Romania revisited - a second, brief and still uncomprehending, glance

Please do not for one moment think that I am putting myself forward as an expert on Romania after two brief visits, for that is not the case. I should be allowed an informed if imperfect opinion, however (largely based on facts, information and observation) on the general state of this rather magnificent country.

Magnificent it surely is, blessed as it is with both natural beauty and natural resources in abundance, yet it is also achingly poor after decades of communism and a period of ineffectual democracy that, according to some, leaves a lot to be desired. It is difficult to comprehend the extent to which  Romania continues to struggle - is, indeed, very poor - so that its workforce is being constantly depleted as those able to seek a better life elsewhere leave for other European countries, and beyond.

The roots of the current problems go back to before communism, alas, and to a feudal system that allowed a large proportion of the population to remain poorly educated and serf-like; this backward system was, I have been told, very slow to accept change and embrace modernisation, thus making it difficult for those at or near the bottom to survive and thrive. Just when the ruling classes began to comprehend and accept the need for change fascism reared its pretty little head, managing to throw another spanner in the works, derailing progress through violence and hitching Romania's fortunes to those of the Axis powers in WW2,  therefore abandoning its 'natural' allies.

All this is history, of course, as is the arrival of the Russians, communism, the dictatorship of the Ceausescu family and their eventual fall from grace and summary execution without trial. This history, however, holds the key to the country's current predicament, as not only did the communists wipe out or force into exile an entire generation of people equipped to lead an orderly modernisation and then manage the country, they also  perpetuated a variation of the feudal system but with the Party and its elite at its core. Often these people were extremely ill-equipped to understand and make complex economic decisions with long-term implications, so short-termism and corruption based on ideology took hold. This has been extremely destructive.

Whilst it is extremely easy to annihilate a ruling minority or class, it is conversely almost impossible to create such out of nothing; time is needed when it is least available. It is especially difficult to expect these 'newbies' to bring about positive change if they have never known anything other than a rigid, corrupt system based on expecting 'progress through ideology'. And that is where Romania seems to be now, unable to move properly forward for the lack of leaders who will put their country, and not themselves and their narrow interests, first. People are want to hold on to power once they've tasted it, though, and the remnants of the Communist Party here appear to be no exception, acquiring new faces/images/personas in their quest to reinvent themselves and hold on. Alas their greed for power is probably the main thing dragging their country down.

Of course this is a personal view from the outside looking in and talking to - only a few, admittedly - people, so it may not be entirely accurate nor, indeed, is it intended to be comprehensive. It goes some way to explaining, though, how a country that is so fertile, beautiful, with high-quality petroleum and an workforce should struggle so badly. Driving around the place one sees a population closer to its largely peasant past, mired in poverty not seen in Western Europe, signs of decline and degradation everywhere. It is a shame as I believe there is huge potential in Romania, if only they can get their 'demons' under control. For my part I promise not to write another word on the general subject until I have done more extensive research and have more detailed facts at my fingertips.

Before I close I should let you know that Romanian wine, long largely an indifferent drink for those in the know, is making headway, if slow. Certainly at the lower end there appear to be gluggable wines, but more research is needed before I can give you, my faithful reader, an accurate picture; this I promise solemnly to do as soon as practicable!

Visiting Mati 23 days on from the tragic fire

Yesterday I went to a small lunch party at the Mati Hotel a few kilometres from Athens, by the sea in the heart of the area devastated by the fire on the 23rd of July in which about one hundred people lost their lives. The invitation was unrelated to the tragic events but the venue was chosen purposely to support both the owners of the hotel (friends of my friends who issued the invitation) and the area in general.

I must admit that I had no idea what to expect, even though I had been told that the hotel itself had not been directly damaged by the fire. My experience with the area just a few kilometres away is that you can see nothing of the devastation, partly due to hills blocking a clear view; nature, indeed, is verdant and still thriving there, unviolated. And the devastated area is not, in fact, huge, but it was fairly densely populated due to the fact that it was holiday season - most homes there are holiday homes and mainly occupied during the summer.

The Mati Hotel, on the semi-coastal road, is in the heart of the little community of Mati and completely unscathed by the fire, so there it is business as usual though reminders of the fire are all around. On the day of the fire the owners were able to herd both their patrons and others to safety and to fight tooth and nail to keep the hotel intact. Their timely actions not only saved their hotel but probably a good few lives as well.

