Lockdown Drinking and COVID Kilos: A French Perspective
Post by Guest Contributor: Wendy Narby, Author of “The Drinking Woman's Diet"
Here in the European wine community, we have all been adapting and coping to the COVID-era lockdown in our own ways, including managing our drinking habits. Or doing our best to.
As a social drinker I have found myself drinking less with no tastings or dinners to go to. Zoom drinks with friends and online tastings have “helped”; at least I don't feel as if I'm drinking alone.
The flurry of online tastings were fun at first, but the novelty has worn off a bit so I'm now being more selective. 67 Pall Mall in London has an amazing range of tastings, I have laughed through The Wine Show at Home with Joe Fattorini, tasting and interviewing from his spare room, and enjoyed the zoom tastings with Delectabulles Champagne Club. All are worth checking out.
Between the endless array of wine entertainment on offer online, and working from home keeping us in close proximity to the wine-fridge loneliness, it can be all too easy to reach across the room for a bottle while feeling some mixture of boredom, general anxiety and stress.
With WFH the “new norm,” and less structured days meaning wine can always be within reach, how do we stay mindful of what and when we are drinking?
Here are five tips I have found helpful over the last few months.
Less is More
The philosophy behind my book, 'The Drinking Woman's Diet' is “less but better.” Now is a good time to put this into practice. Upgrade your wine selection, since drinking at home is more affordable than drinking out. When we drink something wonderful, or something new, we tend to pay more attention and, in doing so, drink more slowly. Drinking more slowly tends to mean we will be less inclined to reach for the packet of chips too.
Postpone the Start Time
A way of drinking less but better is to postpone your start time; starting later is easier than stopping when you are on a roll. Having a glass of water first can help hydrate (which alleviates hangover conditions) and quench your thirst, so that first drink doesn’t slip down without touching the sides. This is also a useful tool for eating less with wine, since we often mistake hunger for thirst. We should all be drinking around two litres of water a day. Just saying.
Find Alternatives
Replace your first drink with something non-alcoholic . My new lockdown skill is kombucha brewing and I often kick-start my evening with a glass, or have a cup of tea. (I know. It’s an English thing.)
Sweat It Out
Schedule a workout or go for a walk. You’ll be fitter and drink less. I usually try to walk around 5pm for this very reason, pushing back 'apero' hour and I'm rarely in the mood for more than a drink of water when I get back. After exercise, you’ll be more likely to reach for something refreshing and hydrating – like water or coconut water—rather than something dehydrating, like alcohol.
Make Time for Self-Care
Breathe. This slows down your heart rate, relaxes you, and gives you time to think and to hang on for another ten minutes. Another ide ais to clean your teeth; carry mints or breath strips. A minty mouth cuts the craving for just about everything alcoholic and wine in particular. Finally, take a bath. If you are reaching for a glass to relax, skip the glass and take a bath. Throw in some Epsom salts and detox at the same time.
For those times when you really do want to open a great bottle but not drink it all, a classy option is the ETO decanter. Its very clever plunger seal means I can decant something fabulous, enjoy a glass poured from the elegant, rose gold decanter and keep the rest safe until the next day or later. Or seek out wine in half bottles. The Little Fine Wine Company in London, run by Master of Wine Victoria Stephens Clark has a terrific selection of wine in half bottles. It’s my go-to when in town.
During these most challenging of times, we need to pay attention to our drinking habits. Let's upgrade our wine selections in moderation, become more adventurous and support the producers and distributors who have been keeping us entertained with online education and information while we've been stuck at home.
Maybe we can come out of the crisis with an expanded wine experience, not an expanded waistline.
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Wendy Narby is a Bordeaux wine professional with more than 22 years experience as a senior lecturer and wine tutor. She is the author of “Bordeaux Bootcamp: The Insider Tasting Guide to Bordeaux Basics”, and “The Drinking Woman's Diet - A Liver Friendly Lifestyle Guide.” She shares her thoughts on Bordeaux, wine tourism and wine and wellness on her blog insidertasting.com/blog and other publications.
