Grape Expectations: Or How A “Gourmanseur” Was Born

In this Wild and Wonderful wine backwater, I am hailed by many of my friends (?) as THE West Virginia wino. So it always comes as a shock when folks consider me an expert. This aversion to any type of recognition is probably the result of my Catholic school education, where guilt was the only attribute held in higher esteem than humility. Anyway, several years ago I was introduced, by the overly exuberant host at a wine dinner, as a connoisseur and a gourmet. After smiling uncomfortably and bumbling through the event, I quickly excused myself and rushed to the nearest dictionary to find out just how those terms are defined by Mr. Webster. Webster's New World Dictionary defines connoisseur as "one who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination, especially in the fine arts." A gourmet is described as "one who likes and is an excellent judge of fine foods and drinks." In looking up 'gourmet,' I spotted the word 'gourmand' right above it in the dictionary and quickly decided that term more accurately describes my approach to eating and drinking.

A gourmand is defined as...

"one who enjoys good food and wine, often to excess." I suppose a gourmet might take a bite food or a sip of wine and then render a critical opinion. A gourmand, on the other hand, would salivate at the very sight of food and drink, and would wolf down great quantities of the fare, declaring his or her satisfaction with the experience by issuing a resounding belch. A gourmet is discriminating and exhibits exemplary self-control while a gourmand will eat and drink everything in sight and ask for more.

Even though I may be rationalizing, I'm still not comfortable with accepting that label to describe my approach to wine and food. If I am neither a gourmet nor gourmand, then the 'connoisseur' moniker misses the mark completely. Having keen discrimination in the fine arts is not one of my strong suits. The only artist I know does sidewalk murals in wine and chalk under the South Side Bridge. Stained glass - isn’t that what happens to your fine crystal if you let wine stand in it overnight? Just a few years ago, someone spending as much time as I do tasting and then writing about wine and food would have been labeled a hedonist or even a dipsomaniac. So, I guess I should be pleased someone described me in more flattering terms. But I'm not! The late Justin Wilson, noted Creole and Cajun cook, had some of the best advice on matching food and wine, and on the snobbery sometimes associated with the endeavor. As you may know, Wilson had a long-standing cooking show on PBS, and he used a thick Cajun accent to spice up his recipes and his stories. After sitting down to sample the lamb dish he had just prepared, Wilson grabbed a big jug, poured himself a glass of white wine and proclaimed: "You all probably wonderin' why I'm drinkin' white wine wit’ ‘dis here lamb. You ‘tink ‘dis lamb care what color ‘da wine is? If it don't matter to ‘da lamb, I s'pose it's up to me to drink what I want." Well then, I s'pose it's up to me to decide too. I’m not comfortable with gourmet, connoisseur or gourmand so I guess I’ll need to find a new term to describe my affliction. How about gourmanseur? Frankly, you can all me whatever you want. Just don't call me late for good food and wine!

Wine Recommendation: 2005 L’Ecole 41 Columbia Valley Semillon ( $18 ) This delicious, food-friendly Washington-state wine is comprised of 86% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc. On the nose, the wine has a slate-mineral quality with just a hint of vanilla. In the mouth, the flavors of melon, apricot and citrus are overlain with a creamy texture. I matched this wine with sea scallops wrapped in lean bacon and sautéed in a little butter and about two ounces of the above-mentioned wine. Terrific!