Coronavirus - The new 'Normal'

All over the world countries are starting to lift their restrictions imposed on their citizens and visitors in order to combat the coronavirus named Covid-19 or, according to the orange person, the Chinese virus. There appears to be no dispute at present that the virus originates from China, incidentally, but there also does not appear to be any independent fact that can confirm it was created and allowed to spread on purpose by the Chinese.

As you know, dear reader, I have been confined 'to barracks' in Greece, not allowed to pursue my normal activities; then again, so was everyone else, with the Greek government scoring a major success with its early, strict lockdown - not that I appreciated it at the time. The early lockdown has led to low infection and casualty figures and, therefore, early easing of the measures to allow the economy - and society in general - to breathe and start functioning again. Time will allow us to judge the measures taken properly, but saving lives can never be a bad thing, methinks.

Cafes, shops and restaurants are now fully open with restrictions in place as to the numbers of customers, distances and protective equipment that is mandatory. The warm weather of the arriving Greek summer is helping everyone feel better, though there is unease at the risks of undoing  achieved successes by trying to rush too soon back to the status quo. Already I've witnessed restrictions ignored on buses, bars and cafes, albeit by and large in a modest way, but who knows what may follow. The old folks considered more at risk - and I am on the basis of age, if not fitness, part of that demographic - seemed more concerned/frightened than the youngsters, which is probably fair enough.

Of course there are people up in arms about both sides of the equation - some are furious that any restrictions still exist, as the economy is struggling, with some businesses on the verge of collapse. Some of these people even consider the initial imposition of restrictions ill-advised, despite numbers seeming to clearly support the measures, with conflicting theories circulating on the internet stirring the passions. Conspiracy theorists are in overdrive, even ascribing to modest, unassuming Mr. Tsiodras, Greece's chief medical advisor/expert on the pandemic, political aspirations, general ambitions and personal gain issues in his handling of things, despite the fact that he consistently shied away from excess personal publicity.

Don't get me wrong, dear reader, I 'love' conspiracy theories and the - mostly - 'insightful' idiots who support them, as they make me feel I possess some small degree of intelligence denied to these unfortunate creatures; I cannot deny, however, that they can be extremely harmful to society as they spread their poison around and sow suspicion, dissent, even hate. I am intrigued at how these people find conspiracies everywhere, despite the fact that in today's connected world information can circle the globe in seconds, with very little hidden. In the 1970s, when information was much harder to come by, there were many films made about conspiracy theories - how 'they', unseen and all-powerful industrialists/conspirators,  ruled the world and controlled everything - but the shadowy figures have gone away, consigned to the dustbins of history to make room for new candidates like George Soros and Bill Gates. Whatever makes you happy...

In the meantime I have to get used to being served at cafes by people who look more like pirates or stick-up men, as small price to pay, I suppose, for keeping the Covid-19 virus away from the general populace and those most at risk. Strange times, indeed, and getting stranger every day.

The Roof Garden is open for business again!

I'll be honest with you up front for a change, dear reader: there is no Roof Garden and no business is involved at our private get-togethers on any occasion!

Please don't be disappointed, it's just a bit of fun  to celebrate the restart of the, by now, famous with you evenings at the home of my friends YT and MT, evenings with lovely, mostly simple but amazingly tasty, food and stunning wines, lively discussions and generosity of spirit. In the colder months festivities have always taken place indoors, but when the weather softens we have in the past moved to the balcony - the roof garden of my imagination. This year, of course, Covid-19 cut short the winter YT/MT dining season and, until recently, was keeping the warmer weather version under wraps.

Not anymore, amigos! Only a few days ago I had the pleasure of visiting my friends again and, together with two more lucky souls, experience their bountiful hospitality once more. The theme food-wise was simplicity itself, the wines were anything but: unusual, interesting, intriguing, satisfying and luscious, with a tiny drop of rare lightly cask-aged grappa to aid the digestion - the roof garden back with a bang.

The first white wine was one of those beauties that you need to give your palate time to fully appreciate, though your nose will have given you fair warning of the pleasures to come. Made by top Austrian grower F.X. Pichler in Wachau from the Gruner Veltliner grape, this Smaragd Dursteiner Kellerberg 2008 was a study in subtlety, complexity and hidden power in a wine already over twenty years old. Youthfull and fresh in colour and taste, yet with surprising depth of lychee and ripe apricot/melon taste including a metallic note in subtle layers on both nose and palate, this was to me a confirmation of the heights now scaled by top Austrian wines. Pichler's wines are stars in anybody's way of thinking, deservedly, with prices to match, and this is one of the best. The Kellerberg vineyard appears to be uniquely blessed in every way - exposure, gradient, micro-climate, soil - to produce outstanding and complex wines; this was certainly one of them, with the Smaragd designation (minimum 12.5% alcohol) achieved with hard work in a difficult, rainy vintage to give it some extra punch. Wow!

