Wine in the Time of Corona

It was inevitable: non-essential areas of gathering, including bars, restaurants, and coffee shops would all start shutting down. So where will I get my wine? 

For this blog post, I decided to make a compilation of my research on drinking while staying in. 

1) Grocery-as-usual: This is still an option. Although specialty stores like K&L might close, grocery stores will likely be open and their wine shelves are probably the fullest right now. Where? Your favorite local grocery store. 

2) Bottles you love delivered: If you're self-quarantining / isolating, and know what you want to drink, getting your bottles delivered directly to your home seems like a great option. Here, there are a few options:

1. Alcohol retailer: Wine.com, Totalwine.com, Bevmo's website, etc.
2. Third-party delivery services: Postmates, Instacart, Grubhub, etc.
3. Wine club: If you know you enjoy a winery's wines, maybe now is a good time to join their wine club.
4. Winc.com: They will make a selection for you after asking you a few questions about your preferences for coffee and other flavors. A little more adventurous, but you'll still see which bottles they send you before you order.

3) A whole case delivered: If you plan to drink a lot, cheaply, and don't mind which wines, WSJ's wine club has a great deal  where you can buy a case (+2 bonus bottles) for just $69.99. You won't get to choose which wines you'll get, beyond red or white, but it's definitely a great deal for the price. 

4) By the glass wine delivered: If you're like me and self-isolating alone, bottles of wine may not make perfect sense, but by the glass wines do.

1. Vinebox: This is perhaps the most exciting as you get 9 glasses of different wines in a box. The only negative is that the price is pretty steep, but maybe @Olga has a special discount for her classmates?
2. Maker Wine: For those who enjoyed the Maker Wines we had in class and want to order two bottles worth without having to drink a bottle at once, joining the can club may be right for you. I would still recommend drinking them from a glass so the olfactory senses are not lost. 

5) Maybe try drinking other beverages? Besides wine, there are plenty of beverages that are tasty and easy to make at home. Here are just three of my favorite:

1. Pour over coffee: Enjoy a nice brew without spending thousands of dollars on an espresso machine. I enjoy making pour overs because there are so many factors at play, the beans, the ground, the ratio of coffee to water, the temperature of the water, the pour itself, etc. Blue Bottle has a special introductory program where you get 6 coffee bags delivered to you over 3 months and it includes a pour over kit. Use this code for an extra $10 off!  
2. Tea: Enjoy a nice cup of tea with your reading during the day. In times like this, I'm a big fan of turmeric tea. There are plenty of recipes online, but don't forget to add some black pepper to the mix. 

I hope this is helpful to you! 

Santé :)