> Link to MM Corporate website

The planet is on hold, so are our events...

However, we are actively working in content creation and online video production! If you'd like to know more, click on MM-corporate.com !

> Have you tried these Lebanese wines?

It's no secret I am a wine lover and have been so for many years, ever since I met Salim. There are more than 250 wine labels in Lebanon, more than 60 wineries, young passionate winemakers who are changing the scene, terroirs as varied as our people, 10 million bottles produced and 5 million exported and many gold medals, every year! 
Watch this video to discover a few of them, and different ways to drink them, like for example the "Rosé en Piscine":

 

Wines mentioned in this vlog:
http://atibaiawine.com
http://www.domainedestourelles.com
http://www.domainedebaal.com
http://chateauqanafar.com

> Plastic is NOT Fantastic

It's that time of the year when we are almost always outdoors, in picnics, barbecues, parties... and the last thing we want is dishwashing! So what do we do? We use disposable plates and cups :-(
I am just saying that instead of plastic that lasts thousand of years in our environment, simply use paper... 
One thing i forgot to mention in the vlog: you can also use wooden cutlery instead of plastic as well.

Brands featured: Rana Salam

Disclaimer: All names and brands i feature in my vlog are my own favorites, when the post is sponsored, it will be mentioned.

> Chateau Biac or a little Lebanese magic near St Emilion!

This summer we went on a family road trip through the French Vignobles... From Bourgogne (Burgundy) and its "climats" to Bordeaux, St Emilion, Langoiran, Bergerac, Monbazillac...
It was quite a trip! I even let the kids taste the different "terroirs"! Don't gasp, just a sip ;-)

But the highlight of our journey was definitely our magical visit to the Biac Vignobles!
Thanks to our oenologist friend Diana, we were delighted to meet Youmna Asseily, who is the sparkling lady, with her charming husband, who gave back Biac all its glory, and much more...

These are the different cépages at Biac, as as you can see they have a exceptional location on a small sunny hill over the Garonne! A unique Terroir indeed... And an enchanting land to live in.

Mrs Asseily was so kind to give us a full tour to show us the grapes, the new renovated "chai", the tasting room... And all these spaces have one thing in common: Passion! 

You cannot be so much involved in an estate ~some grapes are picked grain per grain!!~ without reflecting your religious adoration on the wines... Biac is truly a "GRAND VIN" de Bordeaux...

About the wines:

Chateau Biac, my preference, a modern Bordeaux Wine that ages gracefully...

B de Biac: from the same plots, but ready to be enjoyed directly, a good companion for relaxed encounters... 

For both these wines Mrs Asseily chose her family crest as label: Felix the Royal Cat.

Which brings us to Felix: The playful wine of the family, with Kufi type inspiration. Can be even chilled in summer...

And Secret: the sweet golden nectar Cadillac wine. This is the one collected grain per grain, on various days depending from each maturation. Truly the gold of the gods...

The tasting room has oriental accents, with pieces from Images d'Orient, Nathalie Fallaha, and other artists, and it is really the "bouquet final" after the crescendo of the visit..

It is not a surprise that a family coming from our piece of the planet took this estate and renovated it, we have a history with vineyards and grape culture that goes back to the Antiquité. Bacchus was originally Lebanese!! ;-)

To know more about Chateau Biac click here for their lovely website that truly depicts their magical spirit and history. And make sure to taste their wine: it is available in Lebanon.

Last but not least, a small "secret de Biac": the Asseilys have three guest houses that you can rent if you are a true wine lover. But schhhh.... keep it confidential.

> Scotland & other stories...

My summer was intense, so intense I did not post anything, sorry 'bout that!
SO to apologize, here's a mix-mix-schuffle of tidbits and a wee look on the Highlands!

It all started with a quick weekend in Paris where the highlights were a beautiful exhibit at La Pinacotheque, to see Tamara de Lempicka, the amazing art deco colorist...

&... other stories, which opened a few months ago; a lesson in retail, style, display and design:

Shifting on to more art deco in Glascow now, at the GSA (Glascow Scool of Arts) where we had a guided tour of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Building... Simply AMAZING.
Students are so lucky to live and learn in this space...
And we had a high tea at the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Mackintosh as well. I simply love those Glascow fonts don't you?

And  as promised, a wee* look on the Highlands (Mull, Skye, Staffa, Tobermory, Oban, Inverary, the Lochs...) to finish and relish:

*Wee is the cutest little Scottish word, it actually means (and sounds!) "little".

Photos by myself and Ghassan Koteit. 

> Pages from RJmag 9, the Celtic issue

As announced previously, we shot RJmag 9 in Brittany and I promised I'd show you some pages so here you are... Concept, art direction and styling by myself (Maya Metni!), photography by Imad Elkhoury, along with a great team to help us! Thank you all for making this possible.

Click here to check the whole mag.

>Bellissima Toscana... {beautiful tuscany}

Just a few picts from my few days in Tuscany... enjoy the breathtaking views!
All photos ©ghassan koteit

> vintage ski photos, Lebanon

I wanted to share with you a series of photos I stumbled upon in my parents house in the mountains:
Taken in the late sixties before the war in Faraya, the Lebanese ski resort, they describe perfectly the fun and carefree lifestyle that my parents and their friends adored then... 

I love the exaggerated contrast in the photos, their dark clothes against the white snow, it’s like they are floating...