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I scraped myself up and out of Hong Kong to go grab the ferry to Macau. I later found out that helicopters are also available and a lot faster, although the boat trip wasn’t that bad, lasting only an hour. The ferries leave from Hong Kong every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, and they do have a first class section with a little more leg room.

However, I will definitely never again take the ferry to Macau, because customs for the ferry riders was an absolute nightmare, zoo, anarchy ”“ take your pick. It was like a mad dash of lemmings to get to the customs lines, bottlenecking into a herd of unsupervised people just trying to even get to the lines through a narrow passageway. Can somebody put Steve Wynn or Sheldon Adelstein on that? I actually flipped out on some guy, who basically was pushing his way through and around people to the point where I hit the boiling point. ‘Don’t be an animal!’ I barked. ‘We are human! We are all trying to go here!’ He looked at me quizzically, obviously bereft of knowledge of the English language. He’s lucky he didn’t give me any lip, grrrrrrr. Maybe it was just me, but there seemed to be a recurring lack of sense for personal space throughout the whole trip. I often wished I had a radio that could play The Police’s ‘Don’t Stand So Close to Me’ whenever I was encroached upon. I guess many of the bigger cities could be considered overcrowded, so perhaps it is not a big deal to everyone in Asia. Personally, I’m like a fine wine; I like to breathe! Anyway, I finally got through and on an actual customs line, and about twenty minutes later I was on my way to the Lisboa, Macau’s original casino. I figured I could get the Wynn’s in Vegas anytime, so why not get a taste of Macau’s original big fish.

Macau is basically two or three islands (I can’t remember but I think it is three) , the two main ones connected by three giant and visually exciting bridges. The main island where everyone lands is basically a five minute strip of casinos, notably the Sands, Galaxy, Wynn’s and Lisboa (and the new one they are completing, the Grand Lisboa) , while the second island is home to the just opened Venetian and others I can’t remember, with a lot more development in progress. There is a giant tourist tower to look out over all of Macau, a Fisherman’s Wharf complex, a famous massage parlor (sorry forget the name and didn’t go) , and some local commerce, ie, restaurants, shops etc. That’s about it. Some of the countryside away from the casinos is quite beautiful, especially the views and beaches overlooking the South China Sea, and there is a Westin tucked away on the other side of the second island that looked rather tranquil and a nice place to stay if you wanted to be away from the action or were to bring your kids there, but then again why would you want to do either of those if you made the effort of going to Macau? In the shadows of some of the giant casinos are still some run down and old apartment buildings that just don’t seem to fit in the landscape, but things are changing quickly, and I am quite sure that most of them will be replaced over the next few years with bigger and better things. That seems to be the trend out there.

The development in Macau is staggering. There is construction everywhere, both big-time and small such as local schools getting redone. Casino after casino after casino is coming. MGM will be the next to open. The Venetian is the first of fourteen, yes fourteen, hotels and casinos being built by the Sands, including a St. Regis, a Shangri-La, a Raffles and even a Sheraton, each costing roughly $10-12 billion to develop. Three years ago, when the Sands recouped their entire investment and then some in their first year’s profits, the floodgates opened, and the West started bringing a lot of water.

Despite Robuchon having a restaurant in the Lisboa (I’ll get to that great meal in a minute) , Macau is not really about the food and wine scene (just yet) , nor it is about the traditional tourism business with activities galore (just yet) , although the Vegas casinos are trying to change those landscapes with their own blueprints of how-to-run a casino/resort/lifestyle destination. Macau is about one thing for the most part: hardcore Chinese gamblers, 80% of whom are playing Baccarat, many of whom are smoking up a storm, hack wheeze. Macau surpassed Las Vegas last year in money gambled, but there are virtually no non-gaming revenues in Macau. The Chinese have a passion for gambling, and it is illegal in the mainland. A short trip to Macau and voila, one has legalized gambling. I read that the average stay is one and one-quarter days. Many of these gamblers, accordingly, do not even rent hotel rooms and go as far as packing their own lunches. The Chinese have been taught to be frugal, generation after generation, and when they come to gamble, they come to gamble.

