Joseph Gallo, son of the co-founder of E&J Gallo, is looking for your ways of developing his company. He puts his hope in Malbec, the next hot-selling varietal, calling it "a better version of merlot," since relatively little malbec is produced in the U.S.

"I am in love with the “black wine” of Cahors", writes Joon Song, a Berkeley graduate and author of the vinicultured blog. Joon served a 2005 Cahors Chateau du Cèdre Héritage over a piece of lamb. What a great idea!

The blog vinovini selected the 2004 Château de Haute-Serre as "Wine of the Week":

"The color is red garnet. Blackberry and vanilla aromas dominate the noise. Chocolate and licorice aromas also charm us. The mouth is refreshing and fruity. It’s the perfect balance with the long tannins and the nicely integrated woody aromas.

You will appreciate this wine with red meats. It will be an excellent choice with a conserve of duck, lamb and deer.

Serving temperature: 15 to 17 ° C.
Ready to drink now or cellar until 2013."

Bill Zacharkiw, a free lance journalist for the Canadian daily The Gazette and author of the blog The Caveman, suggests a weekly selection of wines. Among them he recommends 2005 Le Combal by Cosse-Maisonneuve:

"Cahors 2005, Le Combal, Cosse Maisonneuve, France red, $19.80, SAQ # 10675001. Big Cahors, authentic and made for the hunter-gatherer in you, with black licorice and meat. There is some animal that is "pheasanting" in the bottle, covered in rose petals and mint. Big, burly tannins make this a wine for the true Cahors lover. Bring on the cassoulet! Biodynamic. Carafe one hour before drinking. Drink now-2012. Food pairing: duck and other strong, rich meat dishes."

Voluntourism combine volunteer work with holidays. Two college graduates, Alexandra Panzer and David Gumbiner set off on a five-month tour of Europe and Asia with emphasis on volunteering in green projects.

While in Europe, they traveled to the Lot Valley and worked in an organic farm. Their host didn't forget to feed them and make them discover the wines of Cahors: "Our plates were laden with shallots, onions, and potatoes we'd picked from the ground ourselves and cheese we had helped to make. There was always some delicious bottle of Cahors wine in his cellar that we just had to try, and Eric did his best to teach us the nuances of each local vintage."

To learn more on Alexandra and David's cultinary and vinous experience, read Alexandra's blog!

"I’m a huge fan of wine from Cahors, but I’ve never been able to figure out why. That is, until tonight." It's while drinking Château Haut-Monplaisir 2004 that our friend Lar Veale had his epiphany: "Neither dominated nor dominating, this Cahors is a soulmate for a nice juicy steak. [...] This highlights that most good wines are made to go with good food and that good wine can make good food even better."

Lar is a man of taste (very good taste). Follow his advice and enjoy! But first read his post in his great blog, Sourgrapes.