Comforting Fall Recipes and Wine Pairings

Fall is the perfect time to slow down, gather your favorite people, and enjoy some great food and wine. We teamed up with Chelsey Harlien @chelseyharlien to create the ultimate fall menu to pair with two of our favorite fall wines: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Chardonnay Pairing

The Menu:

• Caramelized Onion & Feta Tartlets (See Full Recipe Below)

• Cauliflower Gratin with Gruyère — creamy, cheesy, and perfectly toasty

• Fall Harvest Salad — mixed greens with pears, toasted almonds, goat cheese, chives, and a duck fat vinaigrette

The Wine: Lot 130 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Bright, flavorful, and silky, our Lot 130 Chardonnay is a perfect fall sipper. Chelsey designed dishes that play off its crisp citrus notes and soft toastiness. The creamy gratin and buttery tartlets complement the wine’s texture, and the fresh salad with pears brings out its bright, lively finish, creating an effortless fall pairing that’s both comforting and fresh.

Pinot Noir Pairing

The Menu:

• Wild Mushroom Risotto (See Full Recipe Below) — creamy arborio rice layered with cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms; the earthiness mirrors the Pinot’s subtle forest-floor notes
• Duck Breast with Cranberry Reduction — Pinot and duck are like best friends, each enhancing the other’s richness and depth
• Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables — caramelized carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes play beautifully with the wine’s juicy red fruit and spice

The Wine: Lot 75 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is silky, smooth, and packed with bright cherry and cranberry flavors that make it so easy to love. Chelsey’s fall menu brings out the best in the wine — the creamy wild mushroom risotto mirrors its earthy depth, the duck breast with cranberry reduction enhances its rich fruit notes, and the maple-roasted root vegetables highlight its bright, juicy finish. Together, it’s a cozy, flavor-packed meal made for sipping Pinot and savoring every bite.

Recipe Spotlight: Caramelized Onion & Feta Tartlets

Dough Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3–4 tbsp ice water
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• Flaky salt for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
   
2. Cut in butter until pea-sized bits remain.
   
3. Drizzle in ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing until just combined.
   
4. Form into a disk, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
   
5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to ⅛-inch thick. Cut into 4–5-inch circles for mini tartlets.
   

Caramelized Onion Filling:

• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
   
2. Add onions and salt; cook 30–40 minutes until deeply golden and jammy.
   
3. Stir in thyme and remove from heat.
   

Assemble & Bake:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon onions onto each dough circle, top with feta, and fold edges to form mini galettes. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake 25–30 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before serving.

These little bites are perfect warm or at room temp — a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Recipe Spotlight: Wild Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• 1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, oyster, chanterelle)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
•  3 cloves garlic, minced
•  4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 4–5 cups warm vegetable or chicken broth
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme or parsley, for garnish

Optional finishing touches: Drizzle of truffle oil, shaved Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Prep the mushrooms: Sauté mushrooms in 1 tbsp butter and olive oil until golden and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
   
2. Build the base: Melt 2 tbsp butter, cook onion until translucent, then add garlic.
   
3. Toast the rice: Stir in arborio rice and toast lightly for 2–3 minutes.
   
4. Deglaze: Add white wine, stirring until absorbed.
   
5. Ladle and stir: Add broth one ladle at a time, stirring until creamy and tender (about 30 minutes).
   
6. Finish it off: Stir in the remaining butter, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Season to taste.
   

Dish it out for everyone and top with herbs or a little truffle oil. Creamy, hearty, and full of fall flavor — it’s exactly what you want with Pinot in hand!

Whether you’re headed out for a quick fall escape or just settling in for dinner with friends, it’s the perfect time to slow down and enjoy the little things: good company, tasty food, and great wine. So, grab a bottle (or two) of these gems from the Russian River Valley, pour generously, and let Chelsey’s recipes bring warmth and flavor to your table.