Stop the presses. WSET classes have been postponed. We can’t get to tasting sessions. SOS. I know how you feel. Gone are the days of casually chatting about the versatility of chenin blanc over a few glasses. All is not lost. The lack of social contact doesn’t mean that all wine study is out the door. Work permitting, my wine studies have jumped in importance. Maybe yours have too?
Having something to turn to for comfort amidst a global pandemic feels like a lifeline. Having something that is a reminder of how things used to be, and how things will be in the not too distant future (fingers crossed), is, to put it simply, nice. Studying wine is my constant. Studying wine is my reminder that life is not all Corona, all the time. Before I get too deep and meaningful, let’s jump into my brief tips for continuing wine studies in the time of Corona.
Daily Goals.
Now is not the time to be hard on ourselves. There is no point setting any major, unattainable goals. As we all know, that will only lead to disappointment and perhaps self-loathing (I’ll raise my hand to that one). As an alternative, why don’t we go ahead and break things down to the day by day? What if Monday becomes red night and Tuesday looks at a region? A little suggested outline is below:
- Monday: Reds
- Tuesday: Italian regions
- Wednesday: Dry whites
- Thursday: Sparkling
- Friday: Recap
It’s OK if you miss a day.
Be kind. You are learning for fun! Try to keep things that way. By taking off heavy expectations, you should be able to maintain a positive outlook. Also, we don’t know how long the world will be like this. It could be healthy to pace your studies. Day by day, you’ll get there.
See study as a gift, self-care.
Taking the time to do something that so easily satisfies you in a genuinely way is rare. It takes self-awareness. Good on you for giving it a go! These precious moments of alone time are something to be treasured. You have yourself a little luxury here, enjoy it!
Break it up – AM + PM.
Why not go for morning goals and then afternoon goals? Breaking your quarantine time up into little chunks can make the day feel more balanced. What if you study one topic in the morning and then go over what you covered again in the afternoon? Nothing like a little bit of revision to make sure the content sinks in.
Get involved in the online community.
There are so many online wine communities out there. Instagram is a great place to introduce yourself. One thing that got me on my merry way was initially over-following. That way, I was able to figure out who I was keen on and who I could live without. I cannot recommend Natural Disasters and Wine Folly enough. Although they both stem from the US, they each have very different approaches to the world of wine and in combination, each picks up where the other misses.
Have a glass of wine.
Do it.
Feel free to shout out with any thoughts or questions. Or heck, feel free to hit me up if you want to run through a few topics, or tastings together. I’m around and y’all know I’ll always have wine x
Magical Moments. 