2015
Antonia, as a semi-expert wine geek, I think you could go several ways here. No ingredient or flavor dominates or suggests a specific wine, though the recipe sounds vaguely Italian.
In this case, I would choose a wine according to what else I'd be serving in that course, or something you all like (whether red or white) from Italian or French vineyards.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 5, 2015
Thanks, Nancy! I think the raw apple I plan to add at the end may come through as a strong flavor, so I'm really wondering about what will go best with that. The author's suggested port, sherry, etc. seem perfect with the mushrooms, which won't be in the dish. We'll be serving a white Côtes-du-Rhône. So little is used, i'm thinking just to go that route. The apple-y flavor from the cider also seems appealing . . . . ;o)
 
Nancy
Nancy November 5, 2015
Your white Cotes du Rhone sounds lovely, as does the cider.
If you wind up needing to buy another wine, and people expected for turkey day like whites, I would suggest a dry Riesling (not a sweet one - that's for dessert) or a dry Gewurtz.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 5, 2015
Nancy, your suggestion for the dry German whites is spot on. People really like it, especially with savory appetizers, so it's never a bad idea to have some on hand. Thank you so much! ;o)
 
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