By Elspeth Brown
You are having a wine dinner; what three people living or dead would you invite?
My guests would be Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef, author and travel documentarian; Andrea Immer Robinson, first female Master Sommelier in the world; and Kermit Lynch, American wine importer. I would serve beef bourguignon, crusty bread and good butter. The wines would be Old World reds, whites and rosés, and lots of them, because if I have these three people over for dinner, I don’t want them ever to leave!
Bourdain passed away on my birthday, June 8, but he will always live on in my heart. I read his first book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly in 2003 and decided right then and there to transfer to culinary school. I met him in 2011 when he was doing a show in Asheville and fell in love with the rebellious, renegade chef. He would be a great dinner guest because he would provide honest feedback on the meal, the wine and the company at the dinner. He would have amazing stories to share which make a night more fun.
Robinson is one of 32 female Master Sommeliers in the world. She was also the first woman to be named by the Sommelier Society of America as the best sommelier in the US. Great Wine Made Simple was Andrea’s first book and again one that propelled me into really appreciating, enjoying and understanding wine. She writes in a way that the reader can easily understand the basics of wine without being overwhelmed or without the snobby overtones. Her mantra has been, “Wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be good; wine makes food taste better and it’s fun.” This is a mantra I have tried to embody in my business as well.
Lynch has long been one my favorite wine importers. He has always focused on small, artisan, Old World-style wine producers. He started in 1972 with a $5,000 loan and 50 years later he is still going strong as, arguably, the most reputable importer in the world. You know that he would be a blast to invite to any party because he would never come empty-handed. Lynch would bring fabulous French and Italian wines that would pair perfectly with the dinner. I would love to pick his brain and his wine cellar. It would be amazing to ask him questions about what wines he would pair with the dinner and the wines he thinks are interesting right now. I would also ask him business advice about how he grew from a small wine store in Berkley, CA to a well-known, respectable wine importer. Even as I write this article, one of my customers is sitting beside me raving about her favorite French wine, and wouldn’t you know, it’s a Kermit Lynch import!
These three amazing human beings would be a great addition to any dinner—heck, any meal. The knowledge of wine, beer and food that they possess among the three of them would be enough to last for many evenings. While Bourdain is no longer living, his books are odes to food, drink and the experiences that go along with them. Robinson has an amazing blog and a website with a wealth of wine knowledge. It’s a great resource to use when learning about wine. Lynch still has his wine store in Berkley and a great blog with various recipes and wine descriptions to explore.
Cheers!
Elspeth Brown is the owner of Maggie B’s Wine & Specialty Store, 10 C South Main Street in Weaverville. For information, visit MaggieBsWine.com or call 828.645.1111.
