Artisanal. The term is tossed around every-damn-where in the food/wine world these days, unfortunately starting to imply overwrought and/or pretentious; which is a shame, since all it basically means is hand-crafted. And since hand-crafted is the opposite of mass-produced (i.e. highly processed, artificially colored, flavored, and preserved, and as such potentially bad for the body and palate), in concept I'm all for artisanal. Until it becomes more of a marketing term than a marker of quality, which appears to be in process (excuse the pun) as I write. So what will be the new term, the one that more accurately means quality? Hmm... (Reminds me of the transition from old-school-cache organic to new-school-cache local - how 'bout you?) What would you prefer - locally mass-produced or organically artisanal (but shipped from half-way around the world)? Do you care? Ah, a little food terminology for thought on a Saturday's eve...

As I write, I've been listening to a wine blog/podcast brought to my attention by Stu The Wine Genius - Graperadio.com. In particular, he pointed out the interview of (artisanal!) Sine Qua Non wine producer Manfred Krankl (great name, eh? The interview is in the archives, 11/27/2006). Since you most likely won't be able to get your hands on Sine Qua Non yourself (very limited production, very high demand), have a listen to the interview (in two parts) instead. Meantime, I'll reminisce fondly about the Sine Qua Non I've been privileged to drink, courtesy of Stu, knowing that I'll never drink it again unless he shares more of his (photo, in his cellar, from last year; each vintage has a different, fabulous label, waaay cool). Sigh. And thank you Stu!