It’s no secret that, here at Vitis, we love wine. We love its aromas and flavours, we love supporting the people who grow it, make it and serve it, and we really, really love nerding out about obscure wine-soaked factoids. Most of all, though, we love the way wine brings people together. For millennia, wine has been at the centre of our gatherings. It has played an important role in social rituals dating back to the days of ancient Greece and Rome and even further back to 6000 BC Georgia. Consumed in moderation, it enhances conversation, breaks down barriers, improves the flavour of food and makes the stresses of the day seem less, well, stressful. As Benjamin Franklin once said: “Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” You’d think, given that society is in the midst of a global loneliness epidemic, we’d be raising a glass to the power of wine to connect us. Instead, the exact opposite is happening. Young people especially are drinking (and socializing) less. So are older people. Both these groups are more likely to be lonely, and loneliness increases the risk of depression, anxiety, dementia and serious health conditions such as heart disease and stroke. So last year an American wine journalist named Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, launched an initiative called Come Over October. The idea is simple: to encourage friends, family and colleagues to “come over” during the month of October, share some wine and celebrate in-person connection. The idea has spread across the continent to become an international movement. It’s one we’re fully behind, though we’d like to suggest that any time is a good time to get together with the people you care for. A glass of wine—even non-alcoholic wine—just makes it all better. The website comeoveroctober.com has loads of tips and ideas for hosting events indoors or out, at your home or your business. You don’t have to serve wine, of course, but where’s the fun in that?
