Somehow we made it through March and are now headed towards the middle of April which means you’re probably talking to inanimate objects and swiftly moving through your wine stash. Now you’re faced with the challenge of figuring out how to safely procure some more without coming in contact with too many humans.
If you’re already making a run to the grocery store and that store sells wine, then that’s obviously a great time to stock up. If you live in a major city, your local wine shop might deliver, or you can check out Drizly which is an aggregate service, delivering products from shops all around you.
It’s also important to make sure your favorite wineries are abiding by good safety procedures, which many are listing on their website. If you’re someone who is brand loyal, it’s good to read up on the precautions they’re taking during this time.
Now, maybe you’re wondering “well, how do I know this was safely bottled?” Vintage years are a great helper in this aspect as they define the year the grapes were harvested. Now, a vintage year only applies if at least 85% of the bottle was harvested in that specific year but for our purposes, it works. If you’re drinking anything from before 2020, you know it was safely bottled without exposure to this virus!
In terms of harvest season, the northern hemisphere works their harvests from August to October and the southern hemisphere from February to April. Being that it is only April now, those harvests in places like Argentina, South Africa, or Australia haven’t made it to market (if they do at all) so they won’t even be available.
To be safe, stick with things that are 2019 and earlier. This is a great time to try out aging your wines and seeing how you enjoy different vintages! Set up your own tasting of multiple bottles of the same varietal and same vintage but from different wineries! Get educational with it – wine tasting counts as a hobby, right?
