This part of Tuscany is north east of Florence and sits snugly in the Apennines before Emilia Romagna and the Po Valley.

We have a book of local recipes but this risotto recipe with grapes and red wine caught the eye.

ingredients

1 onion, butter, 320g rice, Chianti Rufina wine, 100g parmesan cheese, ripe Sangiovese or Canaiolo grapes, Red Wine 1/2 glass, vine leaves,

making it

Fry a chopped onion in butter until the pieces turn a light brown color.

Immediately add all the rice to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes to coat the rice well.

Pour over the mixture a glass of the red wine and allow the rice to cook.

Remove from the heat and mix in a further amount of butter (20g), the parmesan cheese and the (very) ripe grapes.

Serve straight away with a garnish of vine leaves.

The secret is to use a young Chianti Rufina. Why?

Because the older stuff should be saved for quaffing.