It sounds odd to talk about pairing wine with books, but its significance is much more prominent than ever.
You really want to enjoy the book and enter the atmosphere but in order to do so you need a foundation to build on. Similar to pairing a wine to a meal and dessert, it sets the mood, forms a stage for the food to be complimented with. Therefore pairing a perfect wine with a book is substantial in order to wet the reader’s appetite as they invest in the narrator’s journey.
But why wine with a book you wonder?
Well in fact as you move through the book’s adventure so should the wine change accordingly, there is a wine that compliments each mood, entwining the two together to form an enthusiastic combination.
Successful wine and book pairings should have complimentary components whether similar or contrasting. Wines have notes of sugar, acid, fruit and alcohol and books contain drama, humour and sweetness. Here’s how you can match your books to our wine list.
ROOS ESTATE MERLOT SOUTH AFRICA
Blackcurrant and dark cherry fruit purity supported by a fine,
graphite tannin structure showing depth and length
PASQUA SANGIOVESE PUGLIA ITALY
Aromas of cassis with hints of tar and fresh cherries,
light, delicate blueberry fruit
FONTELLA CHIANTI ITALY
Ruby red, with a typical Chianti nose, smooth, medium-bodied
palate, with an attractive lingering finish
ROOS ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC SOUTH AFRICA
Distinctive dry but fruit driven style, with fresh citrus fruit on the nose and smooth, well-balanced palate
TEMPUS TWO PINOT GRIS AUSTRALIA
Crisp and refreshing with a nose of pear drops, the palate is vibrant with good natural acidity and packed with citrus fruit flavours and clean defined finish
TANANGA SAUVIGNON BLANC NEW ZEALAND
Crunchy green fruits, bell pepper, grass and gooseberry with tomato leaf and more tropical notes underneath of passion fruit
PARLEZ-VOUS CABERNET FRANCE
A lovely Rose full of red berry fruits, raspberries and strawberries
Full bodied red wines such as Roos Estate Merlot with its tones of dark berries mimic the bloodshed of thrillers such as Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley or other assassins and serial killers genre.
The Roos Estate Sauvignon Blanc would be paired perfectly over a romantic adventure of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander or a refreshing Tempus Two Pinot Gris with its crisp and refreshing notes of citrus fruit flavours would pair gracefully with Cheryl Strayed’s Wild.
Of course each palate is different and we welcome your opinion on a wine and book pairing, if you suggest a book that’s not there we’ll happily aim to get it.
Becoming a member of the The Grapevine’s Bookclub would entitle you to 10% off all food and drink items a great saving to share amongst friends and family. Along with being the first in the know about up and coming events plus the reading room would be at your disposal for any meetings or gatherings. A great place to socialise, meet and discuss your view on wine and book pairing. Not forgetting the important ‘finishing’ drink for when you contemplate or want to discuss the book with others.
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