Looking around the area one is struck by the bizarre way the flames struck, engulfing and obliterating some houses while leaving their neighbouring properties almost untouched. In one instance, literally across the road from the hotel, the lawn of a house remains lush and green while the house is a ruined shell. A similar effect can be seen almost throughout, with some properties devastated and others untouched even if the trees near them are charred stumps. It is as if a malignant, capricious divine entity was playing a game, choosing to destroy some houses and not others on a whim.

With the exception of a few main roads most local neighbourhoods are accessed via little lanes scarcely wide enough for a large car to get through, so it is easy to see how easy it would have been for the whole area to come to a standstill if you added smoke, fire and panic! By all accounts it was extremely hot, difficult to see and breathe, absolutely terrifying; for those visitors not familiar with the local geography this would present a huge problem.

This is not some vast settlement all in ruins, but a small area of a few square kilometres of, ostensibly, forest - in fact an area resembling a city suburb idyllically engulfed in pine trees, the absolute worst vegetation near a fire and a major contributor to the speed and depth of the devastation here. But driving around the destruction seems relatively small, reparable, almost minor. On a warm, sunny day with a pleasant breeze blowing things almost felt normal, safe; in some corners there was little evidence of the ferocity of the fire. The hotel itself showed little signs of what had happened, with a few singed bushes outside bearing witness in an almost bashful way.

Had I not known the scale of the devastation I would never have believed it from what little I saw and, yes, I am aware that the worst of it was a little up the road towards the port of Rafina around the area quaintly called Kokkino Limanaki. But devastating it most certainly was and the locals have started trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild their dwellings and their lives as best they can. The pain is very raw, though, and they will need all the support they can get, mainly from the government but from all of us also. And yesterday I felt my friends and I did our - admittedly little - bit to help, and it did feel good.

Frivolous? No, life-affirming!

Regular readers know that I am abstemious when I need to be but indulgent when not, and this goes back to a family tradition dating back at least a century and a half, but probably much longer. To put it bluntly, my lot liked their drink when the occasion was right, which it seemed to be more often than not, and I'm afraid I have not fallen that far from the tree. But I am a discerning, selective drinker honouring my ancestors and their taste in the best possible way.

You may think me frivolous for posting about wine in the aftermath of a tragedy such as the Greek wildfire debacle; from a certain point of view that I obviously do not share you may even be deemed to be right. Drink is not a trivial thing, though, and must not be taken as such, so that my latest escapade into the tasting world must not be mistaken for frivolity. My friend YT and his wife MT hosted a simple celebration of life for me and our mutual friends A. and L. so we could all share things that are wonderful, fleeting yet life-affirming at the same time.

In order to attend I had to fight my way on a ferry and a couple of buses, but the lure was strong - the first wine was to be a 1996 Champagne from Gimonnet from a magnum. If you know anything about wine, and sparkling wine at that, you will know that a 1996 champagne from a top producer in magnum form is as good as it gets, something that mere mortals just read about in magazines and dream of, so I was not going to miss out on that. All other wines were a bonus, a quite substantial one, as it turned out.

The champagne was exquisite, young and delicate but full of flavour, biscuity and complex, long and ethereal at the same time - it does not get much better than this! If all you've ever had is stuff at weddings or functions, unripe acidic and/or inexpensive bottles you are unfortunate and owe it to yourself to try the real thing at least once in your life. Expensive it may be but it is worth every penny.
The next wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Alexandre Bain (Mademoiselle M 2014) was untypical and unusual, as he is part of the new wave of winemakers seeking purity, authenticity and a strong expression of their terroir all  reinforced by biodynamic viticulture. Though the wine is made in the Pouilly Fume area it is denied the appellation controlee status and is simply a Vin de France, an interesting wine that I would need to taste again before I was certain that I would feel like  regularly drinking it for pleasure. It was so different that I would never have picked it out as a Sauvignon Blanc, whose characteristics are usually so easy to spot...
Chateau Carras 1993 was stupendous, young and fresh yet ripe, and I would urge anyone who can to buy what stocks they can get their hands on now. The nose was powerful with herbs, especially oregano and incense, the colour dark and the taste dense and complex; the ripe red fruit was more stewed than fresh, the taste long and enticing. This is a gem of a wine from the Carras family period, still vigorous, and not commanding the premium that its class deserves.
We tried an Asyrtiko 2017 from Milos, one of the Cycladic islands, produced perhaps in order to replicate the success of the Santorini wines by introducing another interesting terroir. While there may be a golden future ahead of such wines my immediate reaction was one of studied indifference, as it seemed - though well-made - to lack any huge signs of personality, or the special 'zing' that makes the Santorini wines unusual.
And when all seemed lost or just indifferent we had a glass of a distillate made from the Liatiko grape and barrel-aged for quite some time, from the amazing mr. Economou in Crete, whose every product is a unique experience in the glass, though not necessarily easy to drink or to everyone's taste. I can tell you little other than it was lightly orange/pink, bursting with flavour in many levels and was life affirming in every way. To blab further about Economou and his wines, he is a curiosity that does credit to the best of Greece and its winemakers, full of honesty, integrity and tradition, producing wines bizarre and stunning in equal measure... Love it! But before you get too excited and rush out to buy the distillate be warned: it is emphatically NOT for sale, but is only offered to friends.

