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Books and Wine: Pairings You Might Not Have Considered

Can you believe that the kids are back in school and it is time to hit the books?  This month on our #WPW (Wine Pairing Weekend) I have taken an unconventional pairing by looking at some of my favorite books this year and pairing them with a glass of good wine. Thank you to our host Robin at Crushed Grape for her creative post this month!





Reading is my favorite pastime. Why?  What is better than a good book, besides a good book paired with a glass of wine?  Pairing books and wine makes perfect sense.  Some books are bubbly with good feelings and charm, some books are an acquired taste and even others are bold. I also believe all books should be consumed with wine, and I am going to share with you how I decide what wine I drink with books.

For books on the lighter side, like a good rom-com, I choose a nice sparkling wine. I love a good romance, all sweetness, and sugar, but my sparkling wine should be on the dry side.  My favorite genre is historical fiction and of course, I have to pair a wine with the country that it is set in.  The older the time period, the older the wine.  A good psychological thriller needs a big bold red.  Or a Blood Mary. It depends on how much of a thriller it is!  I like a good orange rose with Sci-Fi.  A literary fiction book deserves a bottle of good snobby wine, a top-of-the-line cabernet, or champagne. 

For this post, I will give you a quick book synopsis and then a wine I would pair with it, with a little description. 



Talia Inger is a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk as she had hoped but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe--a department only known as "Other." When she is tasked with helping a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for revolutionary defense technology, she figures she'll be back in DC within a few days. But that's before she knows where the designs are stored--and who's after them.

With her shady civilian partner, Adam Tyler, Talia takes a deep dive into a world where criminal minds and unlikely strategies compete for access to the Gryphon, a high-altitude data vault that hovers in the mesosphere. But is Tyler actually helping her? Or is he using her for his own dark purposes?


The Wine: Pinot Noir, for something delicate, dark, and seductive

Resonance Pinot Noir

Wine Spectator-Williamette Valley, California - "" Vibrant and impeccably structured, with floral raspberry, crushed stone, and savory tea accents that build tension toward refined tannns. Drink and enjoy."





"A sparkling romance...witty and lighthearted, with plenty of tender moments to keep readers invested, this work gets the enemies-to-lovers trope right."—Publishers Weekly



The Wine: Sparkling Rose, to bring out the bubbly sense of fun

Dom Carneros Rose Cuvee De La Pompadour

The wine's aroma has hints of wild strawberries and roses with notes of peach Although a pale pink in color, Brut Rose is not sweeter than our other wines. It is a true Brut..






Tressa Harlowe's father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Now Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it.

It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.



The Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, for a bold, stately drink 
Josh Cellars Cabernet Family Reserve North Coast
The bouquet of this North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon is bursting with dark fruits and roasted nuts. The wine is full-bodied and plush, showcasing rich flavors of black cherries and blackberries with subtle oak and vanilla.





The wine:  Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and elegant

Dubourdieu Liaison Sauvignon Blanc And Semillon

An elegant wine from Bordeaux that has notes of peach, citrus, and hints of oak to give a rounded texture to the bright acidity. 






In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.


The wine:  Herdade do Racim
I found a wine in Temecula and thought it would be
amazing with this book!


My daughter, who wrote the review of this book.

Check out the other pairings for this month and learn something new!  Check out all the posts!


Here are the articles the #WinePW writers have in store for you!
  • Camilla Mann of Culinary Adventures with Cam shares “Vite ad Alberello, Carricante, Caciocavallo, and Fiori di Zucca al Forno”
  • Andrea Lemieux of The Quirky Cork shares “Liatiko and Çalkarası: One Grape, Two Nations”
  • David Crowley of Cooking Chat Wine shares “Classic Wine Pairings and What They Teach Us”
  • Wendy Klik of A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Red Wine with Fish? Let's take a look....”
  • Terri of Our Good Life shares"Books and Wine: Pairings You Might Not Have Considered"
  • Lori of Exploring the Wine Glass shares "Back to Basics: A Cabernet Franc Primer
  • Gwendolyn Alley of Wine Predator will be sharing "Wine 101: Santa Barbara AVAs from Sta Rita Hills to Ballard Canyon and beyond"
  • Robin on Crushed Grape Chronicles, is sharing "LODI RULES - Sustainability in Washington through the lens of Dineen Vineyards"

Would you like to comment?

  1. I love the idea of books and wine pairings. I use to read so much, but sadly haven't much time anymore. I need a few more hours in my day. LOL

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  2. You have me inspired to find some time in my week to sit down with a good book and a glass of wine! Thanks for all the fun recommendations!

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  3. What a great post, Terri! Now I need these books...and these wines. LOL. Cheers.

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  4. I would to sit and read with a good glass of wine but I can't find one that I like.

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  5. Awesome, I need to pick up some of these books! And the wines. One of my favorite things to do is read.

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  6. What a great way to enjoy reading a book. Wine would make reading fun.

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  7. Thanks for sharing some of these pairings, I have to add some of these books to my reading list.

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  8. I love this idea although I don't drink wine. I love books though! Thanks for introducing me to some new ones!

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  9. I never thought about pairing books to wines, but this could help on a stressful evening. Great choices!

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  10. I love all these paring ideas. I love the idea of pairing up a good book with some wine. I love reading and having a glass of wine with a good book is always a wonderful idea.

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  11. I love this idea of pairing books and wine! Is it wrong to choose a book based on the wine I love?

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  12. Rose Ann Sales3:08 AM

    I really love the idea of pairing books and wine! I would love to check out these books!

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  13. Ryan Sales Escat3:09 AM

    I love to try reading these books specially when its combined with wine! So perfect!

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  14. Interesting to pair wine with books, would go well in a book club circle!

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  15. Yes, kids are back to school! I can't believe it! Thanks for these suggestions!

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  16. I don't drink wine or other adult beverages due to medications that I am on. But I saw a few good books so scoop up and read. Thank you for sharing.

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  17. Anonymous7:42 AM

    My husband is into books as well as wine. I'll tell him about your pairing recs. -LYNNDEE

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  18. Anonymous12:24 PM

    So much fin and I had never thought and missing the tow but love it! I am bookmarking to come back to the ;) Thank you!

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