Back to school for us means time to crack open a new book … and a well-paired bottle of wine. The following duos—including best-selling titles and tittles—are matches made in literary heaven. —Noa Nichol
Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us tells the story of Lily Bloom—a workaholic with a too-good-to-be-true romance, who can’t stop thinking about her first love. (It’s soon to be a film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.) Read it with Liquidity’s 2022 Cabernet Franc Rosé, and let an aromatic wave of guava, fresh peach and jasmine blossom wash over you while notes of blood orange, rhubarb and pink peppercorn tickle your tastebuds. The finish delivers playfulness and complexity.
Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale tells the story of two French sisters who resist Nazi forces by hiding Jewish children during the war. Read it with CheckMate’s 2019 Queen Taken Chardonnay, with essences of Asian pear, fig and apricot and a touch of spice and floral notes. The palate showcases stone fruits with a rich savoury texture, but also has tension.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden—a mystery novel that follows Millie Calloway, a young woman with a criminal past, who is employed as a housekeeper by a rich woman with a seeming mental health condition. Read it with CedarCreek Estate Winery’s 2021 South Kelowna Slopes Pinot Noir, boasting good dark-fruit concentration combined with some dried leaf and forest floor character.
Beach Read by Emily Henry tells the tale of a romance writer who no longer believes in love, and a literary writer stuck in a rut. They engage in a summer-long challenge that may upend everything they believe about happily-ever-afters. Read it with Martin’s Lane Simes Vineyard 2022 Riesling—floral, fine and perfumed, this is a featherweight Riesling, delicate and delicious. Martinslanewinery.com
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get one per cent better every day. Read it with Cupcake Vineyards’ 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, which has flavours of Meyer lemon, white nectarine and key lime that integrate with subtle hints of grapefruit, gooseberry and citrus, culminating into a long, balanced finish.
Kate Quinn’s novel, The Rose Code, is based on three real women—a beautiful blue-blooded debutante, a tart-tongued London shop-girl and a shy crossword-solving spinster—who assisted with coding messages being sent from Italy, Germany and Africa during the Second World War. Read it with Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava, created from a special blend of the three traditional, indigenous Penedes white varieties.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive. Read it with a Last Word cocktail featuring Dillon’s Dry Gin 7:
- 0.75 oz Dillon’s Dry Gin 7
- 0.75 oz Green Chartreuse
- 0.75 oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 0.75 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
Add all components to a shaker tin with good-quality ice. Shake for seven to 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cherry set in the bottom of the glass.
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