I wish I could claim we stayed drinking these jewels well into the night, but we are no longer young. so we were on our way home by 10:30 at night, replete, happy and ready for  bed. Tomorrow morning we will surely reflect on what lucky little devils we are.

Modern Greece - The makings of a tragedy

Many of you will have witnessed through the magic of the world's media the tragic events that occurred recently in my - in many ways beloved - country of birth, Greece, and may even have wondered how these things could happen in a modern 'western' country. We are constantly bombarded with tragic events from all over the world, so they do not necessarily come as a surpriser a shock, but nevertheless the recent Greek events are not entirely 'run-of-the-mill' disaster fodder. You may also wish to argue whether Greece can and should be classified as a modern 'western' country, or if it is, in fact, closer to the Middle East or Africa in the way that it operates, but this is a different discussion, for another day.

Let me try to explain why and please bear with me if this gets a bit complicated. In a recent post but taking inspiration from a simple retail receipt I wrote that Greece must simplify or die; tragically these events fall into this category though I was not talking about deaths of individuals but was referring to an economic death, something Greece has been in the throes of for about a decade, if not longer. I was not expecting something like the events that unfolded, which were unexpected and very painful, as many people have lost their lives due, in large part, to the labyrinthine ways of the Greek state, as accepted and endorsed by the majority of society there. Oh, I know that people will now be coming out of the woodwork, tearing their hair out and declaring to all and sundry how they truly opposed whatever will be deemed to have been at fault, but they all (most?) were silent until tragedy struck, silent while the going was good.

Successive Greek governments not only failed to create and support a robust economy (which, in my opinion, should be based largely on free market principles) and thus have brought on the existing economic catastrophe there, but they also spent most of their time and money 'buying' votes by appeasing sections of society; this was done in large part by allowing people who had systematically broken the law for personal gain, often by building illegally in areas where no building was allowed (such as forestry land), to legalise their assets by paying a fee of sorts to the state. This, I'm afraid, was done by governments on all sides of the political spectrum so they are all culpable.

Where the current Greek government falls down, though, is in its supreme inability to accept operational - thus current - responsibility for failure, their lack of understanding, indeed, of the meaning of responsibility. 80+ deaths within a few miles of Athens (a modern large city and the Capital of Greece) surely cannot be blamed solely on challenging weather conditions, especially as it seems that there was no plan for tackling an emergency of this sort (a major fast-moving fire) or, if there was, it was not put into effect or was ignored. The various departments responsible appear to neither have used the predictive technology at their disposal nor liaised properly with the other such departments involved. Even if the current government had inherited a no-emergency-plans scenario from their predecessors, surely they've been in power long enough to have taken the bull by the horns and rectified - or attempted to rectify - this.

Greece is not a lawless place, though, but a place that has too many laws, most of which are not properly enforced. The snag with this is that - and this can happen at any time - that they can be enforced just as if they have always been, or there may be a way out, usually by currency-stuffed envelope. This, combined with a refusal to plan, or often even to think, ahead makes for a very dysfunctional society, which under normal circumstances can be annoying, tiresome, costly, unpleasant; the complexity of trying to get anything done was behind my  seemingly harsh 'Simplify or Die' post  This time around alas, due to a combination of things, it has become literally true, a proper tragedy with loads of dead bodies, missing people, massive destruction and a government squirming to avoid any blame!

