Typo in title fixed. Victor is correct, there was some wine consumption (although not much) before I posted.
Thanks to all who answered.
Thanks to Alan Weinberg for mentioning the pungo. When I read it, I remembered that I have a coravin! I don’t have any cartridges for it and almost since purchase have reserved it for use on work days with multiple sales calls. I don’t particularly like the device, or the dribble of wine it emits, but I will order cartridges, use it and drink some of the good stuff over a couple of days, guilt-free.
Maine is handling the plague pretty well. We have tourists, fewer than usual, but most observing protocol. Some friends and family will visit later this summer. I am thinking of renting a big tent for the back yard where we can safely entertain (and I can offer guests fine wine). It will feel good to do that.
My consumption - quantity, quality and price - increases quite a bit for the first two months. I took a several weeks break, and now doing single malt scotch on weekends. May keep July dry that way.
Consumption is about the same but we’re not drinking as many high-end bottles as before with the lack of wine dinners. We did have friends over last week for the first time so we opened some better stuff. And my daughter’s birthday was also last week so we popped the corks on some better bottles then as well.
I’d say everything is pretty much the same: boring, I know. One different thing is that I’ve become less tolerant of wine that doesn’t do anything for me, it’s a waste of the glass made to hold the wine, and this will be used for cooking, pronto!
That’s the move for sure. My wife hasn’t been drinking for a while now and I’ve cut back myself (just personal choices) and my Coravin is my best friend. Ideal for this scenario.
Pro-tip. Soak a used Coravin cartridge in acetone overnight so that you can twist off the capsule on top, and then buy generic threaded (make sure they’re threaded) argon capsules and screw on the old Coravin capsule. I’ve been doing that for a few years now and it saves a ton of money.
We had five whites, one red bottle this weekend Friday-Sunday. 3 drinkers, and even Grandpa had some Loire Chenin with lobster tails during lunch yesterday.
This describes us too. At the beginning of the Pandemic, there were several wine Zoom meetings hosted here. It was an excuse to open a nice bottle. Lately, not much wine drinking happening here in the northern NY suburbs. Disclaimer, I opened a '14 MACDONALD on Father’s Day.
I was going to open a Carlisle '12 SLH Rosella’s Syrah a few weeks back, but the Zoom was called off. I think I’ll grab one of my Flannery steaks tonight to pair with that wine. Might as well.
I have given away more bottles than I have consumed. Also drink more bourbon than in prior years. When I open wine, it tends to be a higher end wine. I give away things that need to be drunk, that I am not drinking.
Initially we limited ourselves to daily drinkers, not wanting to open the good stuff without sharing. And consumption increased, maybe out of boredom.
As the isolation wore on, we started opening more good stuff. Life’s short and there’s plenty in the cellar so why not enjoy it now? Consumption dropped back to normal levels as we adapted.
Relatively inexpensive and easy to use, it scavenges oxygen and preserves an opened bottle very well for at least 4-5 days in my experience. Make sure you put it in the bottle right after you pour out a glass. Try it on a few bottles that aren’t too precious to see what you think. I tried the Coravin but it’s useless in my hands for aged bottles because it wreaks havoc with sediment.
I’m heading to my offsite in FL in a few minutes to retrieve some ‘special occasion’ bottles to take back to SC.
My conumption problem has been afternoon quarantinis.
My wife’s consumption is way down so Coravain has been my savior especially with food. So if we grill salmon I will definitely have a glass of Pinot (my favorite wine paring. Spending a great deal on capsules but that is OK.
Consumption has doubled. Fortunately live in a beautiful place with a wonderful climate and a great group of wine loving friends nearby. We get together 2 or 3 times a week in someones driveway or backyard. Everyone brings their own chair and glass. Whoever brings the bottle opens and pours the bottle. The host usually grills and we bring things to share that can be done so easily without cross contamination. Drinking great wines and plenty of them sitting 10 feet apart from each other. No complaints here. We found a way to make it work. I usually open 1 or 2 daily drinkers myself other days which tend to be either a rose or a Merry Edwards SB this time of year
I’ve been bottom-feeding online wine auctions and drinking things like old Cali cab, old Shiraz and a variety of other things with a few friends that I have over for dinner regularly. Consumption hasn’t changed a lot since I had already reduced to dinners with friends or the occasional night when I am in the mood for a drink.
In the early full shutdown months, we were drinking quite a bit more. We have a 12 and 15 year old, and in a normal time we are constantly driving them everywhere, including weeknights. So a bottle or two a night was no problem once we were just staying home every night.
And while we didn’t open our very-best-of-the-best bottles, we tended to be more liberal about opening the wines that occupy the middle and upper-middle class of our collection, without much fuss or worry.
As some of the driving and some activities are gradually returning, we are trending back closer to pre-COVID levels, but still a bit higher I think.
In case you didnt see this above- great way to save some money on cartridges:
Pro-tip. Soak a used Coravin cartridge in acetone overnight so that you can twist off the capsule on top, and then buy generic threaded (make sure they’re threaded) argon cartridges and screw on the old Coravin capsule. I’ve been doing that for a few years now and it saves a ton of money.
I’m drinking much less wine, but far more cocktails. Not sure whether this is good, but I guess overall my alcohol consumption may be down. On the other hand, my wife is drinking a lot more wine. When I do drink wine, I tend to open higher end bottles. Have no idea what this all means.