By Aubrey Buckingham (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-03 09:59

The south of France has been a particularly exciting wine-growing region this last decade garnering some serious interest. On Thursday the JC Mandarin Shanghai paid homage to some of the better offerings from the Rhone Valley with a dinner at it's Wine Bar and Grill.

Featured during the five-course meal were wines from Gabriel Meffre, distributed locally by Jebsen Fine Wines. The Laurus range is meant to be the producer's premium range of appellation d'origine controlee, and in attendance on the evening was one of the owners, Anthony Taylor.

The sommelier and public relations director was mistakenly introduced as wine maker all evening but was diplomatic enough not to make a fuss.

Taylor, who is American by birth but moved to France with his family aged three, bought into the producer eight years ago. Since then, he has seen the brand grow in a direction which focuses more on quality.

"For too long bad wines have been made in France and people just drank them anyway," he said. "Now that they are facing competition, I think the lower end wines should focus on style and more importantly on improving their quality."

Taylor also openly despised the wine terrorists currently threatening violence unless French President Sakozy increases wine prices across the country. "A lot of people see this and don't really know what's going on - it gives people a bad impression."

Thankfully there were no bad impressions at the Nanjing Road property - one of the city's oldest international five-star properties.

The meal began with some beggar's pockets. The trilogy of ravioli was stuffed with lobster, ricotta cheese and truffle mushrooms, and even though the dumpling skins were a little thick, the stuffings were absolutely yummy.

      1   2     

      1   2