Merlot Risotto

A comforting red wine-infused risotto topped with crispy, crumbled sausage.

Switzerland has various traditional dishes made with short-grained rice, primarily from its Italian-speaking regions, but not exclusively. Sharing a border with Italy certainly has had an influence on Swiss food. Perhaps even more importantly, the Swiss canton of Ticino used to be part of the Duchy of Milan, a former city-state in Italy.

Dishes such as Risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto) and Risotto al Merlot (scroll down for the recipe) remain popular in many regions of Switzerland and beyond. In the Swiss canton of Uri, a traditional dish known as Ryys und Boor pairs risotto with leeks. Made without meat, it continues to be a popular dish during Lent.

Risotto alla Milanese with roasted tomatoes, a recipe in my Swiss Suppers cookbook.

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Swiss-Grown Rice

At this time, about a dozen farmers grow rice in Switzerland. The changing climate has been a factor in creating conditions suitable for this crop.

In Ticino, the Terreni alla Maggia farm and winery is considered the birthplace of 100% Swiss rice. Located in Ascona, they have been growing the Loto variety of rice since 1997. This farm has a lovely retail shop where you can buy rice and other products, such as polenta, pasta and wine.

Rice plants growing in Riz du Vully’s flooded fields.

In the region around Mount Vully, you’ll find another more recently established rice farm. Riz du Vully, led by brothers Léandre and Maxime Guillod, started their flooded rice fields in 2019. They expanded about four years later to include rice fields in Kappelen, an area of the Seeland region in the canton of Bern. A number of retailers sell Riz du Vully, and you can also order their rice via their website.

Johanna and Léandre Guillod making tomato risotto during a Slow Food workshop.

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Swiss Merlot

Merlot refers to a type of grape, as well as the red wine made from these grapes. Originally from the Bordeaux region of France, the name Merlot supposedly comes from a word in dialect for a young blackbird, derived from merle (blackbird in French).

In Switzerland, Merlot was first planted in the canton of Vaud during the mid-19th century. Then, in the beginning of the 20th century, these grapes arrived in Ticino. Today, nearly 80 percent of the grapes grown in this Swiss canton are Merlot.

Val Mara vineyards - Mendrisiotto. © Ticino Turismo - Foto Milo Zanecchia.

Here are three recommendations for vineyards where you can taste Merlot in Ticino:

• Participate in a wine tour and tasting at Azienda Agricola Bianchi in Arogno.

• Stop by for an impromptu wine tasting or schedule a more formal tasting at Enoteca Alimentare, the retail shop for the Cantina and Terrini alla Maggia in Ascona.

• Book a wine tasting at Cantina Cavallini in Cabbio. This vineyard is a member of the Slow Wine network in Switzerland that is committed to protecting biodiversity, authenticity and flavor. You can even reserve an overnight stay in their “tower house,” surrounded by grapevines.

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I hope you’ll enjoy this week’s Swiss Italian inspired recipe. If you’ve never made risotto at home before, now’s the time to try!

Until next week,
-Heddi

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Recipe: Merlot Risotto

A Merlot-soaked risotto topped with crispy Luganighe sausage. If you can’t find this sausage, you can substitute it with another Italian-style sausage.

Prep: 15 mins.
Cook: about 30 mins.
Servings: 4