A recent trip to France has started me thinking about relationships. I am a partner in a new business, which markets Burgundies from small, family producers. My partner Steve has known many of them for a decade or more, and has imported their wines over the years for sale in the states. Their relationship has evolved well beyond that of buyer and seller. He is welcomed into their homes as a surrogate family member, and does the same when they are in the States. Their children have visited each other over summer. As Steve’s new partner, I was given the same welcome.

I got to thinking about wine’s part in these relationship equations. It is the commodity that binds us all together, but there is something unique in the nature of this commodity. Wine is most often served in a communal setting, as part of a meal. It is something to be shared. Even the size of the bottle encourages this. At about five servings, a bottle contains more than one person should consume. That same amount, however, is perfect for sharing. The simple act of sharing creates and nourishes relationships. Sitting down to a meal together, even just relaxing with wine, some good bread, and cheese, creates an environment for moving beyond “persona” and relating as people.

Wine is also a living thing, a simple product of the natural process of fermenting grapes. It continues to live in the bottle, nourished by that small amount of air trapped between cork and liquid, and evolving over time. You can actually have a relationship with a wine if you put some bottles away, sampling it from time to time over the years. You experience its evolution from youthful, bright aromas and flavors into a smoother, more intricate and complex entity. There is greater depth as the wine matures, and flavors develop that were not present in its youth. A good wine fades over time with grace. This mirror of our own human experience should not be discounted. I know of few things with which you can have a similar relationship.

It is harder to experience the same feeling with the wines from large wine “factory” producers. I am sure that the grapes, in many instances, come from individuals much like those I am forging new relationships with in Burgundy. The connection to these individuals gets diluted, however, and the identification is ultimately with the company, rather than the individuals involved. It’s tough to have a relationship with a factory.

There is greater sense of place and person for those wines made outside the factory system. I encourage you to get to know the stories behind these wines – the people, where they live, how they live, the character of the wines. These relationships will greatly enhance your wine experience. As the weather warms and we gather on patios and decks, raise a glass to relationships, and enjoy the feeling of connection.

Rob Campbell moved to Asheville in 1999 and with his wife, Dorsey, opened The Wine Guy shop on Merrimon Ave. A second location was added in 2002, and is staffed by their longtime friend and fellow wine enthusiast Steve Nelson. Rob has been in the wine business for more than 20 years, as retailer and wine wholesaler, and he has judged wines in international competitions. Check out theashevillewineguy.com for upcoming tastings, classes, and features.

ASHEVILLE – When planning her global travels, Fairview’s Dianne Tuttle often arranges her itineraries around a particular attraction: food.

“You get a real flavor for the culture,” she said, noting the pun. “No matter what country it is, they have a special dish. Whether you’re 2 years old or 90, you can get excited about food.”

Tuttle isn’t alone in crafting culinary trips. During the last decade, travel planned around food and wine has grown in popularity, said Laurey Masterton, who operates culinary tour group Delicious Expeditions with Monroe Moore of the Homewood special events facility.

The Asheville-based travel company has led trips to Italy’s Tuscany and France’s Provence regions for about seven years and is planning to add a trip to the Basque region of Spain and France.

“It’s learning about a place through its food and beverages,” said Masterton, who owns Laurey’s Catering & Gourmet-to-go on Biltmore Avenue, downtown. “We start in a big city and explore that city through its food and markets.”

Wine is also a popular element of culinary travel. Wine importer and sommelier Steve Pignatiello has teamed with Mark Rosenstein, chef and owner of The Market Place restaurant in Asheville, to lead gourmet tours of France’s famed Burgundy and Champagne regions.

“They invite us into their homes and make regional specialties,” Pignatiello said about the family winemakers on his trip itineraries. Participants also visit markets to select items that Rosenstein uses to prepare meals, such as local pike poached in white wine from aligoté grapes.

“They really go to the heart of the living culture that is Burgundy,” Rosenstein said about the trips. “We’re honoring what they do.”

On trips with Delicious Expeditions, participants learn about the agriculture of Tuscany through visiting local growers and enjoying dishes such as “pici,” or hand-rolled pasta strands served with a bricciole sauce with toasted breadcrumbs, garlic and olive oil.

“The markets in Europe are so amazing,” Masterton said. “It’s nice to see a society that cares about what it eats.”

Tuttle, who has traveled to Tuscany with Delicious Expeditions, said focusing on food helps visitors remember a region and its people. The trips also add knowledge about food ingredients used back home.

“I will never feel the same way about olive oil,” she said. “I learned so much about it.”

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Market Place Tours is planning culinary trips to the Burgundy and Champagne Regions of France in June and October. Trips are limited to six participants and cost about $5,000-$8,000 per person, excluding airfare. Call 274-9323 or 252-4162 for more. Market Place chef Mark Rosenstein will also conduct additional culinary tours to the region in 2007. Call 252-4162 for more.