AND NOW A WORD FROM TODAY

“Stay Home.” Everyone from the President on down
“Wash your hands.” Mom

Closed. Closed. CLOSED. Seems to be the most used word in the country today. The movement back to keeping ourselves clean and following mother’s advice is the order of the day. Can’t you just picture a time when it becomes normal to wipe our feet, change our underwear and take a bath every Saturday night. So now we are cleaner. But, we’re all dressed up and nowhere to go.

So, OK. We are homebound now and are being told to stay there. Essential services are continuing, but health care workers are exhausted after working much longer than normal shifts and foregoing days off. New York’s governor is begging doctors and nurses from all over the country to come to New York. An unseen virus imported from our friends in China has almost brought us to our knees, closing stores and restaurants. Theaters are shuttered. Broadway is dark. But we are American. We are the most resilient and creative people in the world, proven time and time again. So, look out world. When this is over, and it will be sooner than you think, we’ll show you what America is all about. We will scratch and claw our way out of this and return to our lives. And don’t make a mistake and judge us by any standards except our own. We will be bigger and better than ever and we’ll show the world how it’s done!

Even my front door

Meanwhile, life is kind of painful. But again, we are American. Search the internet and you will find people who are making (good?) use of their newly found free time. Google “Nonna’s corona advice,” or get creative and look around for other things that show the lighter side of this new life. As for me, yeah I have to stay home. Doctor’s orders as I recover from my cancer treatments. But creativity is my middle name (Never figured out who I was named after) So what have I discovered?…

I can only make the bed once. Dust mopping the floor should be done every day. Bathrooms need to be cleaned daily because I am a secret slob. Laundry? Oh well. And outside is just a whole ‘nother world. My wife is still beautiful even after all these years and I guess I still like her. But keeping busy after the housework is done can prove to be a challenge. Thankfully, there is still wine. There. I said it.

Wine. The nectar of the gods. Be it white, red or even rose, a good dry drinking wine is a gift meant to be enjoyed. My own personal savior. While I normally prefer a good hearty red, chianti is my favorite, I do find myself more willing to experiment with the whites. From the comfort of my home I have been able to visit wineries all around the world and really found some interesting wines. The latest discovery is from New Zealand, a relatively new player, but a producer of some very fine wines.

Babich Wineries, located on the northern tip of the southern island of New Zealand is one with a growing reputation. A family owned company, as most of the best wineries are, this one was started by 20 year Josip Babich, a Croatian immigrant in 1916. This company is now run solely by his descendants who can boast of a total of more than 146 years of winemaking experience. You know, it always struck me that in a family business, if you can make a product that your grandfather would be proud of, you’ve accomplished something. In this case, Josip would be very proud. His offspring have done their homework and have committed to a high quality product.

What I have tried is the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc. With an almost clear color one might expect a very light tasting, smooth wine, and that is exactly what you get. As with most of the Sauvignons from this region it does have a strong citrusy taste but augments the usual lemon with lime, hints of lemongrass and just a tinge of mango. This combination makes for a very refreshing, thirst quenching wine with flavor much bolder than its color would indicate. As a result of their hard work this wine was recognized and highly regarded, winning a silver medal at both the the prestigious 2018 Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters as well as the New York Wine and Spirits Competition, while garnering 93 points at the New World Wine Awards.

Years ago, as a grammar school teacher in my attempt to change the world I gave my class an assignment to write about “What I do when there’s nothing to do.” I have to say they were very creative for a bunch of sixth graders. But now, well, cleaning the house can only go so far and after a while you just stop finding any dirt. Laundry? Oh well… But the joys of life go on. Babich Sauvignon Blanc is a great way to pass the time if you serve it with dinner or with some smooth goat cheese, or perhaps a baby swiss. So, pass your time wisely. Get to know your spouse, your kids, your dog or your yard. But keep the good life going and enjoy this time as best you can. It will end I can assure you. And someday this memory will be known to someone as “The good old days.”

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