The past couple of weeks have resulted in tragedy and loss for people – of precious lives, and livliehoods of those who work in the food and beverage industry.
Some questions that might be going through your mind might be:
- How do I support the wine industry?
- What are local wineries doing to cope with closed tasting rooms?
- What can I do to keep my wine knowledge up?
One of the ways to support your local wine community is to see what’s available with wineries that are part of your wine 
county association. San Diego County Wineries is keeping COVID-19 safe distancing practices by offering pick up and delivery information while tasting rooms are closed.
Some local restaurants are also offering beverages along with your pick up and go order, so check that out too!
Besides picking up wine from your local winery, you can also go online to order
directly from non-local wineries and have them ship it to you. Many of these wineries are currently offering discounts on cases. You might also consider joining their wine club as another option. For example, I just got an email from Barbieri Wines for $5 shipping on three bottles or more.
While you are housebound, you can learn about new wines online from various web sites and apps. For example, Wine Searcher is a one place to start, to learn about the wine, ratings, and prices. There are other many wine apps for free, or for a small fee that’s that will also give you information about wine you are looking for and how to purchase it online. There are many apps, and some of them are: Delectable, Decanter, Cellar Tracker, and Vivino.
As a way of keeping up on your winetertainment and knowledge, you can check out The Wine Show . In the first series, you are taken to the picturesque Italian countryside on the Lazio/Umbria border where actors Matthew Rhys and Matthew Goode, entertain you as they are tasked with finding wines that represent Italy to present to Joe Fattorini, wine expert. Joe Fattorini and Emelia Singer, both wine experts travel the globe in search of wines, and are also joined by a chef, and guest appearances with Jancis Robinson, wine critic. A fun feature of every show is the presentation of the various wine gadgets. This show is available on Amazon Prime, and Hulu, and there are also some YouTube programs.
You can also check out online wine books and audiobooks from your local library. You can also read online magazines at Flipster, courtesy of your library as well. If you are a podcast listener, you will find many available when you do an online search.
All the best to you and yours, stay safe and healthy during this time. Please support our local wine industry and enjoy expanding your wine knowledge at home.
