It’s no surprise to anyone that the pandemic has reshaped our world as we know it. I don’t think I had fully realized this on a conscious level though, until last week came around. Winery tours are always a big part of my summer — my family and I would drive around wine country, dog and a picnic in tow, and visit whichever wineries we felt like on a given day. We of course had our tried and true favourites: Kew Estates, Peninsula Ridge, Tawse. But we would always mix in a few new ones on a whim.
This year, the tradition felt quite different. I wanted to plan a wine tour with my best friends and boyfriend, and quickly realized just how different things were. No longer could we peruse down any given driveway after a game of eenie-meenie-miney-mo. The day was planned down to a science: reservations, pre-paid tastings, time slots, and a strict schedule were the name of the game.
I think on some level I knew things would be different this time round, but the contrast to all other summers struck me so viscerally. The spontaneity had given way to scheduling, plans, guidelines. And doesn’t that just sum up the year we’ve been having?
