Virtual consolation

Corona may not mean beer and lockdown has replaced lock-ins; however, with a bit of tech support Jonathan Ray finds he can support local wine producers and his wellbeing

I HAD drinks with two of my dearest mates last week. Nothing remarkable about that, you might say. Well, at the time of writing we’re still under the wretched coronavirus lockdown and my nights out were actually nights in, spent first with Mark Slim and then with Andrew Ross, both in virtual form, courtesy of Zoom, a video-conferencing thingy that technophobes like me hadn’t heard of a week or so ago and that I still struggle to operate.

You’re all probably dab hands at Zoom by now and think it old hat. I marvel at it, although I wish I could work out how to show less of the inside of my nose and fewer double chins. Oh, and I’d love to tone down the mighty glare off my shiny bald pate. Hey ho. Anyway, I managed to set it up – thanks to my 16-year-old son – and my chums and I chatted away like fishwives over the ether, more blotto voce than sotto voce since, you won’t be surprised to hear, we drank long and we drank deep as we blathered.

With Slim, I knocked back a bottle of 2016 Domaine Laurent Cognard 1er Cru Montagny – a stunning white Burgundy of creamy freshness and modest price – and he the same, both of us thanks to Private Cellar that, like many others, is continuing to deliver vino during this dreadful time of plague and pestilence. We each finished our respective bottles and tottered off happily to dinner with our ever-lovings.

Since Ross’s boys were at home – and was there ever a thirstier bunch? – we

decided to push the boat out just a touch and open some Château Chasse-spleen, a cru bourgeois claret of some distinction that, we reasoned, was neither too fancy nor too shabby and thus spot on for the occasion, not least because its name translates as ‘chasing the blues/melancholy away’.

Ross and his lads opened the 2003 and 2005 vintages and I, having raided my private reserves at Berry Bros & Rudd, opened the 2010. Foolishly, I thought I’d withdrawn the 2000 and was miffed to find I hadn’t, as I feared the 2010 might be still too young. To let it flex its tannic-bound muscles I double decanted it and, bingo, it was glorious.

We compared notes as we drank – becoming a little geeky, if I’m honest – and Ross reckoned the 2005 edged the 2003 at their end. I was more than happy with the 2010, although it can only get better. I’ve still got 11 bottles to go and if I space them out, by the time I get to the last one it should be perfect. As my old boss, Simon Berry, used to explain, that’s why the good Lord put 12 bottles in a case.

One good thing about this ghastly virus is that the world has gone wine mad. Merchants such as Berry Brothers and Yapp Brothers have reported their busiest weeks ever and Corney & Barrow were busier in April than they were at Christmas.

Happily, wine being considered an essential ingredient to our wellbeing, independent merchants and off-licences are still trading during the lockdown and delivering, too. As

I write, the likes of Bar Douro, Berry Brothers, the Brighton Wine Company, Connaught Cellars, Corney & Barrow, Fromvineyardsdirect, Private Cellar, Hedonism, Honest Grapes, the Magnum Company, Mr Wheeler and Wine List are all still delivering. Some, at a pinch, can offer next-day delivery.

And what better time than now to support our native wine producers? Ambriel in West Sussex and Herbert Hall in Kent both make exceptionally fine English fizz and are offering free delivery, whilst Chapel Down, also in Kent, which makes fine still wines as well as fizz, can also deliver.

Our mental health is crucial during these dark days and as well as giving our spirits a lift, there is compelling evidence to suggest that the moderate consumption of wine is good for one’s health. So get stuck into the vino, I say, and support our independent producers and merchants.

And if you’re tired of drinking alone, make use of Zoom and, just for fun, try and ensure that your drinking buddies are knocking back the same wine as you. Or log onto one of the many wine tastings and podcasts online, such as Susie Barrie’s and Peter Richards’s brilliant Wine Blast, the Wine Society’s Armchair Travels or 67 Pall Mall’s masterclasses.

If you’re worried that you’re drinking too much, however, stock up with Fortnum’s spectacularly tasty sparkling tea (presented in an elegant champagne bottle) or try Jukes Cordialities, delicious, non-alcoholic cordials curated by maestro of wine Matthew Jukes – they will please even the most hardened of drinkers and can be delivered straight to wherever you are. Meanwhile, stay well and stay well-stocked.

There is compelling evidence that moderate consumption of wine is good for one’s health