Lost Interest.

[Con J]

Late last year, early this year I started losing interest in everything wine. Then I think the pandemic done it for me. I just about stopped buying, pulled out of all my wine groups and drank very little. I think I might be ready to make a comeback.

Has anyone lost interest for a while before?

Cheers Con.

[Cloth Ears]

Sort of.
Have been through a couple of moves that left me not really interested. Darwin was one of them, and a couple of rental properties that didn't lend themselves to storing anything for long. And we're currently doing a dry September (because my birthday is in July).
But never really lost interest in having a drink, whether beer, wine or (mainly whisky) spirits.

[Mike Hawkins]

I’ve bought very little wine by historical levels the past 6 months... though that will change next month

[Barney]

Yes I have, started fading around 8 years ago partly due to an expensive separation which limited my ability to go large and mostly due to the fact that around the same time I moved from central Melbourne to central Victoria on some acreage and have found a range of other hobbies and interests to fill the spare hours. Have spent the money I would have spent on wine back then in a year on some fairly expensive woodworking machinery during the course of this year which has taken up a fair bit of my evening internet time doing the necessary research. Have also just completed building a natural pool and with general gardening, the veggie patch, and animals to look after have no real time left for any other pursuits.

Do still maintain a passing interest and still buy but the days of devoting weekends to visit wine regions and cellar doors, and the many hours on forums (other than a quick peek at this one from time to time), wine groups, and all the rest of it are behind me. There is also the fact that my wife believes that drinking red wine makes me snore so am generally limited to whites except on special occasions which is a bit limiting as around 90% of my current cellar are reds with the balance mostly Riesling and Champagne.

[Rossco]

Late last year, early this year I started losing interest in everything wine. Then I think the pandemic done it for me. I just about stopped buying, pulled out of all my wine groups and drank very little. I think I might be ready to make a comeback.

Has anyone lost interest for a while before?

Cheers Con.

Its an interesting question, and pretty relevant in todays lockdown climate (well for me in Vic metro anyway)

Before Covid i had been disappointed by a fair few of my special wines that I had opened (and shared).
Either faulty or just not up to the standard I expected. While i didnt get to the point of losing interest, deflated is
probably a better description of what was happening in my wine life.

Fast forward 6 months and I havent cracked a single bottle of my (well to me) special wines. Not one.
The wines I have opened have been anywhere between 'midweek' drinking wines to good, but none in that 'special/super' category.
I put it down to a few reasons.
1. Havent been able to catch up with anyone I wanted to share them with
2. (leading into) I dont get as much enjoyment drinking special wines by myself.
3. Not really in the 'mood' to be drinking special stuff either.
4. Havent been buying any special wines as replacements either. My purchases have mainly been drink now type wines.

There are probably more reasons, but these are the main ones off the top of my head.

[Rory]

My wife accuses me of losing interest.......... oh, sorry.... wrong subject.

[Dragzworthy]

After a massive hangover but only momentarily!

But more seriously, are you in Vic Con? Surely the lockdown has an effect. I think I'd lost interest if the wine became more a solo affair. I enjoy sharing wines with friends and family.

[via collins]

Hi Con, the question is a beaut, but not one that i ever imagined coming from you!

First thing that happened when COVID arrived was household spending was rationalised by my wife - and wine storage bills were uncovered. After a dose of smelling salts were applied, and we were all in a good place, the suggestion was made: get rid of it! sell it, give it away, or drink it!!

I went for the latter, and to be honest have never drunk better, or had more fun doing it than COVID. No rules, no restrictions. It's been a blast, still trying to stay firm on two WFDs a week. And getting thrilled every now and then. 06 Mt Ed, 08 Castagna Chiave, 12 Castagna Genesis, 07 Gros du Nore Bandol have all been September highlights.

Glad to hear you're considering re-entering - hopefully semi-normal will see you fighting fit & curious again.

[wiggum]

Haven’t really lost interest at all but expanded my interest to now include whiskey into my drinking repertoire. I am finding them equally complex and enjoyable.

