7/28/2019 Magic Potion to Be Discovered at Cotnari - Marius Ianus

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Magic potion to be discovered at Cotnari

Autor: Marius Ianus Data: 03-03-2000

(story to be published in tomorrow's issue, March 6)

In Cotnari, the Romanian wine capital, a settlement that seems to have fallen from the

skies (located at 33 km to Iasi, between seven beautiful hills, with no connection to the

railways), Emanuel Hutaru, a secluded intellectual, is trying to obtain, by means of

complicated alchemy procedures, the potion for an ageless life. To succeed, he is using a

mixture of antique, ritual methods and the most recent discoveries of science - a fully

equipped computer that supervises everything: inclination of vineyard, temperature of

air and soil, humidity, dew point. Professor Emanuel Hutaru has rallied a few men that

are fully aware of the importance of the mission they have to fulfill. The grapevine they

are tending must produce the potion. They hope for the best but things will not run as

smoothly as they should. In this world, intensively connected to a primordial, archetypalworld, things always turn to myth... Sometimes, things that are expected do not occur

or, if they do, perhaps they are not the right ones. In addition, an explosion will also

occur, which will completely change the course of events. I have not lost my mind, not as

much as to make prophecies. These facts are not based on reality, but on events

narrated by Mihail Galatanu in his next book - "The potion", which is part of a

"mythical" trilogy, along with "The bell makers" and "The bodiless bride" ( a

forthcoming book that is to be published by PRO Publishing House). Mihail Galatanu

researched his book "The potion" right in the middle of Cotnari Vineyard. He arrived

there hitchhiking and was hosted by wine specialist Minciuna. He accompanied him

through ancient cellars, among wine casks - some of them were owned by King atefan

cel Mare, and showed him various old, legendary sorts of wine. But this was not thetime when the writer got a special passion for wines. He had already been in a few

"hunts" for rare sorts of wine and he is an expert in this field himself. His friends are

familiar with his fondness for Grasa de Cotnari, his favourite wine, four or five bottles

an evening are Galatanu limit. The writer knows lots of stories related to wine, the

liquor being the main character in all of them. For instance, while he descended in a

wine cellar in Budapest accompanied by a woman - one of the Gallimard publishers

who was in charge with the issue of a wine dictionary, he was surprised to see the cellar

owner displeased. His female companion apologised and thanked for being allowed to

enter the cellar. It is then that Mihail found out traditions related to preservation of

wines do not allow the descent of women in the cellars. They say women have a negative

energy, opposite to the solar power of wine and they may pollute the wine. Excerpts ofthese stories are presented in Galatanu's latest book. It cannot be overlooked that

Mihail Galatanu made his debut as a poet and he still writes valuable poems. A

miraculous wave of poetry floats above his works. Galatanu's latest novel promises to

be another inebriation of human senses.