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
How Kindness can Get Lost in Communication – Mindful Magazine.com
Founding Editor Barry Boyce muses on the messiness of communicating, and how finding the deeper meanings of words may require some inner searching.
When Wine Pros Lose Smell and Taste to COVID-19 – Hannah Wallace for SevenFiftyDaily.com
After being temporarily robbed of career-essential senses, sommeliers and wine journalists reflect on how the experience changed them
The Pandemic Has Remade Friendship – Eva Hagberg for The Atlantic.com
Every relationship is long-distance now—and that’s a good thing
These 3 Tips for Better Zoom Meetings Are So Simple They Were Inspired by First Graders – Jason Aten for Inc.com
If all video meetings were more like this, work would be a lot more productive--and fun
Surging demand for low- and no-alcohol wines – Meininger’s Wine Business International.com
Lockdowns have seen consumers grapple with their relationship to alcohol. Many of them are choosing no-alcohol products instead. James Lawrence looks at the rise of alcohol-free sparkling wine.
Meet the Community!
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Photo Credit: Frances Andrijich
Rob and Genevieve Mann, Winemakers, Directors and Owners, Corymbia Wines, Swan Valley (AUS)
Years In the Industry:
Rob and Genevieve Mann have more than 40 years of winemaking experience between them. Rob grew up in the Swan Valley, Western Australia, riding the tractor with his legendary winemaker grandfather, Jack Mann, while Gen studied and worked as a winemaker in South Africa, France, California and South Australia prior to moving to Margaret River in 2007 as winemaker for Howard Park.
Moving to South Australia in the early 2000s, Rob worked in McLaren Vale as Senior Winemaker at Hardys Tintara before being recruited to lead the winemaking for Cape Mentelle, then tapped to head up LVMH's Napa estate, Newton Vineyard. The couple returned to the Swan Valley, Western Australia to establish Corymbia Wines, and today farm Chenin Blanc, Tempranillo in Swan valley and Cabernet Sauvignon in Margaret River.
Our Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
Switching off! Taking time out for ourselves without the kids (bless them but everyone needs a break sometimes) and no work pillow talk! Reflection is also key which we’re not particularly good at. Our biggest challenge is reminding ourselves how far we’ve come and taking stock of what we’ve achieved.
It’s only when we’re asked by an industry colleague for a summary of your bio, work achievements to date and wine accolades that we really sit back and think “wow”! After 15 years of searching for the perfect marriage of place and variety (Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon), we finally took custodianship of our Calgardup Vineyard in Margaret River.
This is just the beginning of our journey as sixth-generation West Australian grape growers and winemakers. With the constant desire to make improvements to the way we farm our Cabernet vineyard and with fallow ground to plant more vineyard next year; it’s a constant challenge to stop, take a breath and reflect more often!
How We Keep It Together To Stay Well:
In this area, we are a little different in our approaches. Within a family business, where the office is in your own home and the vineyard right out the front door, we find it’s important to separate work from general farm life.
Rob enjoys tinkering in the garden with the boys, growing delicious, fresh and juicy vegetables. He comes from a family of hunters and gatherers with a true respect for the land and what nature provides. The occasional rabbit or kangaroo hunt, along with the vegetable garden, provides for the family table (think rabbit rillette, bbq kangaroo fillets, roasted vegetables in the pizza oven) but more importantly allows Rob to connect with nature and relax at the end of a hard day’s work.
Gen loves the water. With the Indian Ocean right on the doorstep of our home and Calgardup vineyard, Gen loves nothing more than a long ocean swim or a couple of kilometres smashed out in the local pool. Swimming is her meditation as it’s all in the breath. Controlling your breath whilst swimming is crucial to overcoming a challenging set in the pool or a few set waves crashing over your head at the beach. Gen swims with an amazing group of women; Swimming Women (@swimmingwomen) who provide lots of laughs and most importantly camaraderie and encouragement regardless of age or ability.
We then come together as a family to stay well. With our two young boys we love fishing, surfing, bush walking and camping. Nothing beats the opportunity to centre oneself in nature and see things from the eyes of your kids.
You can connect with Rob and Gen Mann on Instagram @corymbiawine Facebook: Corymbia and online at www.corymbiawine.com.au
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