“Valentine’s is more than just a day here: It’s an attitude, darling.”
Dixie Dubois, Louisville, Ky.

“Rhett Butler” remains our ideal of the most romantic Southern male. Ever. Who really cares if he is fictional, a character spawned from books and an epic movie? He embodies virtue with a good measure of villainy, a love for beautiful women with the special friendship of an Atlanta Madam, a preference for great wines and a sophisticated palate. All together, the perfect Rebel. Captain Butler, as he was called by friends, ran the Yankee blockade, bravely bringing in Champagne and other fineries from Europe that graced Southern tables through the horrors of war and satisfied a longing for a return to a finer lifestyle.

The worldwide launch of Donald McCaig’s Rhett Butler’s People was held at Atlanta’s rather wonderful Margaret Mitchell House (she really lived there). While the author spoke, I drank wine while others enjoyed a Southern Comfort-based concoction, the Rhett Butler Cocktail. McCaig’s story brought back memories of “Scarlett,” “Melanie” and one of my favorite Atlanta characters, the remarkable “Belle Watling.” My, what fun it was to celebrate memories of these old friends.
Wine has always had a prominent place in Southern homes. When you think about it, wine covers much of the South’s cultural landscape – from church sacramental wines (some renowned wineries and vineyards were saved from Prohibition’s destruction because of some good-hearted ministers) to our most influential Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. Gifted wartime smugglers like “Rhett Butler” kept wine coming into the South. Their efforts are memorialized today by our attachment to wine as part of the sacred ritual of romance. Louisville’s Dixie Dubois, the one lady I know who embodies “Auntie Mame,” told her Mardi Gras companions while holding court at the French Quarter’s fabled restaurant Gallatois that “wine is a warm bridge between men and women. When Champagne bubbles tickle my nose, I enjoy the company of gentlemen even more.”

Southern Gourmet Experience

Fellow travelers often share with me their choices of the most romantic Southern restaurants. As I visit more restaurants, my list of favorites grows. Everything that makes Charleston, S.C., so seductive comes together at Charleston Grill in Charleston Place, where French-influenced Lowcountry cuisine is Chef Bob Waggoner’s specialty. With the background music of The Frank Duvall Jazz Trio, the chef’s remarkable pan-seared Carolina Golden Trout is a perfect fit with a glass of Chablis, the noble white Burgundy. Robert’s of Charleston, considered by many restaurant critics as Charleston’s most romantic, is just around the corner. Robert Dickson, the owner/chef, takes a break nightly from the kitchen to sing selections from Broadway musicals and opera arias while guests dine on gourmet creations like Scallop Mousse with Lobster Sauce, accompanied by a glass of chilled Viognier.

The most romantic dinner I’ve enjoyed recently was in the most romantic restaurant in Atlanta, the Atlanta Grill in the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Atlanta. Executive chef Yves Samake, a native of Paris, prepared a Moroccan couscous dinner for our table while Silvio Garcia, the gifted sommelier, paired German Riesling and California Zinfandel in an environment of fine art murals, crystal, brass and mahogany with some classic live jazz in the background. The sensual combination of North African herbs and spices, wines of the world, Deep South traditions, and jazz with its Southern roots all encapsulated in booming downtown Atlanta proved to be memorable.

The Charleston gourmet experience is highlighted during the Charleston Wine and Food Festival in March. Later in the month, Atlanta’s highly successful High Museum of Art Wine Auction takes place – a weeklong epicurean celebration featuring some of the world’s top chefs and winemakers. The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience is in late May and showcases the unequalled culinary heritage of the Big Easy. Southern Exposure, Greenville, South Carolina’s wine and food event, is held in September and is coming on strong. Each city has its romantic food and wine tradition, but only one, Charleston, can call the dashing gourmet “Rhett Butler” a native son.