June 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

We're bringing books and wine together in this month's pick, a memoir by Victoria James, Wine Girl. Victoria is the youngest sommelier in the country, and in this book she not only dives into how she got to her elite status, but also the glamorous yet toxic restaurant industry. The inspiring story shows how Victoria broke away from an abusive childhood, finding her path in wine education. 

Wine

Prior to writing her memoir, Victoria published another book in 2017, Drink Pink: A Celebration of Rosé. So of course, we're going to pour some pink wine just in time for the nice weather. The book reveals the history of the popular springtime wine as well as some of Victoria's favorite producers. I'm drinking a pinot noir variety from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

May 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

It's been a rough couple months. We are all riddled with anxiety, fear, employment stress, and meanwhile have to keep our distance from each other, making it more difficult to get support. For May, I wanted to select a book that accomplished two things: one, touched on themes of mental health, and two, still had a lightness and humor that wouldn't drag us down any further. That's why I picked Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman, the story of a woman who feels her life is unraveling and attempts to gain control, including wearing her pet dog in a sling. 

Wine

In that light, this month's wine pick is a little less specific. I want us to drink our "comfort wines," which will be different for everyone. Perhaps you take comfort in the crisp acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc, or the big and bold fruitiness of a California Cabernet. If you aren't sure what yours is, I suggest trying a variety (excuse to have a little tasting!), and see what you most gravitate toward. Or, you can go with my comfort wine: Gamay, specifically from the Beaujolais region of France. I can't get enough of the wild cherry, mushroomy earthiness and light drinkability.

April 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

This read has garnered a lot of attention over the last few months. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is the perfect melding of literary fiction, romance and fantasy. A Vermont grad student discovers a mysterious book hidden within the stacks, uncovering a set of clues that lead him to an underground world, a place of lost cities, an ancient library, and ships that sail on a starless sea. His mission: to understand this wild world and how it relates to his own life. 

Wine

Elements of this book reminded me of Greek mythology, so I thought it only made sense to drink Greek wine while we dive into this fantasy novel. It's one of the oldest wine regions in Europe, producing many grapes only native to the country. I selected this juicy bottle, made with Mavrodafni grapes, which usually produces sweeter, dessert wines. However, this one is dry with notes of tart cherry and pomegranate.

March 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

It's been a while since we've indulged in a twisty thriller, so this March we'll be reading The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. It's a rich, dark, haunting story that will keep you in suspense, centering around Libby Jones, who, on her 25th birthday discovers she has inherited an abandoned mansion in a high-end neighborhood. Her life changes drastically from this moment, when she discovers the true identity of her birth parents. 

Wine

A dark story needs a dark wine, right? That's why we're going for one of the darkest grapes out there, Malbec. And while we've focused on Malbec from South America before, we haven't talked about Malbec from France, where some of the deepest, inkiest, purple wines hail from. While Argentinian Malbec is more fruit forward, plummy, and velvety, French Malbec tends to be more savory and tart with a meaty quality. I like to think of it as a brooding wine, and what better wine to pair with this month's read.

February 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

For a short month like February, I picked a short but powerful read, Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson. The story begins in 2001 in Brooklyn, at a young girl's 16th birthday party, but quickly moves forward and backward in time through three generations of women. The novel explores the role of community and family history in a child's life, and how relationships and experiences affect how one moves forward. At just 197 pages, this book packs a punch, touching on themes of race, class, identity, education, and more.

Wine

Our book delves into the effects of place, family and relationships on a person's path, and our wine choice is going to follow that same narrative: biodynamic wine. You've probably been seeing this term all over wine shops and wine literature lately. So what's it all about? It's defined as a spiritual, ethical, ecological approach to agriculture and wine production. In other words, it's a farming philosophy that treats a farm or a vineyard as one single organism or ecosystem. The vineyard uses natural materials, soils and composts to sustain itself, while seeking sustainability and preserving the land for future generations. Sounds little hippy dippy, I know, but there are tons of great biodynamic wine producers now, including this one in France: Domaine Des 2 Anes.

