EDITORIAL: How many of you are left in wine country as non-believers in the power of masks?

What my friend just said from Italy, because Italy’s numbers are WAY down I wanted to know. And, if all goes well, I’m scheduled for a wine trip to Venice, Piedmont, and Spain in November:

…we were the first western country to seriously publish and declare data about covid and fight seriously against it. We were literally closed like in jails for more than 2 months of lockdown and a lot of medical and social measures were taken on it. Now I think it is really the time for us to breathe and come out of the problem. A lot of measures are still on like masks in closed locations or social distancing etc. But at the same time, there is a lot of discussion on “how much ” the virus is still alive. More and more doctors are declaring that for many reasons here the disease is under control and I am of that opinion since I believe that there is no “zero virus” world, but it is the effective way you can react (public health, medicines, etc) and now we can do it.

Moreover many regions in Italy really had few cases and the ability to stuck it immediately. Anyway, the present situation just to give a comparison with your country is that this week we have around 200 people per day that got the disease and around 15 loss per day covid related. Compared to USA population is like if you had 1400 disease per day and a 100loss. If you think of your actual data about covid these days 65000 and around a thousand loss you have clearly in mind how much the situation in your country is not under control and here it is. But I repeat we were jailed in our houses for months and the economic disaster here as no previous comparison in history. Anyway sea, sun, nature powers up your antibodies so I am of the opinion that more we stay out, swim, run, bike the more we keep healthy.”

I haven’t had writers’ block, unless you call being tired of typing more words as some kind of block. I’ve been writing this thing since 2005, and how many ways can anyone explain Chardonnay? With my total verbiage, I’d say enough for educational purposes, unless I’m advocating for a brand, I’ve written 10 books. I put a lot of recent writing on hold, so I could find my words.

I almost need to be shocked into something new. Covid in wine country certainly has done that. I’m on edge for… will that trip to Venice, Piedmont, and Spain in November be a-oaky?

I love that Wine Business’ Cyril Penn described me in the early blogging days as a muse. I’m so not traditional, and he’s known me since I began my wine career. That’s about as true as anyone could claim. Other’s say I’m everywhere and nowhere; and, they’re right. Jack of all trades, master of none, equals my claim to fame; albeit as minuscule as it is, it’s still a bit of wine history.

So, here’s the deal – wear your masks, wine country… even if you’re just coming to it, not just living and working in it.

I could have written another 1,500 words, but a picture is worth 1,000, so I expedited it.

Thank you to Wine Business for listing this blog for the day.