Settling down with a large glass of wine and a good book of an evening is one of our favourite ways to relax. Whether it’s an old classic or an anticipated new title, there’s nothing quite like pairing two of your favourite pastimes into one.

But have you ever thought of the perfect wine-book pairing? Is there a specific wine which will enhance the reading experience of your chosen book? Much like wine is often paired with food, we believe that there’s a wine for every title, no matter the genre. So join us as we take a look into to stocking your wine cellar to accompany your chosen title.

White Wine

If delving into a light hearted read is something that you enjoy, then a crisp and refreshing white wine is sure to enhance the uncomplicated adventure that you’re about to embark upon.

However, white wine isn’t to be completely tied to the easy going reads that adorn our bookshelves; in fact, one series that we would suggest pairing with white wine is “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R Martin.

Arbor Gold – a wine from the world of Westeros – alludes to this book’s perfect pairing with white wine. In the pages of the series, we find the rich and noble of the Seven Kingdoms consuming this vintage during spectacular and special celebrations.

With this in mind, a glass of Sauternes makes for a delicious accompaniment while exploring Westeros; its golden colouring and distinct sweetness akin to consuming real Arbor Gold.

Red Wine

If classic novels and hard hitting, dramatic storylines are more your taste, then a full bodied red wine is an incredible accompaniment  to really bring out the tension and thirst for drama.

As France is one of the world’s largest red wine producers, we couldn’t help but pour ourselves a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and delve back into the Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Tale of Two Cities”.

Taking place in both London and Paris during the French Revolution, the deeper and darker the tale becomes, the more a full bodied French red reflects the story as it unfolds.

Alternatively, you could partake in the historically focussed “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel, set in the 1500s. This documents the rise of Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII. Winning the Man Booker Prize in 2009, and having been adapted into an incredibly successful television series, we would definitely recommend delving deep into England’s history with a glass of Claret or Bordeaux; varieties which the Tudors themselves referred to as Gascon wine.

Port and Mead

If you are someone with a sweeter tooth, and are looking to indulge in a thrilling adventure from the comfort of your armchair, then port and mead are wonderful alternatives.

You may even return to Westeros to uncover the delectable Strongwine from Dorne, accompanied with a glass of port – the closest we will get in the real world to this heavy, almost black, sweet wine. Alternatively, if you prefer the fantasy lands of Middle Earth, you might encounter mead drinking dwarves with a glass of honey wine in your very own hand!

Truly immerse yourself into these literary worlds through selecting your wine accompaniment accordingly. Allow the words to leap from the page and onto your own taste buds, and we guarantee your reading experience will be greatly enhanced.