December 2019 & January 2020 Reading & Tasting

Book

The holiday season is approaching, and with everyone's busy schedules, our next book will be for both December 2019 and January 2020, with our next meeting at the end of January. We'll be reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, a dark fairy tale about two siblings, Danny and Maeve,  whose father built a real estate empire, bringing his family new wealth. He purchases a grand estate, The Dutch House. But when Danny and Maeve's father passes away, they are exiled from the home by their (evil) stepmother. They soon find that all they really have is each other. Bonus: If you download the Audible version of this book, it's read by Tom Hanks! 

Wine

It's become a yearly BWC tradition that every year around this time we drink bubbly. While some years it's been Cava, some Prosecco, and other sparklers, this year I'm leaving it up to your choosing. I selected a Champagne sent to me by a friend who lives in Provence, France. She has cousins who made this wine, a super-dry but fruity sparkling wine with a soft effervescence. Cheers to another year of BWC! 

November 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

This month, we're reading something a little different. In the spirit of the start of the holidays, or the season of eating, we're going to read a collection of stories with a delicious theme: comfort food. Eat Joy: Stories &. Comfort Food From 31 Celebrated Writers makes it's debut October 29 (today!). The illustrated anthology of essays is about the comfort foods and recipes that helped writers survive painful times in their lives, with themes like growing pains, loss, healing, and homecoming (also holiday appropriate).

Wine

I had to select a wine that begs for food, so here we are with Chianti. Chianti is not a grape variety, but a region in Italy, in Central Tusany to be exact. Typically, it's a red blend of primarily Sangiovese grapes, with notes of cranberry, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, and gamey meats. The notes, along with the medium-high acidity and medium tannins make it the perfect companion for rich pasta dishes (the ultimate comfort food!), as well as roast lamb, salami, pizza, and steak.

October 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

October is for dark thrillers. That's why we'll be reading My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. The story centers around two sisters in Nigeria, Korede and Ayoola. Ayoola has a murderous history, killing three of her previous boyfriends (which she says was in self-defense), and Korede has been there each time to help her hide the murders. Korede has been willing to stand by her sister's side, that is, until Ayoola starts dating the doctor Korede has feelings for at her work.

Wine

Nigeria doesn't produce much of its own wine, but it does import quite a bit. 71 percent of which is imported from Spain. So to pair with our Nigeria-based book, we will be drinking one of the most popular grapes from Spain, Tempranillo. This grape variety is usually bold and tannic, but low in acidity, to keep its smoothness. Most Tempranillos will carry notes of cherry, plum, dried fig, tobacco, leather, and cedar. When blind tasting Spanish wine like Tempranillo, the notes that give it away for me is the slight hint of coconut and dill, which comes from the American Oak the wine is aged in. Can't wait to taste!

September 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

Last month, I asked you what you wanted to read next. I received tons of DMs asking for Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. The story centers around Toby Fleishman, who is in the middle of a divorce with his wife, Rachel. She left their two kids with Toby and did not return. Toby tries to piece together what happened, while navigating parenthood alone, along with dating after being married for over 15 years. While it addresses some heavy themes, there's a lightness and humor to this novel that makes you want to keep reading.

Wine

I toyed with selecting another white for September, but with the recent crisp air in New York, I selected our first red in a while: Pinot Noir. I think this is the perfect transition wine; it's light-bodied, sometimes nice with a chill, and full of ripe cherry and raspberry notes. I selected a bottle from one of my favorite wineries to visit, White Rose Estate in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Outside of Oregon, you can find Pinot Noir from France (specifically Burgundy), California, Germany, South Africa, but is typically grown in cooler climates. I think the lightness of this wine pairs well with the light humor of our book.

August 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

I asked our Instagram community what book they wanted to read in August. I received hundreds of amazing suggestions (my reading list is getting long, people), but one book stood out among the responses: A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum, a new novel split between two worlds, Palestine in 1990 and Brooklyn in 2008. It tells the story of three generations of women in a conservative Arab family living in the United States, and the similarities of their experiences in being limited by societal norms. It's one of those can't-put-it-down books that I can't wait to dive into.