The second wine was from the same area and grape variety but a different grower, sightly older with a very different style: Gruner Veltliner Smaragd Vinothekfullung 2005 Emmerich Knoll. A lovely, riper style, golden yellow in colour and with plenty to chew on, I found this immediately appealing but less beguiling than the first wine, more up front but less complex, somehow a bit easier to approach but ultimately less rewarding. Whilst I wouldn't 'kick it out of bed' it never reached the heights of the Pichler wine for me, though two of my friends present actually preferred this. Super wines both with prices to match, I can only think back to my start in the wine trade, when the Austrian wine scandal with the anti-freeze had just broken and nobody thought much of them or showed any inclination to buy - how wrong we all were, how short-sighted!

Only a few days ago I raved about a wine from Bordeaux; today, alas, I cannot do the same. Our third wine was a 1995 Troplong Mondot from St. Emilion, classified Premier Grand Cru Classe B in the local classification and a bottle I would have expected to have been splendid. The 1995 vintage, however, seems to have been difficult in St. Emilion, with tannins remaining hard and the fruit on this showing in retreat, making for a rather hard, untypical wine from a property where the blend is 90% Merlot, 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. With the wine too mature for it to have been a phase in the development we either had a hard bottle or the 1995 at Troplong Mondot is ungenerous in character.

Nobody can ever accuse good Sauternes wines of being ungenerous, however, and our sumptuous 1990 Chateau Raymond-Lafon was no exception. Though unclassified, this property has, since it was purchased by Pierre Meslier and his family in the 1970's, been transformed into a little superstar, helped enormously by the fact that Mr. Meslier was at the time the technical director of Chateau d'Yquem, possibly the best and certainly consistently the most sought-after and expensive wine in the Sauternes  appellation. Skilfully exploiting both his deep knowledge and connections Pierre Meslier and his family managed to quickly achieve both excellent quality and a glowing reputation, to the envy of some of his more highly-rated vineyards. I was fortunate to attend a tasting in London around the 1980s sometime presented by Madame Meslier, Pierre's wife, and was much impressed by the attention to detail of Raymond-Lafon wines, rating them highly. If they manage to charge more than other, more highly rated and perhaps better, wines is not a point against Raymond-Lafon but against the buyers who support this and allow it to happen, though if the end customer is happy we can say nothing.

Raymond-Lafon is a botrytis wine, sweet, big and luscious, exotic yet earthy, full of notes of ripe white fruits and creme brûlée, the 1990 came from a big, ripe vintage and displayed all of those characteristics while still being full of life, rich but not blowsy. Perhaps it lacked the finesse and complexity of an absolutely top wine from a top vintage, but I 'ain't complainin' - I just love these wines and all they give us! Currently rather unfashionable, difficult to produce and therefore expensive but currently hard to sell at a decent price to make a living - Yquem is an exception, obviously - they are a glorious anachronism and may soon become a thing of the past. I hope I don't live to see their passing, for the world would be a far more boring place without them.

I closed with a rare grappa (a special bottling for a friend of Levi and also ours) from the Levi stable from the time when the old folks were alive. I've raved about these before, as they are rare in their finesse and complexity and may never be equalled or bettered. Like a fine cognac, these are works of art and I am grateful to YT for occasionally allowing me to enjoy one.

Aren't I the lucky one?

Bordeaux wine on a spring evening

Bordeaux wines are impressive, expensive beasts, at least at the top levels, full of class and power; the tables or the powerful, rich and famous are their normal stomping grounds. In the last 30-35 years they are impeccably made and beautifully aged in the best oak casks money can buy, resting in cellars that provide the ideal conditions. And well they must, of course, as they are the investment vehicles of the wine world, expected to be reliable and impressive.

Bordeaux is an area full of glamour, with beautiful chateaux all over the place, benefiting from a stellar reputation developed over centuries of serious wine-making and status building. The area is full of grand estates with many beautiful chateaux and correspondingly smart proprietors; it is a very status-conscious part of the world that makes great wines, thus supporting the status. The temperate climate guarantees good results most years, with the grape varieties used for the famed red wines providing a sturdy backbone of structure combined with finesse and, occasionally, lusciousness; technology can now ensure the indifferent or difficult years can also be decent. White dry wines exist here and range from the run-of-the-mill boring but gluggable bottles to the rare glorious curiosities. The sweet white wines are in a - currently less than fashionable - class of their own; why they are currently unloved when they offer, at least at the serious level, huge satisfaction per sip plus value for money is beyond me - but then, so is most fashion.

