Catastrophe!

 

Wine woes

Our plumber Yves recently visited Athens. When I inquired about his trip his face broke into a big smile. "Beautiful city," he said, though he lamented the crush of camera-wielding tourists and café prices along the Plaka. But when I mentioned Greek wine, his entire demeanour transformed, his shoulders slumped as if beneath an invisible weight, he exhaled a deep sigh, shook his head with the gravity of a man who had witnessed something truly tragic and muttered "catastrophe, never again."

The French approach their wine with a reverence bordering on religious devotion; you'll never catch a Parisian gulping a vintage Bordeaux. Instead, they savour each drop with deliberate patience, allowing it to unfold on their palates and almost always alongside a three-course meal. I've cautioned readers previously, but I would not advise arriving at a French host's doorstep clutching a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, as they've probably spent considerable time selecting the perfect accompaniment to their coq au vin or beef bourguignon. Don’t worry, they won’t be offended but they are unlikely to open it. Unless you are a bit of a wine buff and have just spent a happy few hours studying the cave at the local supermarket. Far better to appear with a bouquet of flowers, or a distinctly British offering, like an ornate tin of shortbread biscuits, with tins as appealing as their contents, especially if they have the King on them.

French finds

I returned to the UK recently and I nearly fainted at the cost of wine, not just in restaurants but in the supermarkets. Back in our little corner of Normandy, Timmy returned from the supermarket with a bottle of Corbiere. He asked me what I thought and I said not bad, “good” he said with a grin “as it was only €1.99”- my Husband has always appreciated a bargain- that’s why he married me!

The thing is we really are spoilt here; we don’t have to pay the tax on wine (French, that is) as it is produced here – though our region boasts little beyond apple orchards for cider and lush pastures for thick, yellow cream.  I just had a quick look at a well-known supermarket in the UK and they have a Corbiere for a jaw dropping £12. 50!. Now, I know that there are better quality ones, but really when you just want something to cradle whist watching flames dance in the fire, €1.99 is fine. I could do with one right now, as it has started to snow quite heavily.

Taste sensation and culture corner:

Caen- for a birthday lunch which included oysters, a coupe de champagne and the best lamb cutlets I have ever tasted.  

TV- A French series called Notre Dame – Inspired by true accounts from firefighters, it explores the impact of the 2019 fire on a diverse group of Parisians.

Catastrophe- Many french words are the same in English, they are just pronounced very differently. 

Try to watch French films and series with French subtitles not English. English subtitles are confusing as they are different to what they are saying (that’s because they only have a short space and limited time to get across what they are saying). Try it with French, you may not understand all of it but you will see any words that you did not understand or have not heard properly as they talk so fast and leave out a lot of sounds. Don’t expect to understand everything, just sit back and enjoy it- you will understand it far more than you think.

If you don’t have an open fire and want to feel warm and festive, go onto YouTube and search for warm autumn jazz/cosy café music and you will get some soft music and a lovely picture to look at. You can also just get a scene of a fire with smooth music. They really go to town at Christmas with winter wonderland scenes. Sorry, I know that’s not very cultural but it’s cosy.

Here’s an example.

Keep warm, I’m off to Paris soon (again I hear you say!) to see the lights.