Wine

To pair, I think this book deserves a wine with depth, one that's versatile and covers a wide variety of flavors. Chenin Blanc comes to mind as a white wine that can take on many layers and characteristics, much like the way this novel's characters' stories are woven together. Chenin Blanc can be dry and tart, with flavors of apple, quince, ginger, and chamomile. Or sometimes, It can be made in an off-dry style with richer, riper fruit flavors like pear, passionfruit and honeycomb. Chenin Blancs are typically higher in acid, and usually hail from the Loire Valley in France, or South Africa. I think it's an underrated grape.

July 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

After New York City, Book & Wine Club expanded to Toronto-- our very first expansion. So this month, I'm excited that our Toronto leader, Tina Barbieri, selected July's read. We will be reading We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop, which releases July 2, 2019. The story follows Katie, a competitive skier, who discovers a terrifying secret about her sister that could ruin her career, friendships and family. She flees to Argentina to start over, creating a new life in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. This book is the ultimate summer vacation read.

Wine

Because much of our book takes place in Argentina, I think it's only fitting that we drink Argentinian whites. While the country is best known for their big reds like Malbec, we're going to focus on white grapes like Torrontés, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. Argentinian whites tend to be more floral with hints of spice. The Viognier I selected is slightly spicy, but full of peach and apricot flavors.

June 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

June is almost here, and this month we’re reading a book everyone’s talking (and posting, and tweeting) about, Normal People by Sally Rooney, a novel about the complex romance between two teenagers, Connell and Marianne. Set during the recession in 2011 in Ireland, the story delves into the differences in class between them, as Connell’s mother is employed as a cleaner for Marianne’s family. It’s a modern day love story, and is 28-year-old Rooney’s second novel.

Wine

To pair, I wanted to select a wine that captures the freshness of Connell and Marianne’s relationship. I picked a grape that is often misunderstood and under-appreciated, but once you get it, you’ll crave its sharp acidity and floral aromas: Riesling. It often gets a bad rap because it’s believed to be super sweet, but in fact, most Rieslings are dry and crisp, with notes of citrus and minerality.

May 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

The month of May was named for the Roman Goddess Maia, who embodied the concept of growth. It also translates to “she who is great.” And aside from the obvious growth and greatness of spring and warmth, May is a good time to think about personal growth, too. In that vein, I selected the newest book from one of my favorite (and greatest) storytellers, Ruth Reichl: Save Me The Plums. The gourmet memoir is about Ruth’s personal journey as the Editor in Chief of Gourmet and how she handles being in charge, making her mark, and following her dreams. A bonus: There are recipes weaved through the book for your added cooking pleasure.

Wine

To pair, we will be drinking a refreshing white wine that belongs on every springtime dinner table: Albarin̄o from Spain. In your glass, you’ll find notes of lemon zest, grapefruit, honeydew melon, nectarine, and a slight salinity. The wine is high acid and crisp, and I suggest pairing it with Ruth’s recipe for Spicy Chinese Noodles, found on page 57 of your hardcover book.

April 2019 Reading & Tasting

Wine

Unpopular opinion: I believe rosé season is not just for spring and summer, but all year long.

Of course, there are light and crisp, minerally rosé wines that beg for a beach day, but also complex and full-bodied ones that are packed with earthy and rich fruit flavors. Some would argue that much like wearing white after Labor Day, it's unfashionable to drink rosé before the season kicks off in April. I will continue to fight for rosé’s year-long drinkability, but when the warmer days roll in, I get it. I’m with the rose season believers. I fill my glass with pink and raise it in honor of the first weeks of spring.

This month, we’ll be drinking rosé from any region you like-- whether that’s a light Provence selection, a floral Italian variety, or something ripe and juicy from California and beyond.

Book

To pair with our pink wine, we’ll be reading a just-as-devourable pick, Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A can’t-put-it-down novel about the rise of an iconic ‘70s rock group, their gorgeous lead singer, and the cause behind their dramatic break up. This book is fun, heart-capturing, and addictive-- a bit like the season we’re dipping our toes into.