These days, as I am not fully active in the wine trade and with Covid-19 restricting me to Athens, I get few chances to try a mature, decent Bordeaux red, so it was with great pleasure that I greeted my friend YT (you know him and his generosity well by now, dear reader) knowing that he had brought to a mutual friend's dinner a magnum (large bottle the size of 2 normal 75 cl. bottles for the uninitiated) of 1994 Chateau Brane-Cantenac. Based in the commune of Cantenac-Margaux and deserving of the Margaux appelation, it used to have a terrific reputation in the distant past and was classified as a 2nd Growth (2eme Cru) in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux Chateaux, but went into decline by the early 20th century. The Lurton family of Bordeaux wine producers have, since purchasing it in 1922, slowly but surely dragged it back up where it belongs, with our magnum a testament to this: textbook Margaux silky seductiveness, youthful for its age ethereal complex red cherry fruit and balanced tannins making this a most enjoyable glass of wine, belying the fact that it came from an 'off' vintage. Well-made, mature but lively, perfectly poised and full of Margaux charm - the nose in particular was especially impressive, gloriously complex, rich and elegant - this was satisfaction in a glass.

Since I first became involved in wine many moons ago, I have always admired Bordeaux and its wines, primarily for their business-like approach, their commitment to excellence and their consistency. My passion, however, has been for Burgundy, that intriguing little plot of land either side of Beaune, a site of tiny vineyards, small wineries and - at the best level - unimaginably complex wines. The people there are, by and large, people of the soil, ordinary villagers, with few grand chateaux and mostly village housing, but the area holds me in its spell. Having said that, a good Bordeaux ready to drink is something very special, a sight to behold, a bottle to be greatly appreciated, just like our magnum of Brane-Cantenac 1994. Not as complex and beguiling as a top Burgundy, perhaps, but pleasing in its own way nevertheless, a charming 25-year old worth going out of your way for.

How lucky I am, retsina one night, a 2nd growth Bordeaux another, all the wonders of the world in my glass and with good company to boot...  I don't know what is to follow, but I'm grateful in advance.

Retsina

Dear reader, had you asked me not that long ago whether I would be writing about retsina, a wine so out of fashion as to be virtually unmentionable in serious wine circles, I probably would have smirked before staring at you aggressively. It had never been my thing, retsina, never sought it out, never felt warmly towards it, was truly never a fan. And this despite having glugged gallons of the stuff over the last twenty-something years in Lemonia restaurant, Primrose Hill, London, with my friends Nick & Jen and assorted others.

At the time of glugging - and I seriously do mean gallons - I thought that I was just going along with the others so as not to offend, but drink it I did in quantity, never really complaining. This was the standard retsina of Attica (the area around Athens) from Kourtaki, textbook stuff, typically unsubtle and in-your-face resinated, which chilled was surprisingly agreeable (hindsight rewriting history here) with the Greek/Cypriot food served at Lemonia. Hell, it must have been or at some point I would have demurred and ordered something else; I never did. On one memorable occasion Athens the tail end of the previous century we started eating and drinking around 1:30 pm, were still at it a about 4:30 when they finished the lunchtime service and closed for an hour and a half, yet still there when they reopened for evening service at around 6:00. We left, I think, around 7:30 after 6 or 8 (or maybe 10) bottles of the aforementioned mainly between the three of us. Nobody forced me, you understand, it was a great afternoon/evening filled with laughter, sort of memorable (I don't remember details, unsurprisingly!), so I must have enjoyed myself - and the retsina.

Still, I never expected I'd actually be interested in the stuff in any intellectual way. But, confession time, I am, for a funny, roundabout reason, it being the Savatiano grape variety that you will see mentioned on this blog again and again. In my humble opinion it is the next great grape variety from Greece to woo international wine lovers after the glorious Assyrtiko and its cohorts Athiri and Aidani, so beautifully showcased in Santorini white wines. Savatiano is prevalent in the Attic vineyards, traditional in retsina and too subtle to attract the average wine drinker, so until recently it has featured as an indifferent high-yield glugger and has been largely ignored. Not any more, boys and girls, as certain producers have taken to looking after it properly, limiting yields and making concentrated, still subtle but multi-layered, proper wines with real potential. And the attention to detail has spread to retsina, with interesting results.

