This wine has quickly become one of my favorites. Here’s a little background information gathered from their website:
-This wine is produced at Bavarian Lion Vineyards in Calistoga, California
-The vineyard is certified sustainable.
-Part of the estate is devoted to the vineyard, but the rest is preserved for natural wildlife
If tours are available, and you’re into bird watching as well wine tasting, you might want to visit. I sure do.
I’m excellent at pairing wines with books. But when it comes to wine and food pairings, I’m not as skillful nor as strategic. I’ve never been an adherent to the rule that red wine should accompany meat, white is best alongside chicken and fish, and champagne is only for celebratory events (one can always find something to celebrate.) I choose according to my own particular fancy, and I’ve had the Ehret Cab with a variety of foods. It’s rich, fruity, and flavorful. But keep in mind, its concentration is deceptive. So, proceed responsibly. Take your time and enjoy a glass. Concentrate and define its flavor profile. Create an experience.
And while you’re creating an experience, how about bringing a book along for company? My suggestion would be Kevin Wilson’s latest novel Now Is Not The Time To Panic.
Moving back and forth through time, Now Is Not The Time To Panic, tells the story of Frances Budge, a successful young adult fiction writer. Frances is happily married with a young daughter, who keeps her on her toes. But one day, she receives a call. It’s from a journalist on the hunt for a story. Before Frances can think to hang up, the journalist delivers a strange message: “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.”
With those words, we are instantly transported along with Frances to her hometown of Coalfield, Tennessee. It’s 1996, and Frances (known as Frankie) is sixteen years old. She’s an aspiring author who prefers to walk it alone. Filled with all of the hormones and angst commonly associated with teenagers, Frankie carries the added burden of heartbreak. Her father abandoned the family, leaving her mother alone to take care of Frankie and her rabble-rousing older brothers. From either a fear of being misunderstood or a belief that relationships can only lead to disappointment, Frankie has become the classic teenage loner.
But one hot summer day, she meets the new boy in town. His name is Zeke, and their connection is immediate. Like Frankie, Zeke is a creative type – a talented visual artist. Also like Frankie, Zeke has suffered through his own family trauma.
Together these two misfits will create a work of art, a poster to be exact, and the message it delivers will in time send their small community into a frenzy.
Art can so easily be misinterpreted, especially when viewed by an inflexible mind. Things we don’t understand, we tend to fear. And this leads us into dangerous territory.
But the interesting thing about art is its ability to reach far beyond its starting point. And for every inflexible mind it encounters there are a host of open-minds willing to take it in; willing to celebrate its beauty.
Kevin Wilson is a brilliant story-teller. Honest and humorous, he can break your heart and just as quickly have you in stitches. So, if you haven’t already, add this novel to your reading list.
A votre sante!
And lastly, here’s a library shout out from loyal booksandbevs7 follower, Pam:
“I have a general shout out to my local library: East Bonner County Library which we simply call The Library. Among their many appreciated qualities is that they often buy requested items instead of using inter-library loans. This is lovely since it makes me feel like I am contributing to the growth of the library’s collection.”
What a great idea! I wish more libraries had the funding to do this. Thank you so much, Pam. I’m sure East Bonner County Library appreciates you and your community’s support.
Remember you can send a message of thanks to your local bookstore/library, too. Just email me at ginnymalbec@booksandbevs7.org with your message and I’ll include it in a future post.
~G