...I don't know if it's because of the weather but lately, a lot of people are asking for a glass of Malbec, and when you ask : "Would you like one from Mendoza...???" , you can see a light on their face and a big smile is coming up but fading away instantly when you tell them : "We don't have one!!!"

Instead, we just got some Cot back. Cot is a synonym of Malbec in the Loire Valley, as Auxerrois in South-West or Pressac in the Bordeaux Region. We picked one from the Loire, a cuvee we are pretty familiar with from Thierry Puzelat, "KO, In Cot We Trust" 07.  Far from concentrated, beefy Argentinian Malbec, "KO" is refreshing, it brings up red fruit notes with an earthy spicy finish, the kind of wine you reorder after finishing the first bottle, just because you wan more!!!

Yassine's mom prepared us a terrific couscous for lunch on Monday. To celebrate, I cracked a magnum of Canon-Fronsac "Chateau-Moulin Pey Labrie" 06 (merci Benedicte & Gregoire). The wine was a blast, fresh, yummy, powerful mouth with fruits and yet very elegant due to supple tannins and a great minerality. Let's pray : "Dear Santa, could we get a good dozen mags of that delicious nectar...???"

Benedicte & Gregoire Hubau spent 3 years looking for the right Domaine to buy, meaning healthy vines on a Terroir with great character. The 6.75 hectares of "Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie" are located on a clay & limestone on molasse hillside. They "moved in" 3 days before harvest in 1988!!! It's absolutely beautiful there, and having breakfast early October, outside, 70 degrees Farenheight with fresh figs right of the tree, overlooking the vineyard makes you feel you could easily live here. I will see you soon my friends!!!

Just so you know, we'll be open tonight and close tomorrow. Sunday, our special will make us travel all over the place,from Auvergne, a region in the center of France) to New-York City with Pierre's PETIT SALE AUX LENTILLES VERTES DU PUY. So why is that, you would ask??? Easy, France because that's the origin of the dish, NYC because the bacon is smoked on a terrace in East Village, et voila!!!

And yes, here we are, the Senate had passed the Health Care bill this morning...!!! I will proudly soon apply for my Citizenship.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.