Tell us your favorite wine, we'll tell you what book to read

Editor's note: This blog post was written by Outdoor Book Club intern Victoria Walenga

At Outdoor Book Club, we believe there’s no better combination in the summer than wine, a good book, and some free time. With summer comes more social gatherings where you might want to impress your friends. This time you won’t be sipping whatever you have in the wine cabinet. Your wine will have a pairing purpose because it goes with your favorite book.  But with so many books — and so many wines — to choose from how do you know which ones to try next?

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Comedy / Funny Memoirs

If some of your favorite books are written by authors like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Issa Rae, Mindy Kaling or Amy Schumer, this is the wine you should pair with your next summer read: ​

• Chardonnay has notes of fruity tropical flavors like pineapple, passion fruit, and peach. This wine doesn’t need a sophisticated palate in order to be enjoyed - Chardonnay is a perfect pair with a light laugh-filled bubbly read.​
• Sauvignon Blanc is another great option because it has crisp fruity notes such as lime, kiwi, white peach, and green apple. Perfect for the carbonated comedy that comes with these novels.

Dark / Serious / Mystery / Murder / Scary

If you’re a dark, thrilling, mystery book connoisseur with favorite titles such as Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, or Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, these are the wines you should pick up the next time you’re at the store:

• Pinot Noir has dim but delicate notes of cranberry, cherry, and raspberry. A perfect blend to pair with the next deep, dark, mysterious novel you have on your summer reading list - plus, you’ll look extra sophisticated with a book in one hand and a dark red wine in the other.
• Cabernet Sauvignon is another great option because of its darkened and daring notes of cherry, black currant, pepper and blackberry. Since this wine is grown in varying climates and areas of the world, no region tastes the same. Not only does your book have suspenseful twists, but so does your wine. 

Literary Classics

Who doesn’t love the classics? If your favorite books include The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Animal Farm, and Lord of the Flies, then this wine is for you:

• Dry Riesling is the foolproof pair for these classics for its dry citrus and berry flavors. What else would you pair with dry humor and climatic plot twists?
• ​Viognier for its strong aromatic hints of rose, honeysuckle, mango, and peach. It's a perfect wine for those who enjoy classic novels that have love and romance sprinkled in. 

Romance 

I must admit, I am a sucker for all things romantic. If some of your tried and true books include anything from Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, T.S. Krupa, or Jane Austen then here’s the wine for you: 

• Champagne for its lively, bubbly citrus flavors with cherry and almond undertones. Anything Effervescent and fruity sounds like a perfect romance to me!
• Gewürztraminer is another great choice for its sweet aromatic notes of berries, fruit, and citrus. A chilled glass of this wine is guaranteed to cool you down after a steamy chapter in one of these novels. 

Uplifting / Inspirational / Self-Help

Last but not least, if you’re an avid reader of life-changing inspirational books that tend to revise your outlook on life, then here’s the perfect pairing for you:  

• Pinot Grigio for its faint honeyed citrus and floral notes complete with honeysuckle, pear, white nectarine, and lemon. So now you can feel inspired and refreshed at the same time!
• Sparkling wine for you teetotalers who prefer having a clear head rather than a cloudy sense of judgement. 

So do you have a favorite wine/book combo? Let us know in the comments!


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