Now, more than ever, we’ve been instructed and encouraged to find pleasure in staying home. Aside from the obvious, there are individual benefits to remaining home for an extended period of time. And, there are ways to make the most of it. In the spirit of counting our blessings, we owe a great deal of gratitude to wine during a time like this. While gluing your face to the screen in order to absorb the news is necessary sometimes, you must also know that moments of relaxation, meditation, and joy are relevant to maintaining your sanity and health.
For us, wine is a deliverance of all three. We’ve been given an opportunity to breathe life into the things we may have once taken for granted. Wine, which is often lazily consumed by anyone who isn’t a sommelier, is something that has so much to offer. Which, by the way, is no crime. Wine is meant to be splashed around and enjoyed with ease if that’s how you choose to experience it. However, if we just pause a moment, we can allow the event of wine drinking to reach its peak potential. We’ve come up with some ways you can get the most out of your wine drinking experience during social distancing.
Learn about your favorite glass
Wine is like an onion. Ok, that was corny. But truly, there are so many complexities to a single glass of wine. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite, which you should absolutely have on standby (and if you don’t, order yourself a case here), and take a moment to smell it, swirl it, and examine the way it sits and absorbs into your taste buds. Research the history, get to know it intimately, and prepare to spill that glorious knowledge at the parties you will surely be throwing once the world has healed.
Set up your own tasting
If you’re a true wine enthusiast, then you love comparing the aromas and tastes of wines. You can take this moment to set up your very own tasting of wines you’ve never tried before. If you are quarantined with others, you can turn it into a nice peaceful celebration amidst the chaos. Go all the way with your tasting by improvising based on what you have/are able to acquire. Break out those fabulous underused wine glasses and savor the moment.
Experiment with pairings
As much as we’d like to act like food pairings with wines follow certain laws, there is certainly room for experimentation. Again, based on what you have access to or what is already in your cabinet, use your knowledge of pairings to play a little with your favorite wines. Cook a fantastic meal for yourself or your family that pairs well with your wine. If you don’t know much about wine and food pairings, now is the perfect time to learn!
Use it to meditate
There is so much time right now to meditate; however, the definition of relaxation or meditation is subjective to the individual. Adding a glass of wine to a relaxing exercise will be a way to take your mind off of the media, and embrace the new normal. You can bring a glass to a delicious bath, take it on a date to a Netflix movie, or sip while writing that novel you’ve always promised yourself you’d finish.
Use it to celebrate
Just because society is on pause, it doesn’t mean that birthdays, anniversaries, or celebrations should be missed at all! Thanks to technology, almost everyone we love is just a phone call or a FaceTime away. Break out that bottle and celebrate being alive. More than that, a delivered case of wine makes for a meaningful gift to anyone who you can’t physically be with.