COVID-19 has been the most devastating on wineries and bars, as they faced the strictest limits when we still had the color tier system. More so, the Central Valley’s tier placement fluctuated wildly. Businesses finally got to open their doors, only to close it again (repeat), which resulted in most just not opening their doors again until major milestones were reached.
That finally happened as vaccinations started rolling in and with most of the state opening up in June/July. COVID-19 is still a looming threat, thanks to the delta variant, but with vaccinations and people doing their part, we can still enjoy ourselves. On the weekend, we got to do just that. We bounced from several wineries, opting to go for the ones that weren’t so crowded (and thus, you had to sit out in hundred degree weather). San Joaquin, which is part of the Madera Wine Trail, was great as ever.
The last winery to visit was Ziveli, which is further up north and west (and technically in Fresno County), to which I had never been. Most defining was its animals (a cat and several dogs, which are all very friendly) and their food, which is homemade and delicious. All this fun serves as a reminder that we must keep up the pace to preserve our wonderful Central Valley.