Resin in ancient times was added to the wine as a preservative, because there was no way to protect the wine placed in amphorae from the harmful effects of contact with air - even sealed in some way they were never entirely airtight - and not as a modification of the taste, or so we must assume given that, inconsiderately, no ancient Greeks have either survived to explain otherwise or have bequeathed detailed production/tasting notes to posterity. Modern versions add it purely for the taste but it remains a minority sport, ignored by most as uncouth and yucky.

It is not so, I must tell you, dear friends, as your intrepid taster has been fortunate to discover. Even the Kourtaki version now offers a degree of complexity and character that makes it enticing, with others producing even more subtle versions, with the resin complementing the Savatiano character admirably. So admirably, indeed, that I have found myself on occasion seeking out retsina for pleasure at home and, no, it is not a sign of losing my sense of taste due to Covid-19. There are now several new-wave wines featuring resin, some even small-scale and with single vineyard status, offering character and style in harmony with complexity and, even, subtlety!

Retsina may never be to everyone's taste, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, as it has lots of character and, if well made, even class. It can be not only pleasurable but, actually, a great accompaniment to many strong-tasting Greek dishes. And, being unfashionable, it will by and large keep your pocket happy too. One of these days I'll do a comparative tasting of several Retsina versions and let you have the results, in order to help guide you to the one you'll like the best.

A coronavirus diary of sorts

Unless you've been on a desert island somewhere with no information or media access of any sort you will be familiar with the present strain of  coronavirus, which brings about an illness called Covid-19. This virus, highly contagious, has been busy spreading all around the world, infecting and  killing people here, there and everywhere; it is not an exaggeration to say that it is currently changing the face of the world.

Since the outbreak has started I have been more or less confined to Athens (Greece, you silly sausage, not Ohio, Georgia or anywhere else, thankfully given the Covid-19 events in the USA) and environs, witnessing the shutting down of most social life all around me as the government tries to halt the march of Covid-19. Boredom is a major factor in the life of people here, people who are normally used to going out most of the time, whether to cafes in the morning, restaurants of one description or other later and bars at the end of most days. This is a society where, generally, staying in is not the norm and is often rather frowned upon; even in the days of deep financial crisis people found a few pennies and went out, to cheap souvlaki places and rather basic tavernas, maybe, but out nevertheless.

Yet the rebellious Greeks have largely complied with their Government's policy and requests, largely out of fear I think, making the country a bit of a star in the way it has handled this not only on a European but a Worldwide basis - Greek casualties directly attributable to Covid-19 have only recently passed the one hundred mark, with the thing seemingly under control. For once the 'naughty child' is setting a good example for others, something I find very satisfying.

As you've gathered by now, dear reader, this is nothing like a diary - I've never kept one in my life, actually - but more of an essay, an analysis without much detail, a descriptive, low-key rant. Fear not, for what follows is the real thing, descriptive, tight, expressive:

I wake up late with little to do other than eat some oranges for, I suppose, brunch.
Do little other than wade through emails and catch up on news on the computer, especially on the international activities of the coronavirus.
Go for a two hours exercise/walk, usually with a friend, returning late afternoon.
Eat something,
More computer stuff, applying to the odd job, or newspaper/sudoku/crossword.
Eat again.
Drink some wine.
Eat some more.
Drink some more.
Watch some television.
Go to bed, read or do puzzles, then sleep.
Get up the next day and repeat.

Enough diary nonsense, though. the Greek Prime Minister is this evening to make important announcements about gradually reopening the economy in a phased way, so all my thoughts above are probably irrelevant. This, I must confess, makes me upset, even if the rest of society is pleased and relieved. What is my world going to be like now? Will I be able to go out for a coffee again, without having to walk ten miles in the process in order to be permitted to wander about? Will I have to see my friends again on a regular basis?

Ooof! It's enough to make me write a proper diary...

China - to trust or not to trust?

We are strange creatures indeed, we westerners, suddenly faced with a world health crisis probably originating in China. Until yesterday China was a good place, providing us with all sorts of useful products, many developed and designed by us, at prices we could only dream of if we were to produce them ourselves. So what if the people producing our shit - I use the word loosely - were only allowed to sleep for only a few hours a day and were obliged to live a slave-like existence; we were happy to benefit, closed our eyes and ears and allowed life to continue to our benefit.

Then coronavirus appeared, the one leading to Covid-19 and, possibly, a painful death for anyone contracting it. China seems to be where it first appeared - Wuhan specifically - and from there it spread like fire all over the globe, infecting people left, right and centre. Much speculation on the origins has occurred all over, with conspiracy theories blaming China, the US or whomever, but China has always figured as the main culprit, unwittingly or not - was it a result of little Chinamen happily munching an infected bat or two over a cup of rice wine or an escapee from a secretive virus-creating laboratory residing in Wuhan?

