Wine in the Time of Pandemic

• Posted on 24 March 2020
• Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, pinot noir, Virginia
• 0

The Governor declared on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, that beer, wine and liquor stores are considered essential and will be allowed to remain open for normal business hours. For the moment, we are planning to stay open normal business hours. As we move though this next month, the number of hours open may be adjusted as necessary. At City Vino, we appreciate all your support and are committed to meeting your wine needs safely, by providing curb-side pick-up; shipping; and delivery, where possible.

We believe wine fosters conversation, exploration (What is that aroma or flavor?), relaxation, enjoyment, and community. (Even if community is less than 10 people together, and we have to all social distance, we still need each other.)

How can City Vino serve you in this crazy pandemic time? There are several choices available to you. One option is to shop our wine list online at City Vino, and either order online, or phone us with your order. At the time of your order, you can decide whether you want to pick the wine up curb-side, have it delivered (where possible—see website or Facebook for details), have it shipped to your door, or have us hold your order for you for future pick up. 

A second option is to set a budget and let us pick a wine or two or twelve, for you. City Vino is initiating a featured wine incentive discount this week along, with our standard case discount. The way the featured wine discount works is that if you order three bottles of wine, for which at least one of the bottles is a featured wine, you will get a 5 percent discount on your wine order. Check out this week’s featured wine on the City Vino’s home page. Keep tabs on Facebook for other special packages. City Vino has a 10 percent off a case discount. A case is 12 bottles, of which we encourage a mix of wines. Call or email and the City Vino staff will hand craft a case with you, to fit your budget and taste preferences. We have stocked many of the basics: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio, to name a few. Then you can choose how to receive your wine—pick-up, delivery, or have it shipped.  

The third option is a bit of home entertainment. Blind wine tasting! These are wine bottles wrapped in paper and placed in a paper bag labeled either white or red. In the bag you get a tasting sheet with a lexicon of descriptors and two other envelopes with hints. You get to guess what the wine is! At the end there is a technical sheet from the winery, which will reveal what the wine is, and you get to discover how close you were. When you call ask to have a bag included in your order. Another option is to buy a gift card now, for yourself or for a wine lover that you know. We would be happy to mail the card to you or have it available for curb-side pickup.

A fifth option is to join our Wine Cru club. The Club is a monthly subscription that runs $50 per month plus tax and provides you with one or two bottles of wine that are not usually available locally. The wines are usually small-production wines, so they’re harder to find. They are accompanied by information sheets describing each wine and the region it is from, and they come with food and recipe suggestions to pair with each wine. The Club can be cancelled at any time prior to the Wednesday before the second Saturday of the month.

Staying at home these next weeks will mean more dinners around the dining room table with conversations and, yes, you guessed it—wine! We are here to help facilitate more of those meals now, and into the future.

Thank you for allowing us to be your local wine shop. We appreciate all your support and love.