Full Bodied Book-and-Wine Pairings
1899
Book: The Old Man and The Sea
Inspired by: Ernest Hemingway
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
A dry and tart wine like a Sauvignon Blanc is perfectly paired with seafood, salty goat cheeses and the likes of a Cuban voyage in the novel The Old Man and the Sea, the story of a battle between an aging, experienced fisherman, Santiago, and a large marlin. As one of Ernest Hemingway’s best works, the author was an inspiration for 1899 where a twirling vanilla vanishes while playing hide-and-seek with vigorous vetiver.
1740
Book: Justine
Inspired by: Marquis de Sade
Wine: Ruby Port
A Ruby Port is an intense red with aromas of ripe grapes and berries. It pairs with chocolate, cherries, strong flavored desserts, and the provocative writings of Marquis de Sade, who inspired 1740, davana, cistus labdanum and patchouli unveil the depth of their woodsy notes to evoke a charismatic nature along with an intoxicating seduction. The novel in question is Justine. A young orphan on her way to France who receives lessons in sex and desire on her uest for virtue.
1828
Book: Around the World in Eighty Days
Inspired by: Jules Verne
Wine: Shiraz
Shiraz is exotic with notes of black olive and blackberry, with an intense flavor and a spicy finish, to be paired with hearty bites and cheery adventures. Like those of Jules Verne, who inspired 1828, the scent of a treasure chest crafted from precious Wood and filled with Spices from faraway lands, stowed on a boat sailing uncharted seas. Like his dapper protagonist of , Around the World in Eighty Days Phileas Fogg of London and his French valet Passepartout who try to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager.
1804
Book: Indiana
Inspired by: George Sand
Wine: Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is light-bodied, fairly easy-drinking, but often with a slightly bitter undertone. While it pairs well with light cheeses, an honest and bold flavor profile would match it best. Like the works of George Sand, a writer of genius, great lover and committed, she was the incarnation of the first modern woman. 1804 inspired by her is an An amber flower bouquet, in remembrance of George Sand’s bond uniting her with nature, warmed with heady spices and colored by sweet fruits. This was the first novel that George Sand wrote without a collaborator, and Indiana is not only a romance but also a powerful plea for change in the inequitable French marriage laws of the time, and makes a point to battle for better education for women and their status in society.
1725
Book: The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova
Inspired by: Giacomo Casanova
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with boldness that pairs with game meats like beef, lamb and aged cheeses. Just like the bold Giacomo Casanova, who’s memoir Histoire de ma vie (The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova) is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century. He inspired 1725, inviting intense pleasure, an amber fern mixing fine wooded tunes and touches of lemony freshness, sublimed by the elegance of lavender.
1876
Book: The Spy
(by Paulo Coehlo)
Inspired by: Mata Hari
Wine: Rosé
The classic flirty summer drink is a crisp, light, pink rosé that matches as well with summer salads as it does with hearty fruits. Much like Mata Hari, meaning "the eye of day" in Malay, an exotic dancer turned famous spy, whose captivating beauty and taste for adventure built up an out of the ordinary destiny. She inspired 1876, where a spicy rose mingles with the most exquisite woodsy and fruity essences. In bestselling author Paulo Coelho’s The Spy, he brings to life one of history's most enigmatic women, Mata Hari, who’s only crime was to be an independent, vivacious woman.
1826
Book: Eugénie: The Empress and Her Empire
(by Desmond Seward)
Inspired by: Eugénie de Montijo
Wine: Moscato
The perfect summer wine of grace and taste, a Moscato is floral and sweet. Sip it with fresh fruit, hazelnut parfaits, vanilla cakes, and essentially everything that you imagine an empress would have in her palace. Eugénie: The Empress and Her Empire chronicles 1853 to 1870 when Eugenie de Montijo was the world's most powerful woman who shared the Second Empire with her husband, Napoleon III, so impressing the Prussian Chancellor Bismarck that he called her 'the only man in Paris'. Eugenie de Montijo inspired 1826, a sensual Amber carried by the power of white flowers and patchouli, of which the empress loved the unforgettable vapor trail.
7753
Book: Mona Lisa: A Life Undiscovered
(by Dianne Hales)
Inspired by: Mona Lisa
Wine: Chardonnay
A light, zesty Chardonnay is a travel friendly citrus infused spring of fun that pairs with creamy seafood and the enchanting story of the Mona Lisa. 7753 stands for the dimensions of Mona Lisa painting and is an unquiet meeting of tuberose and ivy, of vetiver and Sandalwood under a citrus haze. Mona Lisa: A Life Undiscovered by Dianne Hales pairs perfectly to unravel her story: A genius immortalized her. A French king paid a fortune for her. An emperor coveted her. Every year more than nine million visitors trek to view her portrait in the Louvre.
1969
Book: 1969: The Year Everything Changed
(by Rob Kirkpatrick)
Inspired by: 1969 An Erotic Year
Wine: Merlot
Merlot tastes of juicy red fruits and has a soft finish to pair with a sexy meal and a romantic memoir, much like the revolutionary year 1969 that inspired it and its namesake scent 1969. This perfume represents the sexual revolution and evokes an intense sensuality, accentuated by fruits of the sun, peaches, white musk and intense chocolate. 1969: The Year Everything Changed is a rich, comprehensive narrative, chronicling an unparalleled year in American society in all its explosive ups and downs, like the sexual position, the Stonewall Riots, Woodstock, the moon landing, Charles Manson, Richard Nixon, the Vietnam War, and more.
1889: Moulin Rouge
Book: Moulin Rouge
(by Pierre La Mure)
Inspired by: Moulin Rouge
Wine: Pinot Noir
Sip a dry and light-bodied Pinot Noir and enjoy the luscious smooth finish with a board of French cheeses and crackers while enjoying the seduction of the Moulin Rouge. Both a namesake novel by Pierre La Mure based on the life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, it also inspires 1899: Moulin Rouge, based on the nights of Paris when the cabaret comes to life. A heady blend of powdered lipstick and sparkling tangerine where Plum has the sweet plumpness of a shoulder, where bodies brush against each other in a cloud of feathers, sequins, and anticipation.
