Stan The Wine Man

What a strange month April has been, perhaps the longest month in my lifetime. Susie said it went by quickly for her. It’s funny how individuals look at and react to the same situation. This Covid-19 pandemic has messed with a lot of lives. I feel fortunate to be working full-time and for one of the best employers on the planet. It’s funny when people thank me for being at the store. I appreciate their kindness and concern, but at the same time, I feel a bit guilty. I’m working and most of them are not. That being said, we have a lot of folks where I live that have a fair amount of discretionary income and are retired. They don’t need to work and can stay home safely without concern. However, we also have a large workforce and many of them have filed for unemployment while they wait for this to play out. I hope things open up soon (carefully of course) and people can get back to somewhat of a normal life. The new normal that is.

I think that wearing a mask all day at work is the hardest part of this. I wear glasses, so they are constantly getting steamed up by my breath and I have a hard time seeing things. I think wearing a mask will be part of the new normal for a while. Shaking hands will also go away until they develop a vaccine for this virus, which could take another year, although they are giving it top priority. It’s all the testing they have to do to make sure it works that takes time. In the meantime, we will all have to keep on with the social distancing (the phrase for 2020) and just use our common sense. I certainly believe they can open things up and we can get on with our lives. For those who are afraid to get out there, stay at home, but please do not make us feel guilty for doing things like fishing, golfing, shopping for clothes and going to restaurants. If you are older, feeble, or have underlying health problems, I suggest you avoid any of the aforementioned activities until there is a vaccine. But hey, it’s your life and you can make your own decisions on what you do. Right? Just be careful.

It’s interesting to observe the alcohol buying habits since this lockdown. Hard alcohol sales have gone through the roof. Wine sales are holding as they always have, no big increases there. However, it’s interesting to note that more expensive wines are being purchased. I think since people are stuck at home, they might as well drink the good stuff. Seriously! It feels like August in my department. Wines that normally move slowly during this time of year (wines over forty bucks) are selling at a brisk pace. Sparkling wine sales are also starting to pick up again as people feel that they may be able to get out there and do some things that they have been denied for the last two months. Celebration time everyone! I read that even in New York, the state that got hit the hardest by Coronavirus is making some moves to open up. We, of course, do not want to see a second outbreak of this virus, but our economy cannot take this complete shut-down much longer. I know that lives are more important, don’t get me wrong. With the proper precautions and a well thought out plan, we can start living the new normal.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man