The Wine: Tertulia Cellars 2005 Red Table Wine

The Cheese: Taleggio Vecchia Lavorazione

The Cheesemonger: Merchants Delicatessen - Walla Walla

The Recipe: Gnocchi with Fresh Vegetables

The Chef: Maria Ferraro - Maria Ferraro Catering Services - Walla Walla

Tertulia Cellars 2005 Red Table Wine

Regular Price $22.00

Club Price $19.80

Tasting Notes

Although this is labeled as a “red table wine” it is stylistically more akin to a claret or Bordeaux. Aromas of sweet oak, plums, raspberries, blackberries, pencil shavings, coco powder, caramel and even chocolate milk come wafting out of this wine. This is a very rich wine supported by firm tannins that are well integrated with the wine’s balanced acidity. The sweet oak flavors wrap around layers of spice box, cedar, cassis, blackberry and plum. This is an amazing wine with many years of life ahead of it.

Taleggio Vecchia Lavorazione

Price at Merchants Delicatessen: $15.00/lb

The finest Taleggio cheese is made from raw cow’s milk, with a washed rind and has an off white to slightly yellowish paste. This cheese is produced in small batches near Valtellina’s unspoiled high mountain pastures at the foot of the Alps.

When young, the cheese is rich, buttery and beefy. Properly aged Taleggio will be not quite runny inside, with a full flavor and not too salty.

Serve Taleggio whenever you crave a creamy, substantial, luxurious cow’s milk cheese. Crusty bread, fruit, and Tertulia Cellars 2005 Red Table Wine make great partners.

Gnocchi with Fresh Vegetables

Every Italian has their way of making Gnocchi so I went with a very basic recipe. This is such a beautiful dish. It is a simple Italian recipe that is dependent on each component coming together and creating a harmonious combination of flavors. In this dish you experience the sweetness of the vermouth poached garlic, the texture of the peppery Arugula, and the acidity of the tomatoes that all form a perfect union with Tertulia Cellars 2005 Red Table Wine.

For the Gnocchi

2 Potatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

Directions

Bake the potatoes until you can put a knife in them with no resistance.

Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour, and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long “snakes”. On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3-4 minutes until gnocchi have risen to the top; skim out with a slotted spoon and place onto an oiled pan and in the refrigerator to cool. Do not stack the gnocchi on top of each other.

For the Sauce

8 cloves of garlic [you can always add more!]

1 cup sweet vermouth

6 Roma tomatoes

2 cups morel mushrooms [chanterelle or crimini mushrooms work well if morels are not in season]

2 cups Arugula

2 tbs butter

¼ cup white wine [Tertulia Cellars 2006 Viognier; it is always nice to pour a chilled glass for yourself]

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Peel the garlic and leave the cloves whole. Start poaching them in 1 cup sweet vermouth. Keep the heat very low and continue cooking until soft. This creates wonderful aromatics for your house. Strain and set aside in a bowl.

Small dice the tomatoes and place them evenly on a lightly oiled pan with 4-5 sprigs of thyme and a little salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes at 400 F until the tomatoes begin to caramelize giving them an occasional stir. Set aside in a bowl.

Quarter the mushrooms following the same procedure as the tomatoes.

After you have gathered all of your ingredients that you have just prepared, put a little butter in a sauté pan and get it nice and hot. First, add your gnocchi, sauté until they have a little color, then add the roasted tomatoes, poached garlic, and white wine; reduce by half, then add the mushrooms and the chopped thyme. Pull off the heat and add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Mix the Gnocchi in a bowl with the uncooked arugula. Serve with a little fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Toscano.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

About Maria Ferraro’s Catering Service

An Expression of Casual Elegance, Maria Ferraro’s catering service is new in Walla Walla. Call or email for more information on menus for your next special occasion.

[email protected]

509-876-2304

About Merchant’s Delicatessen

Taleggio and dozens more of the world’s finest cheeses have been carefully selected, aged and marketed at Merchant’s Delicatessen since 1976, Walla Walla’s primary source for coffee, tea, cheese and wine.

21 E. Main Street

509-525-0900

Merchantsdeli.com

Hours of Operation

Monday: 5am-5pm

Tuesday: 5am-5pm

Wednesday: 5am-8pm

Thursday: 5am-6pm

Friday: 5am-6pm

Saturday: 5am-4:47pm

Sunday: closed

U.B. reader’s poll: “Walla Walla Best of the Best Delicatessen” 4 consecutive years!