Outlander & Offley Ruby Port
If you know me personally, then you know that this post is particularly important. I'm what you might call a "fan" of the Outlander novels. I'm also what you might call "completely obsessed" with the Outlander novels.
With books as beloved to me as these, I was worried that I might agonize over the right wine. The take I took for this was to imagine myself as a part of the story, and then wonder what would be in my glass. This strategy narrowed the scope enough for me to find the right bottle. I would be drinking port.
There is a healthy amount of this fortified wine consumed during Claire's journey. This makes sense as the drink was a large import to England, Scotland, and Ireland at the time. Jamie and Claire seem to mostly drink French port, which is no longer a thing (just like Champagne, as of 1759 only the wine made in the Douro region of Portugal can be labeled "port"). For more on this, or for those that love diving headfirst into random Wikipedia learning-fests, check out this page on the history of Portuguese wine. When you're ready to resurface:
The Pairing
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Offley Ruby Port
It seems as those many people are unfamiliar with port (I gathered this data by asking a few friends, who all said they are unfamiliar with port), so I chose an easy ruby to pair with this 1,000 page adventure. Port has an interesting, poignant taste. You immediately notice the higher alcohol content, so for me it was more enjoyable to drink it with small sips rather than the healthy gulps with which I consume regular wine. This particular ruby is very dark and very fruity, offsetting the alcohol taste nicely. I really could not help but feel transported to dark Scottish castles or bright 1743 picnics.
If you have not read Outlander or seen the TV show, let me give you Diana Gabaldon's take on the series:
"In essence, these novels are Big, Fat, Historical Fiction, à la James Clavell and James Michener. However, owing to the fact that I wrote the first book for practice, didn’t intend to show it to anyone, and therefore saw no reason to limit myself, they include…
history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…"
I'd feel comfortable pairing it with many of the other novels in the series, but I must admit that I haven't yet finished them all- just this week I finished book 6 of 8, and Diana Gabaldon is still writing more- so I can't say for sure that it pairs with the series as a whole. Since it is NOT advisable to crush a bottle of port in one sitting, at least I know this pairing will last you long enough for me to come up with more.
Slàinte!
Page 60
No Outlander experience would be complete without the smells and tastes of the story. Light a Sassenach candle to feel like you're rummaging through herbs with Claire, or cook up some adapted recipes to feel like you've got a spot at the table with the Outlander Kitchen cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders. The image below is from my own kitchen! I adore this cookbook. Family favorite so far are Brianna's Bridies.
With books as beloved to me as these, I was worried that I might agonize over the right wine. The take I took for this was to imagine myself as a part of the story, and then wonder what would be in my glass. This strategy narrowed the scope enough for me to find the right bottle. I would be drinking port.
There is a healthy amount of this fortified wine consumed during Claire's journey. This makes sense as the drink was a large import to England, Scotland, and Ireland at the time. Jamie and Claire seem to mostly drink French port, which is no longer a thing (just like Champagne, as of 1759 only the wine made in the Douro region of Portugal can be labeled "port"). For more on this, or for those that love diving headfirst into random Wikipedia learning-fests, check out this page on the history of Portuguese wine. When you're ready to resurface:
The Pairing
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Offley Ruby Port
It seems as those many people are unfamiliar with port (I gathered this data by asking a few friends, who all said they are unfamiliar with port), so I chose an easy ruby to pair with this 1,000 page adventure. Port has an interesting, poignant taste. You immediately notice the higher alcohol content, so for me it was more enjoyable to drink it with small sips rather than the healthy gulps with which I consume regular wine. This particular ruby is very dark and very fruity, offsetting the alcohol taste nicely. I really could not help but feel transported to dark Scottish castles or bright 1743 picnics.
If you have not read Outlander or seen the TV show, let me give you Diana Gabaldon's take on the series:
"In essence, these novels are Big, Fat, Historical Fiction, à la James Clavell and James Michener. However, owing to the fact that I wrote the first book for practice, didn’t intend to show it to anyone, and therefore saw no reason to limit myself, they include…
history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…"
 |
| I don't keep port glasses on hand, but realized that tasting glasses are a perfect substitute. |
Of course, port is not the main beverage enjoyed by the characters of this book- whisky is. I considered introducing some form of Scotch whisky to PageFiftyNine for this pairing, but two issues kept bubbling up:
1) I don't like whisky
2) Whisky isn't wine
And so, port it is!
I'd feel comfortable pairing it with many of the other novels in the series, but I must admit that I haven't yet finished them all- just this week I finished book 6 of 8, and Diana Gabaldon is still writing more- so I can't say for sure that it pairs with the series as a whole. Since it is NOT advisable to crush a bottle of port in one sitting, at least I know this pairing will last you long enough for me to come up with more.
Slàinte!
Page 60
No Outlander experience would be complete without the smells and tastes of the story. Light a Sassenach candle to feel like you're rummaging through herbs with Claire, or cook up some adapted recipes to feel like you've got a spot at the table with the Outlander Kitchen cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders. The image below is from my own kitchen! I adore this cookbook. Family favorite so far are Brianna's Bridies.
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