Mushrooms are among wine's best friends in the culinary world, with their umami-rich flavours a brilliant counterpoint for pairing both red and white wines. In general I recommend pairing mushrooms with wines that have a savoury component to their flavour, but specific dishes will work better with certain styles - here are a few mushroom dish wine pairings that will make for extra special autumn dinners:

Mushroom Risotto pair with Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 2019 - £39

Few dishes match the luxurious feeling of a good mushroom risotto with its creamy richness and deep savoury flavour. Its a classic dish with a million different recipes, this one from Rachel Roddy in the Guardian is an excellent option using both dried porcinis and fresh mushrooms

Home to much of Italy's production of Arborio and Carnaroli rice, as well as mushrooms and truffles, the Piemonte region is certainly the home of the mushroom risotto. So it is only right that the wine grown there makes for a superb pairing and the great Nebbiolo wines of Barolo and Barbaresco match perfectly. With complex aromas spanning fresh and dried red fruits, citrus peels, flowers and deep tarry earthiness, alongside bold tannins and acidity to cut through the creaminess, this top-class Barbaresco from the family-owned Giuseppe Cortese winery will delight the palate. We recommend giving this young vintage a couple of hours decanting to enjoy to its full potential.

Yaki Shiitake Ponzu-zoe pair with Ecker Eckhof Gelber Muskateller 2022 - £17.50

Japanese cuisine is an excellent source of mushroom dishes, and this recipe from Epicurious partners meaty grilled shiitakes with a tart ponzu dressing for a deliciously fresh vegetarian meal. 

Combinations of high acidity and aromatics in dishes can be a little tricky for food pairings, but looking to the aromatic dry whites of central Europe can provide delicious options. This Muskateller (Muscat) from the organic Ecker-Eckhof estate in Wagram, Austria has elegant blossom and jasmine aromas on the nose that suggest sweetness, but the palate is crisp, dry and delicate with a lingering citrus finish that matches the ponzu dressing perfectly.

Chicken with Morels pair with Benoit Badoz Cuvee Edouard Cotes du Jura 2019 - £35.95

An iconic dish of eastern French cuisine, rich in every sense of the word, Chicken with Morels makes for an outstanding main dish for dinner parties or celebratory meals. I like this recipe from Forager/Chef that uses a whole chicken and fresh morels, but there are many others out there using dried morels when fresh are unavailable. If possible use a little Vin Jaune or other Jura wine to further enrich the luxurious cream sauce.

This kind of dish is a perfect pairing for complex, creamy and full-bodied white wines - fine White Burgundy is always an outstanding choice here but I think this beautiful Savagnin from the Jura region is even better! The top white cuvee from this small organic producer, fermented and aged in barrels made from oak grown locally in the Jura. Rich, with notes of sweet spice, hazelnut and fresh cream alongside poached pear and apricot fruit but with a lovely minerally fresh finish. If you love a classic Meursault and feel like broadening your horizons this is a wine to try!

Champignones al Ajillo pair with Lustau 3 En Rama Fino del Puerto - £22.50 (50cl)

Easy to make and with a delicious punchy flavour, this classic Spanish tapa is great either as part of a wider spread of sharing dishes or simply eaten on toast for a quick meal. The key to this dish is to cook on a high heat, just below smoking for your olive oil, so the mushrooms don't release liquid and remain nice and firm. Garlic and parsley should be added liberally!

Nothing beats tapas and sherry, and this Fino from Lustau is one of the best dry sherries out there. From a limited range of dry sherries bottled 'En Rama' (unfiltered) in spring when the layer of flor is thickest, this one is aged in El Puerto de Santa Maria, where humid coastal conditions give a balanced style with lovely almond and apple notes alongside a salty finish.