Now that fall has arrived, the air is clear and turning, we begin to think about the harvest and hearty fare.

To take advantage of the end of the season bounty on the local farmers, we are focusing on hard winter squash, the abundant and inexpensive.

We settled on two butternut squash recipes and two white wines – Viognier and Pinot Gris – to accompany the dishes. Red wines do not pair well because they tend to be dry, tannic and lack ofSweetness.

About the Wines Viognier Although not overly acidic, its lush honey and notes, peach and exotic flavors make this a seductive wine. The traditional pairing with fish and fruit dishes. This slightly sweet wine goes well with butternut squash soup, especially when combined with Smoked Cheddar.

The northern Rhone Valley in France, Viognier is its importance in the world of wine. However, the production of small and the wine is expensive. Locally, California, with someSuccess with this wine.

The lack of acid concerned us and we found a perfect solution at Pine Ridge, a beautiful Napa Valley winery, we had the pleasure of visiting last year. They make a blend of 80 percent Chenin Blanc and 20 percent for Focus Viognier for complexity, aroma and mouthfeel. And it's cheap!

France can also boast of, featured on the other white wine in this column. Alsace in northern France is home to some of the best Pinot Gris in theWorld. Compared to Italian Pinot Grigio, the Alsatian whites are richer and slightly aromatic with a long finish. Since these whites have good acidity, we were confident they would be well with our butternut squash courts pair. In the United States, Oregon, production of quality wines that are similar in style, the Alsatian whites.

In both of these recipes, you can either oven roast or boil the squash. Roasting is the easiest – you cut the squash in half, remove seeds, and bake.Roasting is a slightly sweet and spicy squash. Boiling squash requires a peeling vegetables, then cubing before it in the broth. The advantage of cooking is the speed – about 15 minutes if you cut the pumpkin into small cubes. Cooked squash has a delicate flavor.

Butternut Squash SOUP

2 pounds of butter nut squash
Olive
1 / 2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 / 2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 / 4 teaspoonground black pepper
1 / 8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Smoked 1 / 2 cup Cheddar cheese – grated (optional) garnish
1 cup half and half cream (optional)

Rub Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400-degree oven for 45 minutes or until they are soft. In large saucepan, sauté onion in butter glazed translucent but not brown. Add the broth and seasonings, cover and let simmer slowly. When the squash is ready toscoop the flesh into a blender and add some of the broth. Puree the pumpkin and the music back into the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy the ruggedness of your butternut squash as a soup or add the cream for a more elegant soup. Do not boil.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Leeks

2 pounds butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
2 leeks cut into thin slices (about 3 cups)
2 cups Arborio rice
1 / 2 cup dry white wine (or white wine they serve)
1 tablespoon fresh sage – chopped
1 / 2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano
Crisp, crumbled bacon as a garnish

Rub Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400-degree oven for 45 minutes or until they are soft. In a separate saucepan heat the broth.
In large saucepan, sauté the leeks in olive oil until they are soft but not brown. Add the rice and stir fry 1 minute, constantly. Add the wine and stir until itabsorbed. Add  ½ cup of hot stock and simmer taken up, stirring frequently. Allows the remaining shares  ½ cup at a time, has to be incorporated before adding more. Stir frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy – about 25 minutes. Scoop out the flesh of the squash, coarsely mash and fold the pumpkin and sage to the rice mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Top with grated cheese and crumble bacon.

Bill's Wine Picks

We chosePinot Gris and Viognier blend from Pine Ridge, because its bright acidity and sweetness pairs well with creamy pasta (risotto) as well as pumpkin and squash soup. Here they are accompanied by her with suggested retail prices:

• Pine Ridge Napa Chenin Blanc and Viognier – $ 11
• McManis California Viognier – $ 10
• Big Fire Oregon Pinot Gris – $ 13
• King Estates Oregon Pinot Gris – $ 14
• Elk Cove Pinot Gris Oregon – $ 17
• Trimbach AlsacePinot Gris Reserve – $ 22

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