We don’t need to revive old traditions of the Black Death as a mood-booster right now. But, here’s a tradition that you’ll love. “Wine windows” rose in popularity in Tuscany when the bubonic plague reached Italy during the 1600s. In order to maintain the safe distance while serving the customers, these small hatches carved into concrete walls of wineries and shops. Now, these wine windows are making a comeback in Italy.
The Wine Window Association’s website, “Everyone is confined to home for two months and then the government permits a gradual reopening. During this time, some enterprising Florentine Wine Window owners have turned back the clock and are using their Wine Windows to dispense glasses of wine, cups of coffee, drinks, sandwiches and ice cream — all germ-free, contactless!”
Over 150 wine windows can be found in Florence alone, and there are more scattered throughout the broader region of Tuscany. Restaurant and bar owners in Florence are now reopening wine windows that have been shuttered for centuries and are getting creative and reviving the old tradition.
You can find a full list of wine windows in Florence and northern Italy on the Buchette del Vino website.