This is not about politics, though I do despise the current mob's left-wingery and self-proclaimed moral superiority because of it,  but about accepting responsibility when things go wrong on your watch. With children it's an essential part of growing up.

In awe of a stable genius...

Not long ago a certain character appeared on the stage of world politics with a bang, becoming leader of a country important in world terms, despite having one of the most ridiculous hairstyle seen outside a circus (on clowns, if you're wondering), a peculiar orange tan and a brand of hate-filled rhetoric. On the way to straddling the world stage this man proclaimed that he is very smart, a genius, a very stable genius in fact, unaware of the irony involved in self-proclamations of that sort. The funny thing is, though, that no-one outside his immediate family and various toadies has ventured forth to back him up - no former colleagues, fellow businessmen, nobody!

Despite this my admiration for this unique creature is immense, because he is truly a world-class figure at least in terms of self-belief, self-promotion and bullying behaviour. He appears to me to be, admirably, a direct descendant in political terms of the snake oil salesmen of the old Wild West, as he seems to be able to convince his fan base (and himself!) that anything he says is true even when their is ample evidence to the contrary. The man is just amazing, with an eloquence so powerful that his words change shape and form, even after they've become public property, and their meaning is so flexible as to be practically fluid.  And as he uses many words, and often, he produces veritable symphonies thrilling to the eyes and ears, created in his own unique way, the Beethoven of politics.

My admiration hardly stops there, for here we have a man capable of seeing the best in everybody, at least I assume so, for surely if he looks at his visage in the mirror and takes it at 'face-value' he must feel revulsion, yet he obviously doesn't; he obviously, starting from himself, sees everyone in a kinder, softer, more forgiving light, accepting of ugliness, frailties and absurdities. After all, anyone who sees oneself in that softer, kinder light must surely be prepared to see others in a similar way, no?

At the end of the day it seems that this is just a gentle, pleasant man hiding behind a mask, who only wants others to be happy - you can read it in his smiley, twinkly eyes, his ready, warm smile - and will stop at nothing to ensure this. What can I say? Are you biased enough to have a different opinion? Of course not, so join me in my unbridled admiration and savour him while he lasts.

A relaxed Friday afternoon in South London

The last couple of weeks in London have been hot and full of sunshine, with the last couple of days being the hottest; when my friend J and I arranged to have lunch on Friday 6th July we were not to know this, however. Why is this significant, I hear you ask, bursting with impatience? Well, sit back and relax, for everything will be revealed, explained etc... Patience dear reader, patience.

J is a wine trade friend and, unlike me, he is still active in the trade on a day-to-day basis running his own successful business partly advising, partly importing and distributing wine to anyone discerning enough and with the requisite liquidity (ha-ha). He is very good at what he does, knowledgeable, informed and open-minded in his approach, seeking out interesting wines for his diverse, thirsty clientele. I have known him for many years (about 30!), since we were both establishing ourselves in the trade, and we have been friends for rather a long portion of that time. Our lunches have been known to be long-lasting, highly interesting and entertaining, VERY liquid and with the drink consumed always being of decent/good, even great quality befitting our background, interests and expertise, so why should this one be an exception?

The initial plan had been for a restaurant lunch, which would have been fun, but J had to be at home to look after their dog, and this ended up being better in so many ways. For one we were, at least partly, in the company of his lovely wife, whom I had not seen for ages, but also we were able to be far more relaxed dress-wise, both indeed attired in shorts and polo shirts in response to the heat. Furthermore, entertaining at home results in far more modest costs for all concerned and a bigger and better choice of wine.

A glass of chilled rose from Provence was thrust into my eager hand on arrival, and it was everything that wines of this type should be - juicy, bone dry with an undercurrent of strawberry fruit, subtle yet obvious, and a great drink for summer either as an aperitif  or with food. Rose wines had been unfashionable for a great many years, but thankfully this is no longer the case, so there is a good variety available on the market. This example (Chateau Trians 2017) is of the lighter-in-colour, stylish but with plenty of taste, versions, modern and clean, delightful served cold in hot weather, this is miles away from the cheap, nasty off-dry stuff available at the lower end of the market. What can I say, I'm a fan of rose wines and I certainly enjoyed this one.

