To write about wine as our nation continues to struggle through this seemingly never-ending moment has created some discomfort, a sentiment that's been expressed here before. Contemplating wine is a luxury of epic proportions in the most joyful of times, so writing about wine this past years has often felt inappropriate. And to provide direction on how to plunder distressed inventories for pennies on the dollar feels like a jerk move without first expressing some genuine sensitivity to what's happening to many of our neighbors.
But if you're reading this, it's because you've come here not for even more bombardment of politics and strife, but imbibing inspiration. Among the most newsworthy impacts of this pandemic is the chance to buy very good wine at unusually good prices. However, there is no getting around the fact that this opportunity comes at the expense of others or, at a minimum, is a byproduct of others' desperation. For this reason, part 1 of this article needs to be an acknowledgement of this and of them.
You'd have to have been living under a rock not to already know that this pandemic has wrought all sorts of damage across entire industries, upending businesses, families' stability, and more. Unlike prior recessions, however, this one has cut its path along stark lines. There are those who have been impacted most bluntly: anyone dependent on restaurants, bars, theaters, hotels, travel...the list goes on for miles. And then there are those whose livelihoods have marched on - certainly differently than before, but marched on nonetheless.
Part 2 will turn to the extraordinary luxury of how to score discounted wine at a moment like this. But for now, if you are among the fortunate who have retained some stability (or even benefitted) during this time, a request: rather than buying that next case of wine, consider instead providing direct aid to a neighbor or cause in need. The wine you drink after being a force for good in your community will taste infinitesimally better. That's a promise.
