Wines and books, what a delight!
By G. G. Jolly
Life and writing: a criterion of civilization
The famous phrase attributed to Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War states: "The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine." This transition from subsistence agriculture to wine production represents a higher stage of patience, stability, and technical sophistication.
Similarly, the invention of writing marks the civilizational leap where human memory leaves material records. It is not surprising to find literary traces of this union from Homer's Odyssey to biblical songs celebrating wine that "gladdens the heart of man."
Bibliophilia and Oenophilia: Essential Pairings
On the occasion of World Book Day, promoted by UNESCO, we present a selection of works where wine is the protagonist, accompanied by its ideal label available in our cellar.
1. The Cellar – Noah Gordon (2007)
A young man discovers the peace that politics denied him through manual labor and Catalan vines.
Pairing: Red Wine +7 Més que set (Pinord, Penedès).
2. The Temptress – María Dueñas (2015)
Adventures during the boom of the "sherry" industry in 19th-century Cadiz.
Pairing: Amontillado Tío Diego (Valdespino).
3. Dandelion Wine – Ray Bradbury (1957)
Childhood nostalgia evoked through citrus and floral extracts.
Pairing: Submission Rosé (689 Cellars).
4. Sideways – Rex Pickett (2004)
Midlife crisis resolved among California vineyards.
Pairing: Pinot Noir Educated Guess.
5. Taste – Roald Dahl (1951)
A battle of wits over the identity of a mysterious wine.
Pairing: D de Dauzac (Bordeaux).
6. The Moon Vineyard – Carla Montero (2023)
Secrets of the Champagne region during the German occupation.
Pairing: Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve.
7. Wine & War – Don & Petie Kladstrup (2001)
Historical essay on the protection of French wine heritage against the Nazis.
Pairing: Château Magnol (Haut-Médoc).
8. The Story of Wine – Hugh Johnson (1989)
An erudite journey from Anatolia to the present day.
Pairing: Port Ruby Reserve Sotto Voce.
9. The Drunkard's Walk – Lawrence Osborne (2004)
Philosophical reflection on civilizational refinement and intoxication.
Pairing: Caiarossa Biodynamic (Tuscany).
10. What is Wine? – Béla Hamvas (1945)
A mystical philosophy of wine written in the post-war era.
Pairing: Riesling GG Berg Schlossberg.
11. I Drink, Therefore I Am – Sir Roger Scruton (2009)
Wine as a tool to return us to the terroir and reflection.
Pairing: Château Fakra (Lebanon).
