I remember watching the London fireworks on television last New Year’s Eve. They were spectacular to watch, but where there would usually be throngs of spectators, the streets remained incongruously empty. Social distancing was still in force. It reminded me of my year’s wine drinking up to that point: some dazzling bottles, but often enjoyed without company – or via a screen.
As 2022 began, the Covid-19 pandemic gradually relaxed its grip and many of us hurried back to everyday life. The usual whirlwind of events and tastings that had stalled two years earlier started up once again. And we were as keen to taste winemakers’ wares as they were to pour them. After two years of limitation and loss, many of us were living for the moment.
