Peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, and bacon and eggs are all classic pairings, but nothing goes better together than a glass of wine with a good book.
Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers is hosting an event entitled Page Pairings, where the Auburn community can do just that, enjoy a glass of wine with a book that suits its particular taste or vibe.
"We do six different wine tastings," said employee at Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers Alissa Brown, "They are all different wines paired with a different book."
The manager of Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers, Angela Wilhite explained that they always include a bubbly, a white, a rose and a red in the tasting.
"We love a good story, so we try to source wines that have a unique background," Wilhite said.
Brown explained everyone gets a little taste of the wine and a short speech at different stations set up around the store to see why certain books are associated with specific wines.
"We take a look at the story of the wine, its name, the winemakers, etc., and then we think of all the books we love and find one that shares a connection with the wine," Wilhite said. "For instance, last month one of our wines was Domaine du Viking Vouvray Sparkling Brut, so we paired it with Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings."
Just as there is a variation in the wine types included in the tasting, Wilhite said there is also a mixture of book genres presented at the event as well, such as nonfiction, fiction, memoirs and more.
"Usually we try to incorporate by the name or what kind of wine it is, why this wine is paired with this book type of deal," Brown said.
Page Pairings started in March 2022, with the creators of the event being the owner of Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers, June Wilcox, and the store's frontlist buyer, Ashley Warlick.
"They love books, and they love wine. Combining them was inevitable!" Wilhite said.
This event is now offered monthly at Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers after being a huge success.
"It's an event that both our customers and our booksellers look forward to. It's a fun night," Wilhite said.
Page Pairings is a great way to spend an evening on a date, hanging out with friends, or to simply relax alone with a novel and a glass of Cabernet.
Tickets are available on Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers' website. They are $30 online and include the tasting along with a book to take home at the end of the night of the guests' choosing.
Bottles of the wines available to taste are also for sale at the end of the night if any guest found a new favorite drink they would like to take home.
This book-inspired wine tasting will take place on March 15, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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Harlee Meydrech, senior in public relations with a minor in business, is the assistant managing editor at The Auburn Plainsman.
