Words from a Wine Worm

Introducing a new segment to The Little Grape featuring my two favourite things: wine and books.

I have two passions in life: wine and books. The latter came first and helped to inform my understanding of the former. I’ve been a voracious reader ever since I was young. Starting with Sheltie the Shetland Pony and Animal Ark, I moved into the Harry Potter universe (I still remember staying up late, knees up, eyes straining engrossed in The Goblet of Fire) and beyond. The one and only roadblock came when I struggled through, and nearly gave up on dense Jane Eyre but one small bump in the road couldn’t put me off. I have continued to read almost every day for the last two decades and it’s one of my most treasured hobbies. Wine, of course, is the other woman in my relationship but this came later. I spent hours pouring over Jancis Robinson’s Wine Atlas, trying to memorise places and grapes, so my love of books helped my wine knowledge increase rapidly during the early days. If I hadn’t liked reading, would I have become wine-obsessed? Chicken and egg…

In 2023, inspired by an FT article, I set myself the challenge of reading 52 books in one year. Averaging a book a week was harder than I thought but I persevered and successfully completed the challenge at the end of December. Strangely enough, this didn’t spoil my love of reading. In fact, the challenge helped me find the courage to start this newsletter. I guess all those words had to go somewhere.

A collage of the 52 book covers!

This leads me onto this new and hopefully interesting segment of The Little Grape. I want to share some of my favourite reads with you and what better way to do this then by selecting a wine to go along with it. Lots of people do the ‘food & wine’ thing but wine and books is relatively uncharted territory. My dream would be to open a wine and book shop one day but for now I have this newsletter.  

Reading with wine is a way of savouring flavours and words on your own. Drinking is often a social activity so you don’t have time to consider texture and flavour. Sipping whilst reading is a quiet, almost meditative moment where you can reflect on flavour and meaning without any distraction. We don’t get many quiet moments but this is one that’s easy to manifest.

My genuine love of these two things puts me in a great position to recommend. Alongside the great novels, I’ve read some weird, outrageous and downright dull books. Similarly, I’ve tasted boring and bad bottles too. Let me select the golden eggs for you - trust me I’ve done the research. 

This segment might not appeal to all of you but I can’t think of many people who don’t like reading a book with a glass of wine. It’s one of my favourite things and an activity that we should all make time for. Step away from your device for thirty minutes, pour yourself a glass and open a book. You will not regret it.

So, every so often I will drop a book and wine combo, an intellectual Meal Deal, into my newsletters. Don’t worry, the book won’t be a wine book because even I need a break! I’ll recommend something I’ve read recently or a book that has stuck with me and select a wine to pair alongside it. There might not be much cross reference between the book and the bottle because generally, I’ll go for two things I’ve enjoyed recently rather than forcing a connection between the two. Wine and books are incredibly subjective so you might not always agree or like my choices but that’s fun right? Disagreements create conversation.

My first combination is: Butter by Asako Yuzuki and 2023 Rioja Blanco by Muga 

Butter - Asako Yuzuki

Part of a wave of Japanese novelists finding fame in the UK, Yuzuki is a name to remember. Everything about Butter is intriguing. From the bold cover (a blend of Pop art and restaurant menu) to the blurb, I wanted to dive in from the moment I saw it in bookshops. Without giving too much away, Butter is part-whodunit part-relationship drama featuring two main female characters: Manako Kajii and Rika. We enter their world with an undernourished Rika (both physically and mentally) working crazy hours as a journalist and Kajii locked up in prison. After a miraculous visit (Kajii famously refuses visitors until Rika contacts her) their stories intertwine with Kajii influencing Rika’s life in spooky, unforeseen ways. 

Butter is weird and wonderful with black comic elements mingling with moreish food imagery. Don’t be afraid of the mad plot because it is underlined with serious comments on diet culture and feminism in Japan. Manako Kajii is an extraordinary protagonist that you simultaneously dislike and admire - a confusing feeling! The mixture of murder and food with Japan as the backdrop is compelling and I found myself yearning to get back to it while on holiday this summer. Plot-aside, I enjoyed the starkness of Yuzuki’s writing; there’s very little fluff. She gets to the point and aside from elaborate cook-a-longs, there aren’t many long, descriptive passages. Yuzuki manages to remove her authorial ego from the page, leaving the characters to speak for themselves. I guarantee you’ll finish it and want to get cooking immediately. My one critique is it’s a touch too long but nevertheless I loved this book and I think all ages will enjoy it. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, this is the perfect book to enjoy while traveling. 

Yellow on yellow - these look and taste good together.

It would be too obvious to pair Butter with a buttery Chardonnay but how about a buttery, White Rioja in instead? 

2023 Rioja Blanco, Muga 

I’m sure most of you have encountered Rioja before but did you know that Rioja is a region and that red, white and rose wines are made there. Rioja Tinto (red) is their most famous export but the whites are growing in popularity. Muga are one of the key producers in Haro, the heartland of Rioja.

A blend of traditional northern spanish grape varieties: Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia, you can expect flavours of pear, nectarine, clementine alongside hints of vanilla pod, sweet spice and even a butter. This wine has a lovely texture, which is down to the use of oak barrels (Rioja is obsessed with oak) and lees stirring. There’s an oiliness and weight that is right up my street and I really think this wine is a great option if you want to try something different without spending loads.

Priced around £12-£14 per bottle it’s good value too. I’ve included the link to buy at Majestic but I’m sure you’ll find it in other shops too. 

Tuck into Muga’s Rioja Blanco and Yuzuki’s Butter and let me know how it goes!