Where Your Next Great Escape Begins
Here’s what we’re sipping, reading, and listening to this month
Mark Your Calendar: Our January Book Club meets Sunday, January 25 at 5 p.m. PT
Lands of Lost Borders follows Kate Harris as she bikes the entirety of the Silk Road…not to conquer it, but to understand it. Moving through Turkey, Central Asia, China, Nepal, and India, she reflects on borders both real and imagined, on friendship, courage, and the hunger to keep asking “what if?” even when the road is hard.
It’s thoughtful, tender, and vividly written. It’s a book about wonder, resilience, and the way travel can reshape how we see the world and ourselves. Harris weaves history, philosophy, and humor into dusty roads, border crossings, and small human moments, reminding us that exploration isn’t about planting flags; it’s about noticing, questioning, and staying open to possibility.
The Book: Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road
The Wine: A Sip & Read Adventure!
For a book about crossing borders, defying limits, and embracing the unexpected, it only feels right that our wine pairing works the same way. Instead of one “perfect” bottle, this is a Choose Your Own Adventure challenge inspired by the countries Kate bikes through in Lands of Lost Borders.
Because here’s the truth: depending on where you live, your local shops, shipping laws, and what your stores actually carry, your options may look wildly different than someone else’s. And honestly… we love that. It feels beautifully aligned with the book’s spirit: discovery, curiosity, improvising when the road changes, and celebrating what you can find.
So rather than stressing about tracking down one specific bottle, you get to:
explore wines from any country Kate visits:
Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Nepal, India
discover something new to you
support your local shops
and share your own “route” with the group
No wrong answers. No perfect pairing. Just adventure, flavor, and a shared sense of wonder as we travel the Silk Road, one sip at a time.
Georgia is the country you’re most likely to actually find on shelves. Happily, its wines are also some of the most soulful, conversation-worthy out there.
Wine with Ancient Soul
Georgia isn’t just a wine country—it’s one of the birthplaces of wine itself. Winemaking here dates back 8,000 years, and many producers still use qvevri (huge clay vessels buried underground) to ferment and age their wines. Everything feels deeply rooted, earthy, and alive… which is pretty perfect for a book about history, borders, and the persistence of human spirit.
Rkatsiteli (White) Georgia’s classic white: bright, expressive, quietly confident
flavors: citrus, green apple, pear, subtle floral notes, sometimes a touch of honey or herbs
texture: crisp, refreshing, clean with gentle weight
great for: Pinot Grigio / Albariño lovers who want something new
Easy-to-find Producers: Teliani Valley • Orgo • Tbilvino
Saperavi (Red) Georgia’s signature grape: bold, inky, full-bodied
flavors: dark cherry, plum, pomegranate, black tea, smoke, spice
texture: firm tannins, grounding and powerful
Easy-to-find Producers: Pheasant’s Tears • Orgo • Kindzmarauli Marani • Teliani Valley
Amber / Skin-Contact White (Qvevri White): White grapes fermented with their skins → deeper color, richer story, more texture. This is Georgia’s ancient heart in a glass.
flavors: apricot, dried orange peel, tea leaves, honeycomb, spice
texture: layered, textural, gently tannic (a little grip in the best way)
great for: adventurous drinkers + conversation lovers
Easy-to-find Producers: Pheasant’s Tears • Orgo • Iago’s • Ramaz Nikoladze
Find a shop near you that’s selling Georgian Wines: https://www.georgianwinehouse.com/buy-georgian-wine
Or, purchase directly from Silk Road Wine: https://silkroadwines.com/traditional-georgian-wines-silk-road-wines
Can’t find something from these regions? Pick a wine that feels bold, curious, or boundary-breaking and tell us why you chose it.
“Lands of Lost Borders: A Musical Journey Along the Silk Road”
A soundtrack for sprawling landscapes, physical and mental endurance, and the poetry of travel. Inspired by Lands of Lost Borders, this playlist blends indie folk, atmospheric instrumentals, global sounds, and reflective pop to evoke the Silk Road’s wild horizons, border crossings, friendships, and moments of quiet revelation.
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.