Wine is a living thing . It is made , not only of grapes and yeasts , but of skill and patience . When drinking it remember that to the making of that wine has gone , not only the labor and care of years , but the experience of centuries .
~ allan sichel
It is hard to imagine that we will be capable of separating reflections of Virginia ’ s 2020 wine vintage from the diverse , disruptive , and frightening global events of the year . While COVID has not and will not change the way we grow or make wine , it has changed nearly everything else about the wine business , in a way that might not last forever , but will surely echo into the coming years . What will this year ’ s wines remind us of ?
There have been some silver linings in a year which has included so much sickness and uncertainty . We ’ ve seen a heightened mindfulness of the value and benefits of small business , local employers , and the cyclical nature of local industry . The call to arms surrounding small restaurants during the early days of the CO- VID shutdown was a great beacon of hope , as was the increase in CSAs and purchases from small farms , the reevaluation of regional food supply , and the explosion of the new “ curbside pickup ” from businesses that nobody would argue are essential to survival , but that most people would argue are businesses we desire to be surrounded by , and that enrich our community .
It may be naïve to believe that this perspective will outlast the virus itself , but I am hopeful that the disruption to the economy will remind us of the truly profound benefits to keeping money circulating locally , the impact that a dollar spent on a business that employs the community , that pays taxes in the community , and that improves the community can have . The wallet has always been a powerful way of voting .
Loudoun County is a beautiful place . In a fertile valley surrounded by rocky , well-drained
24 wander I fall • winter 2020