unsalted butter, cut into 1/8-inch pieces.

, bursting with black cherry and blackberry, tobacco, and salted dark chocolate with a silky mouthfeel.. At the end of the tasting, I pressed Philippe one last time.Had he picked up some winemaking trick from Chris Phelps at Dominus?

Or during blending sessions with Rolland?."I think I began to understand the concept of blending and how to be efficient when I worked with Michel," he mused."Someone like Michel, they are so quick to understand the personality of the wine, and seeing that really helped me out.".

But like most of Melka's success, that was just the seed he needed to plant in his own deep, gravelly bed of curiosity, because according to Cherie, one of Philippe's greatest assets is his ability to build a blend quickly in his mind, like a brilliant artist who sees the complete work of art on a blank canvas."During a blending session, even though the group has moved on," explained Cherie, "maybe even a couple of pages of blends later, Philippe is not afraid to take two steps back to build forward.

That is an art."“Make it worth it.

Just make it worth it.Partially cover and steam 15 minutes..

Dump couscous onto a tray, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cold water and rake the grains to keep them separate.Gradually add another 1/2 cup water while raking the couscous.

When the couscous has absorbed all the water repeat the steaming for 15 minutes..Dump couscous onto a tray, gradually work in another cup cold water and rake the grains to keep them separate.