The social distancing drinker

As this awful crisis continues, more people will be ordering their drinks from new suppliers over the internet. That’s fine if you know what you like, but awkward if, like me, you enjoy browsing for wine in an off-licence and picking up bottles at random.

Perhaps one day, we will have a Netflix or Spotify for wines. Perhaps one day, an algorithm will understand our taste buds better than we understand ourselves, and make interesting recommendations. “Because you enjoyed this Riesling, you should try that Pinot Noir.” In the meantime, we have to challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and use the opportunity presented by the pandemic to order wines or other drinks that are not readily available in most off-licences.

One that fits the bill is Swiss wine. Switzerland is a powerhouse when it comes to wine production, but more than 90pc of Swiss wine never leaves the country. The rest of it is difficult to find and often on the pricey side, but now seems like a good time to order some. After all, why go to the trouble of ordering what you already know when you are buying wine online?

What makes Swiss wines so special is the combination of Alpine and Mediterranean climates. As with most other countries, there are many wine regions and appellations, but the basics are easy to remember. The French-speaking cantons of Valais and

Vaud produce gorgeous Pinot Noir and Chasselas (a grape that is pretty much exclusive to Switzerland) while the Italianspeaking Ticino area produces great Merlot. The German-speaking area of Switzerland produces pure whites from Muller-Thurgau and Chardonnay grapes, and reds from Pinot Noir and Merlot.

Like most advanced countries, there is also a strong movement in favour of organic wines, which are often superb, and are generally a joy to drink. Surprise yourself!