2020 was a year to forget, but one we’ll always remember. COVID-19 was the big story of the year with lockdowns, stay-at-home-orders, restaurant industry devastation, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Fires ripped through the wine countries of California, Oregon, and Australia while believable reports of sexual abuse ripped through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Of course, I shouldn’t ignore that we also had protests, riots, and an ugly, protracted political election.

With all the challenges and trauma of the year, it became necessary to focus on community, friendship, and the human connections. These moments were few but precious. Risk could be limited, but not fully removed. For a lover of wine, I sanctified these moments, by embracing special wines that in a previous season might have been deemed too special for a simple dinner with a friend.

In 2020, the motto became, “Drink the Good Stuff!”

What made wines memorable in 2020 is something that we often forget. The purpose of wine is to lubricate human connections with beauty, grace, and an intimate interaction with the world around us.

Here are 12 wines listed in the order I experienced them.

Disclosure 1: At the time of this writing, I work for a wholesale distributor that represents some of these wines in Ohio and Kentucky. Neither my representation of these wines or lack thereof, affects this list in any way.

Disclosure 2: The wines on this list were a combination of promotional samples, purchased at discount due to my industry status, tasted with friends who purchased them, or purchased by myself at full price.