The Wine: Tertulia Cellars 2006 Tempranillo

The Cheese: Old Amsterdam Two-Year Aged Gouda

The Cheesemonger: William C. Krieger, Cheese Louise, Walla Walla

The Recipe: Ryan’s Inland Paella

The Chef: Ryan Raber, Winemaker, Tertulia Cellars, Walla Walla

Tertulia Cellars 2006 Tempranillo

Regular Price $35.00

Club Price $31.50

Tasting Notes

On the nose this wine has notes of earth, savory herbs, smoked game, violets and lavender, mingled with pine needles and fresh ginger. On the pallet an earthy texture that progresses into a lingering smooth finish.

Old Amsterdam Two-year Aged Gouda

The classic flavor of Gouda with a little something extra; Old Amsterdam Two-year Aged Gouda is an excellent cheese with wine. Aged for two years and coated in black wax, this pasteurized cow’s milk cheese is firm, dark yellow in color, and has robust nutty flavor with a lingering sweet, caramel-like finish.

Using only the purest and freshest week-day milk (weekend milk is not as fresh by the time it is used because the Frisian Holstein cows are continuing their milk production over the weekends, but the cheese production is stopped), Old Amsterdam is slowly and carefully ripened by five master cheese makers to develop its unique character and flavor. The result is an outstanding cheese with a buttery flavor and firm sliceable texture. It is ideal for cooking, melting, or grating and it makes a delicious accompaniment to a glass of wine or beer. Old Amsterdam won several Gold Medals at cheese contests throughout the world. The cheese is made with a unique culture which is owned by the Westland family in Holland.

This cheese pairs particularly well with Tertulia Cellars 2006 Tempranillo. The smoky, gamey flavors of the wine and the nutty, buttery quality of the cheese come together in a long, savory, and lingering finish that is sure to please.

You can find this fantastic cheese at Cheese Louise Purveyor of Domestic & Imported Cheese, located at 321 Wellington Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

Phone: 509-525-3182

Hours of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10:30-5:00; Wednesday 12:00-5:00; Sunday 12:00-3:00.

Price of Old Amsterdam Two-year Aged Gouda: $4.50/ ¼ lb

Ryan’s Inland Paella Recipe

I am entering a very dangerous realm by writing a recipe for paella. The Spanish are very particular about their national dish. There are tons of recipes and everyone’s Grandmother makes the correct one. Most famous is the Paella from Valencia which contains mussels, clams, and rabbit. Other parts of Spain use all sorts of different ingredients in their paella, depending on what is available in their region.

I follow the same idea that what is locally available and in season goes into my paella. The recipe that follows is my own creation of Walla Walla Paella. I hope I don’t get into any fist fights with someone from Spain who prefers their grandmother’s recipe.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Bomba Rice, 2 cups

Chicken Stock, 4 cups

Olive Oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan

Saffron, 20 threads

Spanish paprika, 2 teaspoons (I prefer the sweet smoked paprika)

Chicken thigh, 4

Hard chorizo sausage, ½ salami, cut lengthwise and sliced into ¼ inch pieces

Garlic cloves, 4 cloves minced, or more I put in lots of garlic.

Tomatoes, ½ cup grated

Onion, 1 cup chopped, I use Walla Walla sweets when they are in season!

Green bell pepper, ½ pepper cut into 1 inch by ¼ inch slices

Garbanzo beans, 1 cup, cooked aldente so they can finish cooking in the pan

Green Beans cut about 1 inch, 1 cup

Lemon Wedges for garnish

Options- when it is in season I put grilled asparagus spears on top of my paella. (Here is a little known fact: Walla Walla produces asparagus of the same caliber as our sweet onions).

The paella pan is important to making this dish. It is large (several sizes are available 4 person, 8 person, 10 person, I even saw a picture of one that will feed a whole town!) with straight edges and can be found in stores such as the Spanish Table in Seattle. When preparing paella, timing is essential, so I like to have everything ready before I begin the cooking process. A few notes on preparation: The tomatoes I cut in half and grate them, and then I toss the skins. I toast the saffron in a sauce pan until I can smell the aromas being released, then I put in a 1/3 cup of dry white wine (I use our Viognier for this). It should come to a boil quickly at which point I pour it into a mixing bowl and set it to the side. I also heat up the chicken stock so that it’s close to the right temp when adding to the rice.

Now that everything is ready it is time to start cooking! First, heat the paella pan to medium-medium high heat. Place the oil in the pan; add the chicken thighs when the oil heats up and completely coats the bottom of the pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until translucent, then add the garlic. Stir the garlic for about 15-30 seconds. Add chorizo sausage and rice. Stir rice until all rice is coated with the oil. Next add the paprika and tomato. Now add the chicken stock and saffron infused wine, stirring for about a minute. Finally add the rest of the ingredients; all ingredients will fill the pan to the brim (but don’t worry, the rice will suck up all the juices as it cooks). Turn the heat down to a low boil. Don’t stir the paella in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. I flip the chicken a few times to insure it cooks all the way through. The paella is ready when a layer forms on the bottom of the pan with caramelized rice. This is my favorite part. When the rice is finished, garish with lemon wedges and serve with Tertulia Cellars Tempranillo. Enjoy!
 

Ryan Raber

Tertulia Cellars

Winemaker