Wine in a Time of Lockdown

Our wine rack was pretty full two months ago. Not fine-bordeaux-aging-in-the-cellar full. No, more like buy-one-get-one-free-at-the-supermarket full. Or, 15%-off-six-bottles-except-if-the price-ends-in-.87 full. Even, we-poured-boxed-wine-into-a-bottle-because-the-box-doesn't-fit-on-the-wine-rack full. We have more time on our hands, more time at home, so wine time may start a bit earlier and end a bit later than in pre-lockdown days. Similarly, cocktail hour, the natural predecessor to wine time, may also slip from a post-commute 7pm, to 6pm, maybe 5pm on weekends, or the occasional 3pm or 4pm on Sunday. However, unlike some of our retired neighbors, we haven't, as yet, drifted to "day drinking." We wash down our midday lunch of leftovers with tap water, and occasionally slam back a glass of tomato juice for a mid-afternoon pick me up. Wine retains its place of honor at the dinner table, not at the conference table --which, these days, does double duty as the kitchen counter.