Where Your Next Great Escape Begins
You made it—and we’re so glad you’re here! Each month at Novel Pairings, we curate a vibe-filled experience that combines your love of stories, your curiosity about wine, and your craving for meaningful connection.
Here’s what we’re sipping, reading, and listening to this month
Don’t Forget! Our August Book + Wine Club Meeting is Sunday, August 24 at 5 p.m. PT
The Book
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
A sommelier, a schoolteacher, and one very complicated summer.
When ambitious New York sommelier Vivian Levy arrives at her late father’s lakeside cabin, she expects to spread his ashes, sell the house, and get back to her carefully curated life. Instead, she’s greeted by Lucy—the half-sister she never knew—who’s grieving, stubborn, and determined to keep the place.
Over one messy, sun-soaked summer, the sisters wade through grief, family secrets, and plenty of tension to uncover the truth about their father—and maybe find a way to uncork something new between them, too.
Equal parts heartfelt and deliciously dramatic, Maine Characters is a love letter to lake life, sisterhood, and second chances.
The Wine: Sancerre
We’re pairing Maine Characters with a Sancerre
because, well, Vivian’s mother said so!
We’re pairing Maine Characters with a Sancerre because this Loire Valley classic captures the book’s mood perfectly: bright, refreshing, and just complex enough to keep you coming back for another sip (or chapter). Like Orenstein’s story—full of family tension, self-discovery, and that unmistakable salty-aired, lake-life summer vibe—Sancerre balances zesty citrus and stony minerality with a softness that feels like sinking into a well-worn Adirondack chair at sunset. It’s the kind of wine you can imagine one of the Levys always keeping chilled in the fridge, ready to open as soon as things get just a wee bit awkward. Just like the novel, it invites conversation, nostalgia, and maybe even a little soul-searching, making it the perfect companion for this summer read.
About Sancerre:
Sancerre is a renowned appellation in the eastern Loire Valley of France, perched on rolling limestone hills along the upper reaches of the Loire River, about 120 miles south of Paris. All white wines labeled Sancerre are made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, which thrives in the region’s cool continental climate and distinctive soils—ranging from chalky limestone (called caillottes) to flint (silex) and clay-limestone (terres blanches). These soils impart the classic “flinty” minerality Sancerre is famous for, while the climate preserves the grape’s bright acidity and aromatic lift. If you’re not a fan of that really grassy, green—and dare we say, pungent—Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, this is the wine for you.
In the glass, Sancerre is typically crisp and vibrant, offering notes of citrus, green apple, gooseberry, and subtle herbal tones, all layered over that unmistakable stony backbone. It’s a benchmark expression of Sauvignon Blanc—refreshing yet complex, equally at home as an aperitif or paired with classic Loire Valley goat cheeses, seafood, and fresh summer veggies!
Remember, you must be over the age of 21 to purchase alcohol.
This is the sound of a Maine summer: windows down on winding coastal roads, the hum of conversation over a shared bottle of wine, and the bittersweet quiet of a house that holds a thousand memories. Inspired by Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein, this playlist blends dreamy Americana, woodsy New England folk, modern country storytelling, and nostalgic pop and rock classics. You’ll hear Lana Del Rey crooning over wide-open highways, Noah Kahan capturing the ache of returning home, Amy Winehouse’s smoky laments, Taylor Swift’s timeless love story, and John Mellencamp spinning small-town tales. It’s music for road trips and reunions, for late-night talks on the porch, for turning pages by the water as the sun dips behind the pines.
The Tunes
This is YOUR Space
This membership is your invitation to pause, unplug, and pour into yourself. Whether you come for the books, the wine, or the community, you’ll leave feeling a little lighter, a little more fulfilled—and ready to come back for more.