Join my chat
- Geoffrey Finch
- May 5
- 3 min read
A private space for us to converse and connect
Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: the Paris Wine Walks subscriber chat.
This is a conversation space in the Substack app that I set up exclusively for my subscribers — kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post short prompts, thoughts, and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.
To join our chat, you’ll need to download the Substack app, now available for both iOS and Android. Chats are sent via the app, not email, so turn on push notifications so you don’t miss conversations as they happen.
How to get started
Download the app by clicking this link. Substack Chat is now available on both iOS and Android.
Open the app and tap the Chat icon. It looks like two bubbles in the bottom bar, and you’ll see a row for my chat inside.
That’s it! Jump into my thread to say hi, and if you have any issues, check out Substack’s FAQ.
Meanwhile, the world has shifted into something that none of us could have ever really imagined (other than perhaps those who have been maneuvering us in that direction for years) and like everything else, wine is being targeted. Hard to say how this will play out on the world stage, but one solution, if you’re worried about no longer being able to afford French wines, would be to come to France and join us on a wine walk. Or better, come on a wine tour.
In a world of bleak, negative news, there is trouble, worry, tariffs, tumult, turmoil, division, fear, corruption, chaos, upheaval, bedlam, depression, agitation, inequality, polarisation, tyranny, discrimination, censorship, unemployment, environmental destruction, debt, racism, ignorance, surveillance, bribery, authoritarianism, isolationism, recession, violence, insecurity, climate crises, bigotry, protests, injustice, deregulation, terrorism, propaganda, erosion, vandalism, gerrymandering, dehumanisation, desperation, uncertainty, sexism, unrest, disorder, oppression, mayhem, dishonesty, greed, hate, sadness, and loss of purpose.
But there is also love, abundance, grace, bravery, beauty, sunshine, creativity, courage, laughter, strength, community, friendship, empowerment, energy, fearlessness, blossoms, enchantment, flourishing, gratitude, light, elation, harmony, sweetness, hope, renewal, rebirth, inspiration, joy, contentment, playfulness, animals, children, dogs, limitlessness, attraction, humour, euphoria, motivation, communication, optimism, peace, nature, elegance, caring, serenity, radiance, resilience, strength, compassion, support, hugs, talent, beguilement, thriving, victory, bliss, charm, delight, splendour, enthusiasm, connection, jubilation, ecstasy, vibrance, rapture, wisdom, unity, wonder, ‘ivresse’ and wine.
There are weeks when there’s just not a lot to say, or rather, too much, and so the head becomes clouded with possibility, losing direction in a sea of choice. The tumult and turmoil that is roiling everywhere around the world has created uncertainty, consternation, and confusion. So here are three poems on wine by Li Po.
I.
Among the flowers a drink of wine.
I sit alone without a friend.
So I invite the moon,
Then see my shadow, make us three.
The moon can’t know how to drink,
Since just my shadow drinks with me.
The moon brought shadow along
To keep me silent company.
Joy should reflect the season.
I sing. That makes the Moon reel.
Get up. Make my shadow sway.
While I’m here let’s celebrate.
When I’m drunk each seek the Way,
Tie ourselves to Eternal Journeys,
Swear to meet again in the Milky Way.
II
If the heavens were not in love with wine,
There’d be no Wine Star in the sky.
And if earth wasn’t always drinking,
There’d be nowhere called Wine Spring.
I’ve heard that pure wine makes the Sage.
Even the cloudy makes us wise.
If even the wise get there through drink,
What’s the point of True Religions?
Three times and I understand the Way,
Six and I’m one again with Nature.
Only the things we know when we’re drunk
Can never be expressed when we’re sober.
III
Third month in Ch’ang-an city,
Knee-deep in a thousand fallen flowers.
Alone in Spring who can stand this sadness?
Or sober see transient things like these?
Long life or short, rich or poor,
Our destiny’s determined by the world.
But drinking makes us one with life and death,
The Myriad Things we can barely fathom.
Drunk, Heaven and Earth are gone.
Stilled, I clutch my lonely pillow.
Forgetting that the Self exists,
That is the mind’s greatest joy.
My book, ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ (reviewed in Jancis Robinson’s wine blog, the Wine Economist, National Geographic Traveler UK, UK Telegraph) is available for purchase via our website and at anglophone bookshops and wine shops in Paris. You can also find it at the Musée de Montmartre and the Librairie Gourmande
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