For some of them, virtual tastings are here to stay

Our lives have changed in a number of ways in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But some things haven’t changed — only the way we enjoy them.

Wine sellers, for example, were quick to adjust to a new platform. They’ve been hosting Zoom tastings and Facebook Lives for months now. Food and wine experts are already speculating that it will be one of 2020’s big industry trends. Wilmington-area wine shops have been a part of this, too. Here’s what some of them have to say about online oenophilia.

Virtual wine tastings are here to stay

Shawn Underwood and Amy Siler of Soif de Vin in Monkey Junction offer a number of reasons that they’d like to see this kind of tasting continue, even after the (fingers crossed) pandemic is over. For one, people are drinking in the comfort of their own homes, so no one has to worry about driving home. It’s also something perfect for those who appreciate this global commodity.

Because there is less small talk, and coming and going, on the virtual platform, there’s more opportunity for learning.

“It can be really intimate that way,” Underwood said. “People at home can have conversations with themselves on mute, if they like. But wine nerds can dig into the soils, the importing, and other aspects of wine.”

“It’s also way to be there for people who buy wines,” said Jamie Mingia, of The Wine Sampler on Kerr Ave. in Wilmington. “And they are usually the regulars. They are the people who support wine shops.”

Spending an hour or two with them online is a good investment of time.

Experts with no limits

In normal times, certain wine tastings in the Wilmington area were dependent on when winemakers, or other well-knowns, were in the area. Then restaurants or shops would scramble to put together a wine dinner or other event.

Now, any expert is only a WiFi connection away. Winemakers have joined local tastings from vineyards in California, South Africa and Europe.

“For them, it’s a no brainer,” said Billy Mellon, of manna in downtown Wilmington. “The winemaker doesn’t have to get on a plane to promote the wine. You are at home, and have an audience right there.”

Mellon has hosted a series of virtual tastings with those he calls rock stars of the food and wine world, people who wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit coastal North Carolina on a regular basis.

But these meetings aren’t dependent on that. He will also lead tastings on his own. And Soif de Vin will ask local chefs to host virtual cooking classes that come with a bottle of wine.

Planning, and tech

A successful Zoom meeting, or Facebook Live, needs forethought.

“It’s really about setting up a structure,” said Andrew Bopes, of Mon Ame Chocolate & Wine Bar on 2nd St. in downtown Wilmington.

He tries to plan it so he knows what will happen when, and that his guests know how long they have to talk. He’s also been able to experiment with apps and add-ons that make the process smoother. He’s been using one, StreamYard, that allows him to ‘direct’ what appears on the screen.

Mellon also takes time to plan, and then treats a those in an online meeting room like those who come to the dining room at manna.

“I don’t want to give away all my secrets, but it is all in how you interact with guests,” he said. “It’s a smile, a welcome.”

A life saver

“These tastings have kept us in business,” Siler said. “I mean, barely, but it is at least a way to stay in touch with our customers.”

“It helps people feel a part of something even when they are stuck at home,” Bopes said.

Many wine sellers are adding online tastings to a repertoire of other efforts to stay afloat as business is down. Bopes said he’s been added a delivery service and has been revamping his outdoor courtyard to safely serve wines by the glass. In an absence of help from other relief programs, online wine tastings are one more tool to use, he said. He, for one, will soon be planning another series of online tastings for this fall.