March 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

I'm typically skeptical of celebrities releasing books. Especially when the celebrity hasn't exactly had a resume in book publishing. However, this month, I've selected A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, and the first book published by Sarah Jessica Parker in her new imprint, SJP for Hogarth, a division of Penguin Randomhouse. I love that SJP chose to spotlight an unknown 26-year-old writer who wrote a beautiful work of literary fiction. The story starts at a wedding in Northern California, Hadia is getting married, and the family is overjoyed (and apprehensive) to find their estranged brother is in attendance. As you can imagine, this is the beginning of a family drama, one that goes back to the beginning of the family's life and all the roles and relationships between its members. 

Wine

To pair with this quietly beautiful story, we need some contrast: a bold wine that can be just as beautiful, Zinfandel. When you hear that word, you may immediately think White Zinfandel, the sugary pink (and remarkably cheap) wine made popular in the 1980s. However, Zinfandel is a different animal. It's a black-skinned grape often grown in California, Italy, and Croatia, and typically results in a wine bursting with peppery, lush berry fruit flavor, accented by cocoa and vanilla. It's multi-faceted and layered with spice, much like our book this month. 

February 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

Happy almost February, Book & Wine Club. This month, we're readingThe Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani, a creepy thriller about Myriam, a lawyer who decides to return to work after having children, and hires the perfect nanny. The story details how the nanny's relationship to the family grows, and how it takes a very dark turn.The Perfect Nanny made several best books of 2018 lists, and won the Goncourt Prize. It's a short, addicting little book for a short month. 

Wine

February's wine was curated by someone our group has grown to know well-- Therese Bruno-Cavallaro (pictured above), the woman behind York Cellars in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Therese's pick to pair with The Perfect Nanny? Bloody wines. Not literally, of course, but more than minerally quality you'll find in some red wines, and a few white wines, too. Read my interview with Therese below. 

Wine

What's your wine pick for Book & Wine Club this February? 
Ah, February. It's the mid-winter deep freeze, perfect for all-day cooking and nights in. My February pick is "minerally reds." We all know what a minerally white tastes like (bright, crisp, rocky, sometimes 'tingly'), but that mineral quality expresses itself differently in a red. This month's wines align nicely with The Perfect Nanny: a touch of intrigue, and an unusual "sanguine" note (think: iron, iodine, chewable vitamins) beyond the usual trine of fruit, acid, and tannins. 

Why do you love this wine right now? 
I love layered, complex wines - and minerally reds fit the bill. Many of these bottles come from unusual grapes, unsung growing regions - or both. Wines like these upend convention and inspire contemplation since they're a touch different. 

Tell me a little bit about your experience in wine.
I grew up in California, just south of San Francisco. Not too far from wine country! My first job at 15 was a catering gig for Mirassou Winery in Silicon Valley where I overheard the "5 S methodology of wine tastings": see, swirl, smell, sip, savor - and was hooked. Further wine-related travel to less-traveled regions of Italy, a sojourn in Rome, then Montreal, and finally New York helped foster my love and appreciation of old-world wines. After multiple decades in technology marketing, I finally had the opportunity to turn a passion into an occupation in 2017 and open my own wine shop. It's been a challenging and rewarding dream come true ever since!

Speaking of your wine shop, give us all the deets. 
York Cellars is small shop with a big heart in DUMBO, Brooklyn. We opened our doors in September 2017, with a curated selection of uncommon wines from small- to mid-sized producers around the world that skew clean, balanced, and natural. We go out of our way to be knowledgeable, friendly, helpful "everyday somms" - whether that's pairing takeout for busy professionals and parents, or selecting a top-shelf gift. By design, the bulk of the shop is well-priced to let wine be an everyday pleasure. We're super grateful for the warm reception we've received in the neighborhood.

