Thanksgiving is arriving this year with a delayed reaction and needing a little extra wine, don't you think? It is almost like everyone is just waking up from the fog of 2020, looking around and rubbing their eyes. Have we been dreaming for the last 2 years? Like an episode of The Twilight Zone, we try to get back to "normal" only to be haunted by little oddities. Oddities like standing in a pharmacy line for over 2 hours and simply accepting that these are the way things are... "half the staff is out with Covid". Or that the stores no longer carry the products you want, maybe it is toilet paper, maybe it is peanut butter, or most probable it is Frito's corn chips, a staple in Northern New Mexico diets. Most of us have settled into ordering things to be delivered directly to our homes or carried out to our cars. No longer do you need to do your own grocery shopping, as long as you don't mind that substitutions are a reality that doesn't quite make sense; no I do not want a gallon of lactose free milk, but will take 2 half gallons of regular milk you have in stock that equal the 1 gallon I ordered that you are out of. I've never tried to order wine from the grocery store, but I bet those substitutions would be entertaining. Masks are less routine than they were, but still a common sight and during a recent hormonal acne outbreak, a God send for me. One of the funniest oddities I recently encountered was the discussion at my house over seeing a highly anticipated movie. It went something like this...
"OMG (insert movie title here) is finally released!"
"No way! That is 100% what we are doing tonight." (keep in mind we rarely leave the house, especially at night)
"No, it is only in theaters."
"Theaters???"
"I know, weird."
"You are telling me I have to GO to a theater to see this thing? Why isn't it streaming?"
"I don't know. I don't know."
*you should know that we did not see the movie in the theater, but waited until we could stream it.
We used to love going to the movies. Now, it seems like a thing of the past and an unbelievable pain in the a$$. Drive-ins are coming back, something I love! It reminds me of being a kid. And as someone with an autoimmune disease, I love the idea of being in my own space. Not to mention, have you tried to watch a movie around other people? There are significantly different movie watchers... those that actually want to watch (hear) the movie and those that use the movie as a get together to catch up with friends. My point is, go for coffee people, SHUT UP if you are watching a movie! I digress, what was my point?
Ahh yes, things have shifted, but they are close enough to "normal" now that it makes the last 2 years feel like a blur. They did take place though, they did have an impact, and I want to take this opportunity, on Thanksgiving, to be thankful for everything that has happened since the early months of 2020.
The pandemic caused shutdowns for our winery, like everyone, but also ran a course of fear through our quiet little community. In the early days no one knew what to believe so it wasn't that odd, but was deeply offensive, that friends, neighbors in fact, screamed across social media that we were inviting bus loads of out of state people to our business. Meanwhile we were diligently washing bags of chips and sanitizing outdoor tables, had pick-up only sales and turned everything into a virtual reality. What was amazing, was all the other people that saw the lengths we went to to support our staff and protect our customers. The number of people that made sure to order wine for themselves and friends, it kept us going while many other businesses closed permanently. It was incredible to see the sense of support and love for our families and the winery. It was truly heartwarming to feel so much love come our way.The strange pandemic time also forced us to find ways to engage with people in brand new ways! Thinking outside the box was maybe one of the best gifts we can be thankful for.
Turning to virtual ways of communicating was a challenge. Zoom became an integral part of every day, but also allowed for us to do tastings all across the country and even around the world! How had we never had the idea of connecting with people in this way? It seemed so barbaric that pre-pandemic, someone had to physically come see us or attend an event in order to learn about us. Now I was giving wine lectures to the UK Circle of Writers with members in Hong Kong and throughout Europe. Mini videos assisted people on our website and East Coast American Wine Society Chapters held virtual tastings with members nestled privately in their homes, samples sent to their doors, to learn about a little winery in the desert of the Southwest. Now I can't imagine not having this vital business tool of virtual meetings! I am so grateful for the reach we have gained by this forceful hand. It is a new normal making a big difference.
We have also won so many incredible awards for our wines over the last 2 years! Gold medals in Germany, Italy, coast to coast across the USA and reviews that make my winemakers blush. Yes, I hand carried these wines to competitions around the world, and yes I did do this during a global pandemic while having an autoimmune disease, but I have to say, it was maybe the very best way to see these places, especially in the beginning. The high alert made everything cleaner, have less people and become more beautiful. My family and I traveled to the deep south of Mexico in 2020 with such great success that I returned to competitions across Europe at the beginning of 2021. I found the beauty of exploring cities, with negative PCR tests in hand in order to enter museums, restaurants and shops even with vaccine proof and wearing a mask, an asset. Having a seat between myself and my neighbor at the Opera was lovely! Having the time to linger longer in front of your favorite painting without being edged out has its perks and having everyone wash their hands religiously was fantastic, I went years without a cold! I also loved how patios expanded and heaters were put up, something we did at our own Tasting Room as well and absolutely love. Not sure why we didn't make those changes sooner.
I personally was also afforded amazing opportunities to work on great projects like being a contributor and part of the Editorial Board for The New Normal in the Wine Business e-book. We exceeded the TEN THOUSAND VISITORS LIMIT on the site! 45% of readers were from the USA, 17% from the Czech Republic followed by France ( 7,0%), China and India (5,5% each), Great Britain and Germany (4,8% each), followed by Macedonia, Canada, Russia, and Brazil. I published pieces in Sommelier Magazine, Edible and wrote as a guest on several blogs as well as my own. I added prestigious International Wine Competitions such as Berliner Wein Trophy, Mondial des Vins Blanc, and Mondial des Vins Extremes to my resume. I hosted a New Mexico tasting experience for dignitaries at the American Consul-General's home in Strasbourg, France and had extraordinary reviews of my Master Wine Classes I've taught (in the company of Kevin Zraly and Robert Mondavi Jr). Of course all of these personal wins are wins for Vivac Winery and NM Wine in general. I am always honored to represent my family and our friends in the industry.
There have been so many ups and downs, with family, with friends and of course with Covid, but wouldn't you agree that this Thanksgiving we can look back over the last 2 years and see a truly transformative trajectory that has brought us to today? It feels good expecting less yet feeling happier, needing less to feel fulfilled, and rejoicing in the little things. Once again we focus on the simple joy of sharing great food and fabulous wine with those you love. Or if you are on your own for the holidays, enjoying great food ordered to go with a movie you can stream from your warm, comfy sofa, and a bottle of wine from your favorite winery (hint hint) that you get to have all to yourself. Let's all raise a glass, no matter where you find yourself this holiday, waking up from a pandemic blur to find our glasses brimming with goodness.
Written by Michele Padberg, co-owner of Vivac Winery. If you enjoy this blog, check out her personal blog at Wine First Adventures
