Traveling Courtesy of the Wine Cellar

Yesterday was the first day in a while that I felt...kinda...good? Obviously I’m in the extremely privileged position of having a job that I can do from home, and no kids to worry about, and no family members who’ve been struck ill. But maybe it was the sun shining. Maybe it was just being a little more active around the house. (I vacuumed! By choice!) I bet for sure that little walk I did at lunch, at a responsible social distance level, helped a lot. Also, as my second week working from home comes to a close, I'm getting a better grip on how to do it. This same time last week, I sat down to write this newsletter, and it felt like a dumb and vapid thing to be doing while we’re in the midst of a pandemic. But now I'm looking for whatever good I can find.

This week’s good came in large part from a fun virtual cocktail hour I did with some friends. Thank you, WhatsApp! It was with some of the friends I made on my trip to the south of France and Tuscany back in July 2018. So in their honor, I dug a bottle of 2017 Casa Emma Cortine out of the wine cellar.

Casa Emma was the last of three wineries we visited on our day out tasting in Tuscany. The wine is still stunning and fragrant, with golden apple and light leafy green on the palate. Not only was I remembering a sunny day in Italy from a couple years ago, I was enjoying it in the (sort of) company of my friends. That’s what I love about wine: it’s a particular time and place, captured in a bottle, never exactly the same again. 

Also if you want to have a little virtual fun and support local wineries (from a responsible distance of course), join in Open That Local Wine night! Get some local wine and post what you’re drinking on social media. Most small wineries are still open for pickup or shipping, not for tasting obviously, and they still need our support to pay their staff and keep the vines alive. If you do join in, let me know what you’re drinking!