Flight Behavior & Monarch Glen Barbera
If you're not familiar with Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior or Barbera wine, then welcome to a brief introduction of both.
The Pairing
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and Monarch Glen Barbera
Flight Behavior follows Dellarobia Turnbow, a farmer's wife whose discovery awakens her own curiosity and starts conversations about science, nature, religion, class, and more. She's low on money and sanity, but one afternoon hike changes her life forever. Kingsolver's writing is at times light, at times hefty, but always rich.
Barbera is a medium-bodied red that could be called "wine of the people." It's not the fanciest of wines- it's grapes originally occupied the less-desirable lower slopes of vineyards in Italy- but you'll still find it to be juicy and easy to drink. The style has been recreated in other regions, such as Argentina and California, the latter of which is the home of the Monarch Glen Vintners. This Barbera is described as "luscious" and having a "sweet spice," both of which I find to be absolutely true. Just like our main character, you don't have to be rich and fancy to be special.
Once again, it works out that the wine whose taste profile pairs with this novel is also paired in name. In addition, I would rank it among the most aesthetically beautiful pairs thus far (both the wine label and the book cover shimmer, which is difficult to capture in a photograph). Keep this bottle in sight as you read for inspiration about the sights Dellarobia encounters during her awakening.
A last note- and another reason these pair so well- is that this wine has one of the juiciest initial smell-tastes* of the reds that I've tried.** The first time I tasted it, it really seemed like I was biting directly into a grape. A spicy grape. Flight Behavior, fittingly, follows a similar path. Kingsolver won't make you wait until the end for some lush imagery.
Happy sipping and flipping!
*I made this word up.
**Let's go ahead and emphasize a point... I'm not a Master Sommelier, I just like to drink a lot of affordable wine. I also like to have opinions, demonstrated by the fact that I started a blog that is almost entirely made up of my own opinions.
Page 60
An animated Monarch butterfly that can sit on the rim of your wine glass and a candle that smells like wet grass (it rains a lot in this novel) will keep you engrossed in the Turnbow world long after page 59.
The Pairing
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and Monarch Glen Barbera
Barbera is a medium-bodied red that could be called "wine of the people." It's not the fanciest of wines- it's grapes originally occupied the less-desirable lower slopes of vineyards in Italy- but you'll still find it to be juicy and easy to drink. The style has been recreated in other regions, such as Argentina and California, the latter of which is the home of the Monarch Glen Vintners. This Barbera is described as "luscious" and having a "sweet spice," both of which I find to be absolutely true. Just like our main character, you don't have to be rich and fancy to be special.
 |
| The combination of the two- a humble wine and a humble housewife- brings out a small ache in your heart, which will continue throughout Dellarobia's journey. |
Once again, it works out that the wine whose taste profile pairs with this novel is also paired in name. In addition, I would rank it among the most aesthetically beautiful pairs thus far (both the wine label and the book cover shimmer, which is difficult to capture in a photograph). Keep this bottle in sight as you read for inspiration about the sights Dellarobia encounters during her awakening.
 |
| Not pictured is my favorite cheese and crackers topping: Sriracha. Add a drop for more sweet spice. |
A last note- and another reason these pair so well- is that this wine has one of the juiciest initial smell-tastes* of the reds that I've tried.** The first time I tasted it, it really seemed like I was biting directly into a grape. A spicy grape. Flight Behavior, fittingly, follows a similar path. Kingsolver won't make you wait until the end for some lush imagery.
Happy sipping and flipping!
*I made this word up.
**Let's go ahead and emphasize a point... I'm not a Master Sommelier, I just like to drink a lot of affordable wine. I also like to have opinions, demonstrated by the fact that I started a blog that is almost entirely made up of my own opinions.
Page 60
An animated Monarch butterfly that can sit on the rim of your wine glass and a candle that smells like wet grass (it rains a lot in this novel) will keep you engrossed in the Turnbow world long after page 59.
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