Wine Culture Magazine

Scenic view of organic grape vines during bud break in the springtime in the Okanagan Valley near Osoyoos. Istockphoto

Welcome to Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the planet, this seems like a good time to remember the little pleasures in life. For us, that almost always means connecting with friends and family over a glass of wine. Wine, after all, is not just a beverage. It is a welcome pause in our day, a means of forgetting, if just for a moment, the tragedy unfolding around us.

In the coming weeks and months, we will bring you stories about how COVID-19 is affecting B.C.’s wine producers, consumers and the culture that connects them. We hope to inform and inspire you, and keep you up to date on all that’s happening.

For instance, right now, almost all of B.C.’s wineries have shifted their focus to delivering wine direct to consumers. (Find a list right here.) Some have added fundraising to their deliveries so consumers can support the important work of the BC Hospitality Foundation. And in a rare piece of good news for housebound diners, the provincial government is allowing restaurants to include wine with their takeout and delivery.

If you’d prefer to shut the news out for a little while, we get that. We’re also covering plenty of stories that have nothing to do with the current crisis, and we hope you enjoy those, too.

To be sure, the weeks and months ahead will be challenging for all of us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t savour the delights of a berry-scented Pinot Noir or nose-tickling bubble as the world readjusts itself.

We hope you will share the recovery with us at Vitis. Subscribe here, and have a copy delivered to your mailbox.

Joanne Sasvari
Editor

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