Yes, the official China reacted badly initially, underestimating the potential problem and trying to hide things under a veil of silence; totalitarian regimes work like that to protect their interests, unsurprisingly. Yes, it has been proven to have been a misguided, wrong move that had disastrous consequences, but then turned around and worked wonders by instituting draconian restrictive measures and generally tackling the virus head-on, with so far seemingly remarkable results.

Now we in the West have started attacking China as dishonest and dishonourable, claiming not only that they hid things at the outset but that they are lying through their teeth now, providing false numbers relevant to Covid-19 etc. Furthermore, we are accusing China of using the provision of their assistance in this general time of need for empire building and as a benefit to their long-term plans.

There is a wonderful book by Peter Frankopan, The New Silk Roads, that analyses and tackles these issues both in detail and in context, so they should come as no surprise for they are not new, but have been going on for some time now. Why are we acting surprised? Do we find it convenient? It is both stupid and untimely to analyse China's role in this matter and in this way, especially given the lack of proof. Given the fact that we are still grappling with this disease without a hint of and end or a cure, nor indeed specific analyses of the precise origins of this disaster, is in not best to wait until all is known before apportioning blame?

Now is not the time for recriminations, especially given the interdependence within most of the world. Much of the Western world now wagging fingers in China's face are also largely dependent on China's productive capabilities, is that not a recipe for disaster? What about fairness, which the Western world used selectively in years gone by to abuse not only China but large parts of the rest of the globe. China may well be (or not) to blame for everything to do with this, but prove it we must before engaging in righteous polemics and attacking hither and thither. Whether we like it or not we live in an interconnected world, largely of our creation, that needs to be managed sensibly. Neither we, nor anyone else, can send the gunboats in anymore - empires belong to the past and stay there they must; proper procedures for establishing fault must be followed.

Jaw-jaw must prevail, for war-war, even of the commercial kind, will lead to destruction and mutual loss. It should be seen as a last resort, not an act of whim and folly.

Liar, liar, pants on fire?

Well, what can I, what can anyone, indeed, say about the person 'leading' the Free World, the current President of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump? And, furthermore, what can anyone say of his supporters, the people who even now refuse to face facts while their country is being ravaged by an epidemic that had been signposted months ago. The United States of America is fast becoming a bad, bad joke, killing its people and undermining its world status.

Let me make some things clear so I am not misunderstood: I am - and always have been - an Americanophile, having lived in the States in the early 1960s and gone to first grade in an American school. Furthermore, a lot of my schooling has been spent in American or American-related institutions, where I have been able to appreciate many great things to do with American culture - yes, fellow euro-snobs, there is such a thing, albeit much younger than most of ours. And I have had both American relatives and friends, all wonderful people who have enriched my life considerably, many of whom are no longer with us. My criticism of this often wonderful country and its equally often wonderful people stems from the facts, untainted by political bias - I am not, have never been and never will be a socialist, left leaning or a communist - and coloured only by disappointment.

American Presidents used to be educated, well-spoken, worldly figures who by and large grasped that the US had a role to play in the world due to its size, military might and commercial power and aspirations, a de facto major world power on the side of freedom (free trade especially) and democracy. At times their behaviour was less than laudable both as individuals and as statesmen, often allowing their country to indulge in despicable, even criminal, behaviour by interfering in the politics of other countries sometimes for political (usually anti-communist in the Cold War era) or economic reasons, occasionally both. Their intentions were not always - but sometimes were - altruistic, even when expanding or reinforcing their sphere of influence.

Today, led (I use the term loosely) by a man who is ignorant of world history, doesn't listen to advisors/briefings/specialists and gets his world views solely from watching his favourite TV channels, America is becoming not only a laughing stock but an enemy to all and sundry. A spoiled, selfish and self-absorbed man, he is passing his code of conduct on to 'his' nation, making it behave like a bully. Yet such seems to be the ignorance and/or moral bankruptcy of his supporters that he is admired for things that leave the rest of the world shaking their heads in disbelief and, like me, in disappointment. And everyone daring to criticise or speak a word against him is labelled a liar (Ha!), a lefty, a hoaxer, a fraud...

In this Covid-19 crisis President Trump has shown the extent of his ignorance, indecision and inability to listen to experts and comprehend facts, especially if these facts are not convenient for him and his interests. This will result in a significant number of American lives being lost as a direct consequence, maybe even tens of thousands, yet his adoring fans still applaud him and his lies - and it is not inconceivable that he could win the next election. It is truly unbelievable and extremely dangerous to the USA, to its people, to the rest of the world and americanophiles like me.

But perhaps sanity will eventually prevail. What do you think, dear reader?