The new normal

Earlier this year, my wife and I were in the Stellenbosch wine district in South Africa, right when the world was beginning to understand 2020 would be a difficult lap of the sun. As we tasted some of the Cape’s best wines, talked to the winemakers and enjoyed the warmth of the South African sun, we wondered when we’d be able to do it again. But do we stop our pastimes entirely, or adapt? Wine Brothers, a small-batch wine importer in Hong Kong hosted their first Meet the Maker night in 2016, and it has since been one of the cornerstones of their business – meet the Aussie who made the wine, drink it with them, and want more of it – which they happily provide through a wine club service. So, the inability to bring makers to Hong Kong with the new travel restrictions has effectively stopped this entirely. But that’s not how Hong Kong works, and especially not how the Australian ‘she’ll be right’ attitude works. This week they presented their first wine tasting on the couch. They provide the wine, food and a Zoom link, and the winemaker is in front of you. This week, Julian Langworthy of Deep Woods Estate went to his parent’s house (they have a faster internet connection than the winery), and spent his first night off in two months to join 30 Zoom callers to talk about wine, food and unicorns. What a way to spend a Thursday evening, especially with half of the faces on the chat proudly showing off their quarantine wristbands. How many of us could say they spent quarantine at a virtual vineyard? Wine Brothers sent each caller three bottles of wine (a chardonnay, rosé and cabernet shiraz) while the team at Shady Acres on Peel Street (one of the latest restaurants run by young Aussies) provided the food (and instructions for finishing their carbonara, helping me cook one of the best meals I’ve had at home to date). It’s something that an Australophile such as myself loves to see – great Aussie food and wine, and the attitude they will provide, rain, hail or shine. So, the question must be asked: Is this the new normal? To one degree, I hope not – I will always prefer to meet my winemakers between the vines; nothing can beat a glass of wine amid the terroir. But on the other hand, what a great way to spend a night and escape the madness of 2020.

NICK WILCOCK, HONG KONG