January 2019 Reading & Tasting

Book

Happy New Year Book & Wine Club! Or almost, at least. This month's pick was crowdsourced! I ran a poll on Instagram Stories asking followers to select the book they want to read in January, and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai is the winner. I'm excited to kick off the year with a powerful novel chronicling the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and its devastating effects, and one of the first books to tell the story over time, from 1985 to present. It is Makkai's third novel, and was selected as one of the New York Times' best books of 2018. 

Wine

To celebrate the start of 2019, we will be drinking bubbly, of course. And this time, it's non-Champagne bubbly, meaning there's a lot of options here: from Cava to Cremant, Lambrusco to Franciacorta. I'm currently sipping on the bottle pictured above, Domaine Migot Brut Methode Traditionelle NV, a fresh and creamy sparkler made about 100 kilometers Southwest of Alsace, France. It has a slightly pink tinge, made with 100 percent Gamay grapes, with notes of yellow apple and currant. 

December 2018 Reading & Tasting

Book

December is a month when think about new beginnings, fresh starts, and resolutions for the new year. The premise for Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty seemed like the perfect match for this time: nine people who gather at a remote health resort looking for a reboot on life. Each endures a difficult ten days in hopes of leaving a better person, but does the answer to change really lie in a luxurious retreat? Also notable: Liane Moriarty is also the author behind Big Little Lies.

Wine

Along with looking forward, the end of the year is a time to reflect and look back as well. So this month, I went with one of the most prominent wine regions in history, one that is a pillar and model for winemaking: Bordeaux. It's the largest producing wine region in France, with organized viticulture dating back to the 6th century BC. The most common grape varieties for the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot for reds, and Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle for white. I'm drinking a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc; it's super earthy, with a little bit of spice and berry fruit. Show us what you're drinking and tag @bookwineclub.

November 2018 Reading & Tasting

Book

November, hey. You made it. The month of food, family, and a fury of Black Friday shopping. I found a book that represents at least two of those, JELL-O GIRLS by Allie Rowbottom, a memoir from the great-great-great-granddaughter of the man who bought the patent for Jell-O in 1899.  The story documents the extreme privilege of her family, as well as the alcoholism, suicides, and mysterious ailments they endured. Rowbottom explores her family's trauma, as well as in the every day American. I selected this memoir for the timely themes, but also because it sounds wild. 

Wine

To pair with our book, we will be drinking one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, but one I love for its ability to take on many forms,Grenache. It's a late ripening grape, so it usually grows in hot and dry conditions like Spain, but can also be found in France, Italy, the United States, and Australia. Typically, you can pick up notes of Grenache for its strawberry-black cherry-raspberry Fruit Roll Up notes, with hints of cinnamon and tobacco. However, when blended with other grapes, you may taste something completely different. The one I'm drinking is French, and blended with Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault, and tastes more like licorice and spices and than strawberries. 

October 2018 Reading & Tasting

Book

October is only a couple days away, a month that lends itself to thrillers, mysteries, and something a little darker. I selected Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton, a suspenseful tale of obsession, following the entwined lives of two women living in New York City. Louise is a failed writer who works three jobs in order to survive, while Lavinia is a wealthy socialite who introduced Louise to a more lavish lifestyle.  Burton is Vox's religion correspondent, so you can expect the story to feel very current, as she touches on cultural and economic themes of living in New York and modern day technology. 

Wine

NYC Book & Wine Club Member Katie Richey, a yoga teacher, bangin' home book and the resident lady wine nerd at Kings County Wines in Brooklyn, picked this month's wine. For the first full month of fall, Katie chose Dolcetto, a lesser-known Italian grape found in Piedmont. 

"Often in the shadow behind more well-known Piedmont grapes (I'm looking at you, Barolo, Barbera, Nebbiolo), Dolcetto is harvested, bottled, and sold early so winemakers can make money while their other wines age. It's a benchwarmer grape. But this month, we're putting it in the game!" she said. 

Katie's selection is spot-on for the season. She notes that in places like Dogliani, Dolcetto shines as a silky, red fruity, softly tannic wine that drinks the way your sweater feels. 

"When October arrives and all you want is to read on the couch in your soft pants, Dolcetto is your yet to be your new best friend," said Katie.