Staying at Home…with Wine
These are interesting times to say the least. Our current circumstances in the world can still present opportunities. In the wine industry, many are taking the situation and providing new and unique ways to experience wine. There is easier access to getting wine shipped to your home with very small shipping fees, if any charges at all; and many wineries are opening up their cellars, offering older vintages for sale. The way it is now, it is clearly remarkable and a time to adventure into your own cellar and explore tastings with experts and winemakers.
For example, Turnbull Winery has set up on-line tastings with their winemaker Peter Heitz. He is home-grown in the Napa Valley and one of the most gracious and down to earth folks to speak with. While the first opportunity will have passed with this posting, there will be more. Not just with Turnbull. I have gotten numerous emails and announcements about other on-line events. There is another with the winemaker of Alpha Omega, with AXR, with Pride and so on. The industry is working hard to stay connected, and this is a wonderful time to learn and enjoy this age-old beverage that has been linked to humankind’s heritage since the Roman Empire and before. You should check out the websites of your favorite wineries and see what they are offering. They may be offering video tastings of wine that they will ship you. It could be quite delightful.
What if you want to order a mixture of varietals from different wineries? Where can you go? I have some favorite go-to wine shops that can help:
The Wine Consultant is a great option. Owner Eric Stumpf is an expert on wine and focuses on Old World wines that offer great taste and fine quality. Eric brings in wine from Italy, France, and Spain with a great eye for value; and he’ll be happy to help.
What if my focus is on Napa Valley wines? There is another wine shop owner who I have known for many years who has great relationships in the valley. The store is called Capitol Cellars, and Marcus has a great range of well-structured wines to offer. You can reach him at marcus@capitolcellars.com, and he’ll help you with a wide range of wines.
Another shop that I have had great success in securing excellent wines from is The Grape Tray in Fresno, CA. Stan only ships to the West, yet he has a deep cellar with some great buys to check out. He ships to CA, WA, OR, ID, NM, NV & AZ. You can check out his website, and you will see a great selection. For example, if you enjoy Zinfandel, he has two offerings from Turley that are difficult to find.
It is a special time to order wine on-line and get it sent to your door for low or no cost. Remember that to receive an order at home, you need to be able to sign for the shipment. In our current environment, you need not really sign yet the shipper will need to see you and get your okay for them to sign for you.
Another avenue to explore, since the time is right, is learning more about wine. One of my favorite places to explore wine and the different regions is the Napa Valley Wine Academy. While it is located in the valley, they offer a multitude of classes on line. If you are interested, they offer Wine 101 Foundation, which will provide a great platform to learn and appreciate what is in your glass.
As you can see, there are many avenues while “sheltering in place” that you can explore that will take you many different places without leaving the comfort of your own home.
Stay safe, be well — and Enjoy!