[JamieBahrain]

Living in Hong Kong, you drink fine wine from a fire hose! As there are no taxes or duties, its cheap, always promoted in amazing events with winemakers and the city is loaded with very generous collectors. I've seen people I've never met put on verticals of very rare and expensive wines just for the joy of sharing them- at no cost to the participants!

Do I ever lose interest? Yes. Every week I have a host of amazing offers that for lifestyle balance I reject. On days off pre-COVID I would pursue a hobby of remote trekking-living on a volcano or deep in a wild jungle I could taste my next Barolo.

So there is too much of a good thing- and I think I found a brutal way to balance.

On the buying front, I can be forced to lose interest. At the moment, during the carnage of COVID, I don't buy fine wine for cellaring. My employer was losing 10 million a day, so I plan for the worst and hope for the best as we've all no doubt heard of late.

So I'm still a keen buyer. Coming out the other side of this mess I'll either dedicate a couple of pay checks to buying a heap of fine wine or I'll proceed to sell my cellar if forced to early retirement. Comfortable with both- as life will have gone in a new direction.

[Scotty vino]

I've had a few interesting twists and turns since the arrival of CV19 but I've managed to stay fairly active with local wineries and cellar doors. Thankfully Adelaide has remained somewhat normal compared to other states. Hope we can keep it going until we can get rid of this crap.
Back in CV next week. Might see if I can get to Matriarch and Rogue and Sussex Squire.

[Barney]

So I'm still a keen buyer. Coming out the other side of this mess I'll either dedicate a couple of pay checks to buying a heap of fine wine or I'll proceed to sell my cellar if forced to early retirement. Comfortable with both- as life will have gone in a new direction.[/quote]

Nothing wrong with a new direction Jamie, is amazing where the unexpected twist and turns of life can take you if you keep an open mind

[mychurch]

Agree on the drinking front - after a skype tasting last weekend I ended up putting the leftovers in the freezer rather than drinking them over the next couple of days.

Buying is still continuing as there are plenty of interstimg wines around. As I said on another thread though, I am already over my storage limit and there are a few cases worth still to come.

I would be happy to bring a couple of great bottles to a Melbourne End of Lockdown tasting.

[brodie]

Hi Con, interesting question.

My initial reaction is probably complete rubbish - but here goes...

I have had close personal experience with people who suffer from depression and one of the common characteristics is a loss of motivation and interest in things in general. I think a lot of us have been affected by covid and lockdowns and it can be tough mentally being isolated - especially if you are a sociable outgoing sort of person.

So my advice is be gentle and kind to yourself. Given what I know of you, I think your enjoyment will come back once you are able to get out and go to wine dinners again.

Ultimately wine is a hobby and it is not that important and there are lots of other things we can with ourselves.

cheers Brodie

[felixp21]

Agree on the drinking front - after a skype tasting last weekend I ended up putting the leftovers in the freezer rather than drinking them over the next couple of days.

Buying is still continuing as there are plenty of interstimg wines around. As I said on another thread though, I am already over my storage limit and there are a few cases worth still to come.

I would be happy to bring a couple of great bottles to a Melbourne End of Lockdown tasting.

I'm in Melb until they will let me back home, so I too would be keen!!!!!

As or the topic, I haven't lost interest in drinking wine, but really only drink now from a few regions. There are wines out there that you couldn't force down my throat, whereas twenty or thirty years ago, I'd drink anything!!!!

[mjs]

Hi Con, interesting question.

My initial reaction is probably complete rubbish - but here goes...

I have had close personal experience with people who suffer from depression and one of the common characteristics is a loss of motivation and interest in things in general. I think a lot of us have been affected by covid and lockdowns and it can be tough mentally being isolated - especially if you are a sociable outgoing sort of person.

So my advice is be gentle and kind to yourself. Given what I know of you, I think your enjoyment will come back once you are able to get out and go to wine dinners again.

Ultimately wine is a hobby and it is not that important and there are lots of other things we can with ourselves.

cheers Brodie

Brodie - totally agree

Con - I look forward to the potential for an offline with you, Rossco, Ozzie and others one night before the end of the year hopefully, I am sure we can find some very interesting things to drink and enjoy

cheers, Malcolm

[Cactus]

Brodie. Great comment re depression and motivation. In all walks of life if its your family, friends, colleagues, wine forumites, we all need to look after each other. We are social animals. We need to get togethor and share laughter, trials tribultions.

