Pairing: Red wine with risotto

Steelhead Vineyards 2013 North Coast Red ($15), our Wine of the Week, is an easy charmer with a price to match. Six varietals contribute layer upon layer of flavors, with white pepper, black pepper, anise, clove, allspice and a hint of cardamom swirling through blackberry, black cherry and black plum juiciness, all beautifully integrated around a core of bright acid and velvety tannins.

The wine is excellent in the fall, when its richness mirrors the richness of some of the foods we enjoy now, from ripe heirloom tomatoes and sweet peppers to eggplant, figs and winter squash. Spaghetti Bolognese, pizza, bacon cheeseburgers, black bean soup and even red beans and rice are good companions. It is good, as well, with posole rojo, provided it is not too spicy, and paella.

The wine is excellent with braised meats, especially braised lamb shanks and beef shanks, and classic beef stew, goat stew and similar dishes, including goat picadillo.

For today's recipe, I'm inspired by the beautiful simplicity of red wine risotto, which is both gorgeous and delicious, especially when made with homemade stock, good butter and good wine. To serve as a main dish, offer some oil cured olives and salumi before the risotto and a simple green salad after, and plenty of our Wine of the Week to accompany it all.

Red Wine Risotto

Serves 3 to 4

4 cups homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large or 3 medium shallots, minced

— Kosher salt

1½ cups Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice

1½ cups dry red wine, preferably Steelhead North Coast Red

¾ cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Vella Dry Jack, Estero Gold or similar cheese

— Black pepper in a mill

1 tablespoons snipped chives or chopped Italian parsley

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low.

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil into a wide deep saucepan set over medium heat and, when the butter has melted, add the shallots. Cook until very soft and fragrant, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently; do not let the shallot brown.

Season with salt, add the rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the while, until every grain turns milky white.

Increase the heat to high, add the wine and stir until it is nearly completely absorbed.

Add ½ cup of the stock and stir continuously as the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is nearly tender, adjusting the heat as needed so that the stock does not evaporate the moment it hits the pan. Be sure the liquid is fully absorbed before adding more.

When the rice has tripled in size, give it a taste. It is done when it is creamy with just a bit of resistance. It will take from 18 to 25 minutes for the rice to be fully cooked; should you run out of stock, add water to the pan.

Fold in the cheese. Taste, correct for salt and season with several turns of black pepper.

Add the remaining butter and the last of the liquid, stir and, when the butter is melted, ladle into soup plates.

Garnish with chives or parsley and serve immediately.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 24 books , including the new 'Good Cook's' series. Email her at michele@saladdresser.com or read her blog , 'Eat This Now,' at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.