Wine Pick: 2006 Chateau de Gaudou (Cahors, FR) $10

It's interesting how the fortunes of grapes and wine regions can change. Not that many years ago, the wine industry in Argentina was on the ropes and no one heard of a French ex-pat grape planted there called malbec. But now Argentina is not only doing very well, but the popularity of its malbec wines is influencing the fortunes of an ancient French wine region called Cahors.

In the 1980s the Argentine wine industry was in a nosedive. The locals, who made up about 90 percent of the wine market, pretty much stopped drinking wine and the country had no viable export market. To boot, the wines were so mediocre that creating an export market was a real long shot. But producers hunkered down and improved their wines and soon became known for a relatively obscure grape called malbec, which the French planted there some 150 years ago. Now the only region in France that relies predominantly on this grape has Argentina to thank for a renewed interest in its wines.

Cahors is south and east of France's famous Bordeaux region and has for centuries relied on the tough and tannic malbec for its wines. At one time the wines were so massive they were referred to as the "black wines of Cahors." More recently the wines have been tamed by modern vineyard and winery techniques that, combined with the popularity of Argentine malbec, have poised Cahors for another shot at stardom.

Jean-Michel Lorain gives his take on modern French cuisine

Crown Macau said its goodbyes on the weekend to Jean-Michel Lorain, with the three-Michelin-starred chef having accepted an invite to attend as part of this year's Wine and Gourmet Asia.
Having prepared a series of lunches and dinners for Crown's guests, the masterchef's most memorable meal was surely his dinner event last Thursday, with oysters, caviar and truffles abounding, coupled with exquisite wines including the Bouchard Pere & Fils, Morey St Denis 1975.

Speaking to the MDTimes the following day, Chef Lorain was highly complimentary of his staff and team, not to mention the patrons.
“The guests said the food was very good,” he said, adding “in fact we did most of our signature dishes [that night].”

With his assistants having worked from 8:00 am till midnight each night of his residency, they are no doubt thankful for some free time, although perhaps more thankful for the imparting of knowledge that inevitably follows from such an initiative.
Not that it was entirely smooth sailing for Jean-Michel, who acknowledged that being in a foreign kitchen made things somewhat slower. “When you don't know the place you lose a lot of time looking for utensils and produce,” he said.

Every ingredient was flown over from France, with Crown getting in touch with Chef Lorain's own suppliers and ordering the relevant produce.