A white wine from Italy followed, Roero Arneis Daivej from the Deltetto family, clean and typical, a round mouthful which works well with food, but is able to stand on its own as well, ever so gluggable if slightly unremarkable, this disappeared quite quickly with our starter. A versatile little number that I'm sure you would have enjoyed, dear reader, if only you had been invited...

Our main course being meaty somehow we needed to find a space for a red wine, and J had set aside a Barolo 2011 from Tenuta Rocca and a Chianti 2013 from Badia a Passignano, both spending time in the fridge so that they could warm up in the glass, but not too much. Here we had two good examples of Italy's great red varieties -Nebbiolo in the Piedmont for the Barolo and Sangiovese in Tuscany for the Chianti. When I first started in the wine trade Barolos were uncompromisingly tough and needed a lot of time to come around and be drinkable, but the modern ones are different, juicier and better balanced, though still tannic and big. From a good if not outstanding vintage, this was all rich red fruit, dark colour and a long finish, drinking well now and with quite a few years of life ahead, gently improving, if only we hadn't consumed it.

Good Chianti is a joy to drink (the cheap stuff generally is not, lacking fruit and balance) and ages very well, with this a fairly young example just shaking off the firmness of youth and showing its typicality, with a hint of woodiness. Sangiovese is lighter in colour, less dense and purple, than Nebbiolo and less powerful; this example was youthful with a hint of awkwardness, plenty of ripe fruit and the class so lacking in run-of-the-mill Chiantis.

Sauternes is one of the great wines of the world, under-appreciated like many sweet wines as our ignorance rules our palate and fashion. Chateau Rieussec is one of the major properties of the region, with the Grand Vin a regular super star. Having never before tried their second wine - Carmes de Rieussec - the example before us from the excellent 2009 vintage was everything a Sauternes should be: bursting with complex white fruit flavours, layered gentle honey sweetness and incredible length, not far off their top stuff. If I had to choose a high point this would have been it, a sublime way to end a meal.

By now you are shaking your heads in disapproval at our indulgence and good fortune. I too was shaking my head, but in wonder at my great good fortune, in wonder at the generosity of my kind friends, in wonder at my capacity for discovering ever-changing enjoyment from the varied aromas, tastes and textures of wine. Yes, I'm a lucky little bastard, get used to it!

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London's new skyline - striking yes, but beautiful?

Don't start gearing up to shower me with all the 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' stuff before you have a good look at the photographs or, even better, go and look at things yourself. That is not to say I am dismissive of your opinion, no, I would just like it to be intelligent and considered, not knee-jerk. In any case, irrespective of your, or even my, views London will coninue developing in whichever way the powers that be and, maybe, greed, decree.

In the distant past civilised society valued proportion in its buildings, even if this was not always achieved; what seems to be important now is scale, statement, a form of urban aggression. The various communist regimes used this in a far more clumsy way to make their own statement, destroying elegance wherever they could and bequeathing a succession of monumental - and usually monumentally ugly - buildings that spoke of the power of the state juggernaut. For some reason free societies seem to be following in their wake, albeit with more interesting, occasionally even good-looking, buildings. Their common denominator is that they are all striking in some way or other, they attempt to impress and, occasionally, dominate.


The arguments for more and more modern space are well known and well rehearsed; in some instances they are also true. More often than not, though, my belief is that it comes down to numbers and short-term thinking, ignoring the long-term effects which a city will feel long after Mr./Ms Fat Developer will be dead, cremated and forgotten.

 I suppose the discussion has to come down to one fundamental point: what kind of cities do we want to live in and bequeath to our children, and grandchildren? Should everything be about efficiency, practicality and profit or should our cities also be lively, liveable places with a human scale, built to accommodate not only economic but social needs. In the past 50 years we have made mistakes with state residential developments, building council tower blocks that have ended up being unpleasant, unsafe and ugly; they too, however, were once upon a time touted as the vision of the future, the way forward, etc. etc., but are now being demolished one after the other.

Perhaps I am but an old, romantic man unable to process the future as it influences our lives more and more, pining for an idealised past. Even if there were some truth in that it does not invalidate the fact that function is not everything, that beauty is important, that modern is not the whole story - just look at the photograph below!