Now don’t get me wrong, Macau is still a fun place, full of energy and with a few things to see, but if you don’t gamble (and the games are often different and predominantly Asian ones) , and/or aren’t taking care of business of some kind, then there might not be that much to do for you (just yet). Macau is definitely coming of age, however, and also cleaning up its act. Ten years ago, crime and streetwalkers were as common as dim sum and baccarat. Now, it seems quite safe, although I really did not do any night crawling there. The city does light up at night, Sin City style, and there is definitely a lot of energy out and about, although there is really no traditional nightlife in Macau; it does not really work yet because the Chinese come to gamble, and the Wynn’s already shut down its ‘Tryst’ nightclub that is packed every night in Vegas. The club scene is rather private, and I am far from a high-roller. One of the casinos said they had a nightclub, but it was only for the clients that spent $500,000 and up! I suppose it was for the best, especially with what next week had in store for me, but at the time I did not know the future and was sniffing around a little bit after dinner. Like I said, the Chinese come here to gamble, and it reminded me more of Atlantic City than Las Vegas, attracting more of a local and neighboring crowd, rather than the international jet-setting crowd.

So here comes Sheldon Adelstein, determined that there is more to Macau than just gambling, and that even if there isn’t, they will be just fine. The thought is the more money that more Chinese make, which is happening everyday, the more they will come to Macau to gamble, but it is obvious that part of the Vegas casinos’ plan is to make Macau a place that not only attracts the hardcore gamblers, but also one that attracts more of an international (including more of Asia) crowd that will also spend money on food, wine and entertainment.

Friday night I met with a good client of mine, and we headed out to dinner to enjoy some fine, local cuisine. We went to one of the better Chinese restaurants in Macau, I forget the name, but it reminded me a bit of Shun Lee in New York. The place was buzzing, and we soon became instant celebrities when my newfound friend pulled out a couple of bottles of fine Bordeaux.

The restaurant was very traditional Chinese, and we were the only people drinking wine. I could see all the looks we were getting, and I saw firsthand how wine is becoming a sign of status and prestige in the Chinese culture. It is coming. There was a lot of curiosity about the bottles, or possibly the really handsome white guy J. But seriously, when you think about it, wine is really only a twenty-five year phenomenon in the US, and something that only truly heated up over the last ten to fifteen. In the 1970s, my father once gave away wines from Romanee Conti in Christmas gift orders because he was tired of looking at the bottles. No one was buying them. If you put that in the context of what is similarly happening in Asia now, one can realize how the wine world is about to get a lot smaller, and there’s already not a lot of room for extra capacity at that top level. That is why I remain incredibly bullish over the finest and rarest wines in the world. Forget your properties, forget your stocks, and JUST BUY WINE, BABY!

Anyway, sorry for that station identification break; let’s talk about the wines, shall I? That’s what I am supposed to do, I know. The 1990 L’Evangile has always been one of my pet wines, and I have always considered it to be undervalued. If 1961 L’Evangile is one-third the price of 1961 Petrus, then how is 1990 L’Evangile one-twelfth the price of the ’90 Petrus? There is an equivalent qualitative analysis that can be made between those two years, and other years between the two producers. I guess L’Evangile is one of those rare Bordeaux that is actually undervalued, ahem ahem. Can you say market correction? Sorry, I’m digressing again. The 1990 L’Evangile was classic, very expressive with lots of tannins and alcohol in the nose. It also had luscious fruit, a plum, cassis and black olive trifecta. There were secondary brick, wheat and nut aromas. Its fruit was meltingly sweet, and red mixed in with purple and a splash of black. It was quite explosive on the finish with its tannins and acidity, yet it was still balanced with a wealth of a fruit rainbow. Green olive flavors graced its finish. It was just flat-out delicious wine, still sturdy, long and fine. Some food toned down the (positive) aggressive nature of its t ‘n a qualities, but its acidity stayed long and scintillating (96).

