Wine is nothing if not a congenial and convivial beverage meant for sharing and stimulating our appetites, intellects and vocabularies. Perhaps we forget that notion in our age of handheld digital devices. Who has not sat in a restaurant and witnessed tables occupied by people staring not at each other or their food but at the screens on their phones? We sit so close but seem so isolated and far away.
“Come Over October” seeks to remedy that dismal (and silly) situation by encouraging us to put down our phones, hide them away, have a meal and bottle of wine and engage in those most comfortable yet revolutionary activities — talking to each other, telling stories, exchanging ideas.
This movement is the brainchild of three giant figures in the American wine industry: Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, the bestselling wine book of all time, now in its third edition; and two influential people on the marketing and communications side, Gino Colangelo and Kimberly Noelle Charles.
While we can’t push back the tide of the digital and its power of connectivity so important in our era, “we might have overlooked the true intimacy that comes with in-person connection, and sharing wine is a great way to achieve that," said Charles in a statement that launched “Come Over October.”
“We want to encourage people to put down their devices,” said MacNeil, “and share in each other's company. Historically and socially, wine has often played a role in facilitating conversation, nurturing new friendships, and deepening old ones.”
So, what’ll say, friends? Will you stand (or sit) on the side of conversation over a good meal and a few glasses of good wine? Will you take a chance on meeting new people or renewing old acquaintances with a snack and a tumbler of quaffable vino? These stances sound like fun to me.
There’s a website — http://www.comeoveroctober.com — for ideas and information.
Love it. There's a restaurant in Italy that's offering an incentive (article from April 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/15/restaurant-in-italy-offers-free-bottle-of-wine-to-customers-who-hand-in-phone