The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Argentina’s wine industry savours progress, still struggles Posted: 17 Feb 2013 08:01 PM PST  A vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, where the soil is considered ideal for growing Malbec. — AFP pic The century-old industry, with its heart in the Mendoza area in the southwest, has increased volume by leaps and bounds in the past two decades, with Argentina's Malbec-based reds drawing raves worldwide. "In the broad scheme of everything going on with wine around the world, we have a long way to go," said Martin Castro, who runs a vineyard in the Valle de Uco area in Mendoza, a parched and sunny province abutting the soaring Andes that grows its grapes with a huge irrigation network fed by mountain water. "On top-end wines, we still have work to do to compete globally. But we definitely have a presence with Malbec, which is well-known globally," Castro stressed, referring to the varietal used as a base grape in many meat-friendly local reds — a varietal that used to be common in Bordeaux, now less so. If the industry has far to go, it also has come far, especially in the past few decades. Argentina has become the world's number five producer, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). It is the world's ninth-ranking exporter, and a big domestic consumer, according to the Argentine Wine Clearinghouse (OVA). Castro and his partner Cristian Allamand, an agricultural engineer, are among those riding the wave, with plenty of hard work. They oversee production at Bodegas Luminis, which in recent years has enjoyed phenomenal growth. It is among the 900 or so wineries spread out on over 20,000 hectares in the Mendoza area alone — an area that also has attracted foreign capital such as Pernod Ricard from France, Trivento (Concha y Toro) from Chile, and Portuguese Finca Flichmann. Thousands of tourists traipse from tasting to tasting on local wine trails, staying at boutique hotels at or near many wineries, dizzied by so much Malbec and its perfect partner, grass-fed local beef. "Aside from Malbec, the most widely grown red varietal in Argentina, there are many others that are doing well," Castro said, checking out the vines at his winery 950 metres above sea level, with a dramatic Andean backdrop. Marcelo Pelleriti, the boss over at Monteviejo, said Argentina had plenty to be proud of, having won considerable renown for its Malbec-based reds and their local terroir. Last year winemakers here exported 365 million litres, up 17 per cent year on year, worth US$920 million (RM2.8 billion), OIV data shows, with top markets being the United States, Canada and Russia. Still, "we have a way to go, when there are countries like France with 400 years of history, and which can do very large volume, as well as the higher-end and pricier vintages", Castro said, sounding somewhat hopeful despite the cool economic growth across the world. Mendoza is the fifth most populous of Argentina's provinces but produces 70 per cent of Argentine wines. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| French foodie festival to showcase new international chef talent Posted: 17 Feb 2013 05:39 PM PST  ©All rights reserved After a worldwide tour in 2012, the foodie festival that was first created as a rejection of old guard French gastronomy — Michelin stars, excess tableware and starched linens — returns to Paris next month for a three-day event. Last year the event was exported to New York, Moscow, Shanghai and Montreal. Typically, chefs invited to participate share similar culinary philosophies and demographic profiles: irreverent, young, bold, creative types. New this year, Omnivore 2013 will turn the eighth floor of the Maubert de Mutualité in the 5th arrondissement, where the event will be held, into a pop-up restaurant with a panoramic view of the city. Three luncheons will be served by Swedish chef Petter Nilsson of La Gazetta in Paris, chef brothers Vincent and Laurent Folmer of Couvert Couvert Belgium, and Jean-Luc Tartarin, who helms the namesake restaurant in Le Havre on the north coast of France Other events include Masterclass cooking demos and F****ing Dinner events, which pair Parisian chefs with their international confreres. Montreal chef Martin Juneau of Pastaga, for instance, will cook alongside Louis-Philippe Riel of 6 Paul Bert, while Australian expat James Henry of über-trendy Bones will host Luke Burgess of Garagistes in Tasmania. Another renegade foodie group that vies for loyalty among its French gourmands is Le Fooding, which publishes an annual guide of best restaurant addresses in the city every year and also hosts events in both Paris and New York. Omnivore runs March 17-19 in Paris. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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