‘Everyone Is Buying in Bulk’: These Are the Go-To Wine Bottles in Quarantine, According to 3 Woman-Owned Shops
When week two of quarantine began, I was no longer interested in my usual wine rotation. My “at home” wines had been for cozy nights at home, which wasn’t exactly how I felt in isolation. Sure, I was physically cozy at home, but my mind was all over the place—I was desperate to find a more uplifting bottle to open between my last Zoom of the day and dinnertime.
My boyfriend and I moved in together in late December, and we were looking forward to a summer filled with meals at new places and hosting friends at our apartment. Instead, we found ourselves buying bottles of wine from neighborhood restaurants that were looking to clean out their inventory before closing.
Maybe because I was looking for an added distraction, I began going down the rabbit hole of each bottle. Where did it come from? Who was the producer? Were they on Instagram? I wanted to know more, and it was easy to scroll endlessly through beautiful vineyards hitting golden hour for answers. Soon, I found myself liking photos from Italy’s Valentina Passalacqua winery, listening to wine podcasts such as Helen Johannsen’s Wine Face, reading wine club reviews, and following natural wine distributors like Jenny Lefcourt.
I realized that trying a new wine has the ability to transport you to another place for the rest of the evening, and I quickly decided this type of mini-vacation would become my quarantine activity. I’m not alone: According to Nielsen’s consumer report, online alcohol sales have increased 387 percent, with wine sales increasing 36.5 percent by mid-April. But what’s everyone drinking? We asked Helen Johannesen of Helen’s Wines in Los Angeles, Daryl Nuhn of People’s NYC in the Lower East Side, and Lily Peachin of Dandelion Wines in Brooklyn to share some of their quarantine wine insights, as well as bottles they’re currently drinking to escape the pandemic.
Helen Johannesen, Helen’s Wines
“Orange wines, skin to skin contact wines, darker colored roses, and reds you can chill. Skin contact wine has taken on a whole new renaissance. Word travels a lot faster in quarantine, in a weird way. People are posting more and documenting more, and looking to create an experience. There’s something about the restrictions of these times that have created a craving for adventure.”
Currently drinking: When balling out, Claude Courtois, Vin de France, Loire 2015. For skin to skin, Viteadovest, Rina, Terre Sicilia Grillo 2017. For a dope ass rose, Valentina Passalacqua Rosa Terra, Puglia 2018, and for a darker rose Fabien Jouves, A Table!!!, Malbec 2019.
How to order: Helen’s Wines is currently accepting orders via their website. Pick-up and delivery is available in Los Angeles, shipping available nationwide.
Daryl Nuhn, Peoples NYC
“We currently don’t have an e-commerce website. We talk to every single customer, either by phone, e-mail, or text. People are so sweet when writing the styles of wine they want. Someone the other day wrote, “I just want a wine where I can sit on my fire escape and read my book and not feel alone!” which I understand! A lot of people want orange wines and light reds. People are either looking for comfort or the total opposite, something that’s so outside of what they typically try.”
Currently drinking: A wine by Cantina Giardino, called Paski. It’s one of their orange wines. This one tastes so sunkissed, it's a little salty. It feels like the grape took a nap in the sun. Also a Sauvigon Blanc by Miles Garrett from California. His wines are really fun, and they feel like California. I like when wines taste like the place where they're from.
How to order: Peoples is currently accepting orders via request form only on their website. Pick-up and delivery available in New York City, shipping available nationwide.
Lily Peachin, Dandelion Wines
“Trendy wines are still trending. The orange wines, the pet-nats, but everyone is buying in bulk. It’s hard to think about stuff right now, so we’re trying to make it easy for people and have started curating 6-packs of wine. Our most popular 6-pack was the ‘Staying Alive Pack.’ This pack was designed to be affordable and all proceeds from the pack went back to the Restaurant Workers’ Relief Fund. When we released this, the response was so great—everyone just wanted to help. Of course everyone is drinking more, but New Yorkers just want to help and give back, anyway they can.”
Currently drinking: I tend to gravitate now, more than ever, towards things that are easy. Things that are lighter, things that are chillable. I get bummed out when there’s not something cold in the fridge to open.
How to order: Dandelion is currently accepting orders via their website. Pick-up and delivery available in New York City, shipping available nationwide.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
