Travel restrictions trigger surge in wine pickup/delivery orders

There has been a spate of great articles on how shops can get wine to customers safely during quarantine conditions. Most of them include delivery or curbside pickup. I am unsure if Petey S. and his minions have relaxed the draconian Delaware liquor laws to allow this. Perhaps those industrious store owners and distributors might get aboard and cause this to happen, if they can locate a legislator. Now is probably a good time, while the prohibition folks are off searching for toilet paper, rice and beans.

One of my fav wine gurus is Ms. Jancis Robinson. She has a great palate, writes a fine hand, her reviews are spot-on and she is quick on the uptake whenever new trends develop. On March 22, Ms. Jancis posted a list of 650 merchants who deliver worldwide, divided by countries and in the U.S. by regions: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/wine-retailers-wholl-deliver-self-isolators. If your local store experts become hard to access, this listing may help, but please try to shop locally first.

If you have any favorite Italian or Spanish wines, you may wish to stock up. Call your favorite store for a mixed-case pickup; most have a web page listing. These countries were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 and the supply chains are in disarray, particularly in regions where the better Prosecco and Pinot Grigio arise. Although many say drink these young, they have a couple of years of shelf life. In the U.S., bud break is approaching. To date, my pals in California, Oregon and Washington are in the lurch. Travel restrictions may cause more serious issues than the paucity of labor they have been suffering the past several years. So far there is no panic; rather, those with whom I correspond have adopted a wait-and-see attitude while planning for the season. More news on this in a few weeks.

RRs are aware Grandpa Joe was a Sardinian, so I’m always on the lookout for any product from the isle. Cantina Santadi Shardana Valli di Porto Pino IGT is a name I search because their wine has rated 89-91 since 1999; the 87-point 2001 was the only exception. Therefore, it is a no-brainer recommendation for me. Their best run was 2006-09 and some are still available. Shardana spends a year on oak and a year in the bottle before release. Be sure these were stored by a reputable broker. Great news, they are ready and still under $30. The 2009 is 85 percent Carignan and 15 percent Shiraz. Dark ruby-colored, with black cherry, dried floral, saddle leather, barrel-driven vanilla and black pepper aromas. On the smooth, layered palate, cherry, oak and spices repeat through a clean, long finish. Carignan thrives in warm, dry climates. It is frequently used to blend, as the nearly black skins provide tannins, acidity and color. When blended properly with Syrah to add body, it may also show anise, black fruits, pepper and spice notes.

The Prisoner Pinot Noir NV is pretty durn good. You need to shop this. I’ve seen prices from $40 to $50; at $40ish, it rates 90 McD. It’s named Eternally Silenced. I love their labeling and bottling; this is a completely black punt bottle, hand-dipped in black wax, so the face on its label is partially obscured. The Prisoner buys grapes or juice; they are blenders, and their efforts with blended red wines are generally very good. I do think they are a bit overreaching, with the prices on their very successful products going from great QPR to fair to just OK. That said, a well-made Cali PN under $40 is a good buy for everyday winos like me.

Although I still think there is too much panic, I also think that practicing the precautions recommended will help bring this coronavirus to a quicker control. I have been watching the influenza stats, as well. The CDC claims as of 3/21, incidence dropped from 14.9 to 6.9 percent of those tested. Due to the seasonal aspects of A(H1N1) this dropoff may be an anomaly. It could also indicate that the COVID-19 precautions are working for flu. Anyhow, those interested may go to: www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm. Hidden within this comprehensive overview is the disclaimer that the numbers may be inexact due to many self-treating and not visiting doctors. If you are being good little boys and girls, you should have plenty of time on your hands.