What was this, 1988 Lafite Rothschild? Ok, we all know that China and Lafite are like Romeo and Juliet (or is it the other way around?) , but no one attacked our table or ripped off our clothes, so the supply hasn’t dried up too significantly (just yet). The ’88 had a wonderful nose, very smoky in addition to the usual cedar, mineral and tobacco. It has nice vim, but I wouldn’t call it vigor. There was also some exotic chestnut on a secondary bed of cassis. Pencil was there, along with good spice. Long and hearty, the ’88 Lafite had good intensity without being intense. Carob, earth, tobacco and a kiss of wood flavors rounded out this excellent wine. My friend felt the wine still had another 15-20 years before it will start to plateau and/or gracefully decline, and I couldn’t argue with that. The ’88 Lafite was flirting with being outstanding with its carob flavors, light dust and slaty, minerally finish. There was still plenty of meat on dem der bones (94).

A half-bottle of 2001 Rieussec rounded out our evening. I generally don’t do dessert or dessert wine, as I find the sugar too much for me after a big meal, but I do appreciate the sweet stuff even though my stomach does not. The Rieussec was such a baby. Candle wax was incredibly primary, along with ‘nougat, honeycomb and butterscotch.’ Orange marmelade and apricot flashed sweetness in the nose, along with ‘macadamia nuts,’ musk and more honeycomb. ‘Ocean sea salt and fish’ was the last descriptors to come out of my friend’s increasing comments, and I totally saw them all. In the mouth, the Rieussec was rich, balanced and oily without being cloying and heavy. One could feel the potential (96). It was truly great, but on cue, I started to feel a little woozy. The week in Hong Kong really took a toll on me, and here I was in Macau, sin city of the Far East, but I was ready for bed. Sometimes, a good night’s sleep is the best time one can have.

About twelve hours later, I slowly worked my way into the day, feeling much better after finally having a good night’s sleep. After answering some emails and doing a bit of work, I decided to go and get a massage in the spa at the Lisboa. Refreshed, I went to an afternoon meeting and then proceeded to join someone else for dinner at Robuchon in the Lisboa, where tucked away from all the noise and action of Macau, there is one of the world’s greatest wine lists, a wine list fit for the gastronomic genius of Robuchon, nestled carefully within the tranquil and distinguished settings of the third floor at the Lisboa.

After about fifteen intense and hardcore minutes with the massive wine list, I settled on a 1982 Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche. It had a fabulous, smoky nose and reeked of Montrachet with its minerals and smoke aromas. Sweet butter and hints of tropical fruits (mango and orange, to be exact) were behind the smoke and minerals. Its forward fruit and pungent intensity were equally matched by a smooth and soft palate, one at perfect maturity. A nice nutty finish and a kiss of acidity rounded out this absolutely delicious wine. Touches of the usual suspects also graced the palate; corn, butter, diesel and a touch of minerals were all singing on key and in harmony (93).

We were in the last third of the seventeen or so course tasting menu by the time we finished the Montrachet and were in the mood for a glass of red. Since we probably were not going to finish a whole bottle, we opted for a value selection, and Italy was calling with some tremendous buys on the list. Unfortunately, it looked like someone beat us to them, and after missing out on a couple of selections, we settled on a 1994 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Vineyard. I often grab a bottle of domestic Pinot when in the mood for some casual drinking. I can still appreciate a good, tasty bottle of wine, even if it is twenty bucks a bottle, etc. Now, the Williams Selyem is not that much of a value, but I was quite curious to see how well one of California’s premier producers of Pinot would be holding up at age thirteen. The nose was high-toned with a touch of gas and kernel, and a bit of an artificial edge, to be frank. There were also vitamins, and my friend found it ‘piggy.’ He doesn’t eat pork, either, so I don’t think that was a compliment. Flavors of bright citrus and sour cherry marked its soft palate, and the wine passed the gas from its nose to its palate. It was good, but merely just that, and the more I tasted it, the less I was interested (87).

Our French Sommelier wrapped up our evening, defending the Williams Selyem saying, ‘Pinot Noir is a special woman that needs to be taken care of, it is not Cabernet.’ I will leave all inferences up to you!

Fat and happy, I retreated again for another quiet night in Macau. It was time for Tokyo tomorrow.