On Beauty & La Fea White Blend

This pairing crosses years and miles for me, but ends up the same as all the other: a good wine to sip on while you read a good book.

The Pairing

On Beauty by Zadie Smith and La Fea White Blend

I picked up On Beauty years ago from a hallway table with a little "Free Books" sign. I had no idea about Howards End or On Beauty and Being Just or any other inspirations, so it was one of those great reading experiences where I simply stumbled upon a book and enjoyed reading it, then got to dive into the layers later on.

But, no matter how many layers I find, I still want to strangle Howard.

"La fea" translates to "ugly." I was a little taken aback to see a wine called ugly, especially since it's very tasty. But as soon as I started to think about a book that deals with ugliness (and, naturally, beauty), Zadie Smith's book came to mind. Throughout the novel there are discussions not only around physical beauty, but the beauty within art and culture, as well. It didn't totally sell me on making these two a pair, but it was a start.

I did more research on this wine and discovered that it's named thus after Isabella I of Castile, the queen famously known for funding Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. Apparently, she wasn't super beloved by the people of Aragon, who nicknamed her "La Fea." (Yikes.) Isabella, no matter her personal appearance, was a real force. She got sh*t done. She was independent and powerful and never went along with other people's plans for her- she turned down like a zillion arranged marriages, which I didn't know women could do in the 1400s. It sounds like it went like this:

"Isabel, you're gonna have to marry Alfonso V. It'll create an alliance with Portugal."

"That's a nope for me."

"???"

"Also, got some news. I secretly married this guy that I thought was a better fit."

"?!?!"

Isabella's story finally sealed the deal: I had to pair this wine with On Beauty.

Here's the part where I try to bring it all together:

- La Fea is named after a powerful woman who was judged based on her appearance. Kiki, one of the main characters in On Beauty, is a woman who regains a lot of power and who is judged based on her appearance (namely by Howard, hate that guy).

- There is a painting that is important to the story, which is full of bright colors. This white blend is bright, as well, in a delicious appley way.

- The book focuses mostly on the Belsey family, which is a blended family in both race and ethnicity. This wine is a white blend. 

- This wine is described as being "open, with a fresh finish," which is also how I would describe this novel. 

My thoughts seem to be scattered today (except, apparently, when it comes to Isabella I of Castile). While writing this post, I kept pausing to stare out the window, trying to decide if today, September 1st, feels more like fall yet. Possibly a sign that I should shut down and enjoy the start of this holiday weekend.

My final thought... If you want to read about the lives of a number of characters that feel genuine, and flawed, and real, pick up On Beauty. Then let me know how much you dislike Howard.

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Just for fun, here's a picture of Isabella I of Castile, found on her Wikipedia page.