#COVID-19: When Masks Fall Literally and Metaphorically

«Πολλάκις τὸ ἄδοξον σωτηρίας αἴτιον» Our insignificance is often the cause of our safety.     

             Aesop

The Great Pause History is often written in noise: wars, revolutions, speeches. But in 2020, history was written in silence. A microscopic organism obliged humanity to stop. Suddenly, the streets of Paris, Athens, and New York were empty. On the horizon of history, a new era appeared, defined by fear. At Philia Winery, within the vineyards of Samos, we observed this global freeze with a glass in hand. We saw the world retreat. We saw priorities change quickly.

Maslow’s Ladder Collapsed In psychology, Abraham Maslow introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. At the top sits Self-Actualization: creativity, morality, problem-solving—the area where fine gastronomy and art exist. At the bottom lie the Physiological Needs: food, shelter, safety. When the pandemic hit, humanity fell from the top of the pyramid straight to the bottom. The panic buying of toilet paper and pasta was not just amusing; it was tragic. It showed how fragile our "civilized" veneer truly was. We forgot about culture. We forgot about loyalty. We focused only on survival.

The Virus of Opportunism A virus does not only attack the body. It attacks trust. Crisis moments are excellent excuses. They provide a convenient fog of war. During this period of global confusion, we experienced a different kind of pathology: the breach of word. While we were working to maintain solidarity and keep our project alive, others saw the chaos not as a tragedy to endure but as an opening to exploit. Some in the world of gastronomy chose this period of vulnerability to sever our contract. The timing was not accidental. When the world is locked down, it is easy to hide. It is easy to invent "force majeure" excuses. It is easy to present unfounded pretexts as business necessities. But behind these decisions, there weren't just economic charts. There were rumors. There were shadow alliances made in the dark, driven by people who preferred intrigue over integrity. The pandemic became a convenient alibi for those who wanted to walk away from their commitments, influenced by toxicity that had nothing to do with the virus and everything to do with character.

The Dual Meaning of "Krisi" In Greek, the word "Crisis" (Κρίση) has a strong dual meaning that is often lost in translation. It does not simply describe a catastrophe or a period of difficulty. It stems from the ancient verb krinein, meaning "to separate, to judge, to decide." Therefore, a crisis is not simply a tragedy; it is a moment of judgment. It is the critical point where logic must prevail over panic, and where we are called to make decisions that define who we are. For us, this pandemic was exactly that: A "Krisi" in the truest sense. It acted as a strict judge, testing everyone's character, separating the honest partners from the opportunists and the clear thinkers from those blinded by greed.

Athénaïs de Béru with Vassilis Alexiou at Raw wine festival

Sanitizing our Circle They say a crisis acts as a filter. It separates the essential from the superfluous. The cancellation of that contract was a shock, a financial blow in the middle of a storm. But in hindsight, it was a cleansing. Just as we wash our hands to remove pathogens, life sometimes washes away unhealthy partnerships. If a partner looks for the first opportunity—a global pandemic, a manufactured excuse, or a suggestion from a third party—to abandon ship, then they were not really on board. They were just passengers.

The Real Antibody: Philia Look at the photos below. These are not business associates held together by contracts. These are friends. These are people who stood by us when the world stopped. This grid of faces is the only true antidote to the crisis. While the "market" was panicking and breaking deals, our community was solidifying. We realized that wine is not simply a commodity to be traded by opportunistic distributors. It is the glue of relationships. The "Wine of Gastronomy" is not about fierce competition or backstabbing. It is about organizing exhibitions with people who think differently. It is about sharing a bottle with someone who doesn't need a lawyer to keep their word.

What remains? The lockdowns are not over yet, but the masks are off (or mostly off). The lessons stay. We learned that Self-Actualization is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We cannot live just to survive. We must live to create, to trust, and to love. We also learned to be grateful for the "departures." We survived the virus. We survived the lies. In the end, what remains standing is what was real from the beginning: the stone of Samos, the juice of the grape, and the truth of Friendship.

Keep yourself safe my friends