I am mostly a lurker. But awesome chat Brodie.

[I Love Shiraz]

No I have never lost my passion for wine.

My purchases has gone in waves. I tend to go big in great vintages, but there was a period between 2006-2010 were I did not purchase a lot of wines due to monetary constraints. In the last 2 years I have backed off my purchases for cellaring as my collection became too big and have since been reducing my collection. I will continue to reduce my collection by drinking it and therefore not purchase a lot of wine for current drinking.

[Michael McNally]

Spot on Brodie!

As an addition, we also need to remember that alcohol is a depressant. Drinkng wine as a stress-management strategy is self-defeating.

I have been trying to find ways to share my love of wine with others and now have a couple of neighbours and friends who live close by that I text and they will pop over and taste a couple of wines I have open and fill a glass to take home. Much more fun than being impressed by a wine on my own!

Cheers

Michael

PS Con, if I ever start travelling to Melbourne for work again, I would happily join you, Ozzie, via collins and the crew for another offline.

[Ozzie W]

I can relate to some of the sentiment here. I've haven't been able to properly pursue my wine hobby as a result of being locked down at home (Melbourne) for months on end. As a consequence, I seem to have lost "some" interest in wine. Even though I can still do a lot of of things, the effect has been that I don't feel like doing them. I haven't posted on Auswine for nearly 3 months. I haven't bought any wine to cellar for months. When my WineFront subscription expired, I didn't renew it.

The lock-down means I can't share wine with anyone and I can't meet with my wine groups, which I used to do at least a couple times a month. I'm unable to visit my off-site cellar (more than 5km) and unwilling to purchase wines because I can't get them to my cellar. I haven't been to my work office since March.

Working from home has also created a lot of extra stress for me. I'm very grateful I still have a job, but it's all very mentally draining. At the end of the day, I often don't feel like drinking any wine. I need to be in the right frame of mind. Thankfully, drinking to reduce stress doesn't work for me, so I'd rather just not drink. When I'm in the mood, I will have a glass or two, and even discuss what I'm drinking via email with some wine friends, but it's not the same as the camaraderie of doing it in person.

I'm sure my interest will return in full force once life returns to something resembling normal.

Con, my wine groups weren't the same without you. Looking very forward to your comeback (and some Rousseau ).

[JamieBahrain]

I still consider myself Melbournian. The only time I'd get homesick as an expat was visiting Melbourne; everywhere else in Australia was wonderful though could wait until retirement. Not sure now. I don't know what's going on down there and it seems to have a vision of a former Eastern Bloc country. It must take a toll on many. Some basic freedoms enjoyed up this way kept me sane in periods of very high stress. Lock down- what a nightmare.

[Con J]

Thanks All for your support and encouragement.

Brodie hope your wrong but you comments are a bit of a worry, a good friend suggested the same thing about 6 months ago.
At one point motivation was very low, couldn’t be bothered doing much at. Come to think of it I probably used the first lock down as an excuse to pull out of the wine groups I was in.

Like I said I think I'm ready for a comeback, been to cellar a couple of times recently to sort it out and thinking about organising some structured wine dinners for the near future.

Anyway hope to catch up with most of you soon, hopefully before Christmas.

Cheers Con.

[Mike Hawkins]

Con, it takes just one great bottle to rekindle your love... Pull out one of your go to/special occasion wines. You might be surprised.

[grapeobserver]

Really thoughtful posts. Con - I agree with Ozzie - tasting groups are more fun with you in them. You also regrettably introduced me to Clos St Jacques Hopefully this extreme experience in Melbourne ends very soon. It is not good. I have the opposite issue of buying more in lockdown - small joys.

[felixp21]

Feel yr pain Con. As a doctor (back doing medical stuff this year) seen plenty of people with the same symptoms as you.

Try to get yourself interested in something new, wine or not. Get involved with it as much as possible.

In times like these, don't count the days, make the days count.

Like tens of thousands of Melburnians, you'll feel much better once this crap stuff passes us by, and rest assured, it will.