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 in November
Mark Your Calendar: Our November Book Club meets Sunday, November 30 at 5 p.m. PT
The Book: Shield of Sparrows
by Devney Perry
We’re diving into romantasy (yes, finally!) with a story that’s full of magic, monsters, and a love that blossoms in the shadows. Shield of Sparrows follows Princess Odessa, forced into a marriage she didn’t ask for and sent to a land teeming with danger and royal intrigue.
Shield of Sparrows throws you into a world where five kingdoms are chained by a brutal treaty—and princess Odessa, always underestimated, suddenly becomes the one to seal it. When she’s whisked away to a foreign land and married into an alliance she never asked for, she must navigate court intrigue, looming monsters, and a silent Guardian whose secrets are as dangerous as the beasts they face. As Odessa learns to fight for her own destiny rather than the one her father arranged, the slow-burn romance deepens, and the threat to her world becomes heartbreakingly personal.
The Wine: Cantadora Wines
2021 “The Energizer for the Ages” GMS Blend
Made by my friend Kira Ballotta at Olivia Brion / Cantadora, this organically farmed Grenache-Mourvèdre-Syrah blend is bold, bright, and beautifully complex—crafted to honor the life and legacy of Janet Y. Spears, the woman who inspired it. Only 110 cases were made, each bottle carrying the story of a trailblazer who embodies compassion, courage, and an unwavering belief in equity.
Born in Richmond, California in 1963, Janet’s life threads together the stories of Black, queer, and working-class Americans striving toward dignity and change. As CEO of the Metta Fund, she leads initiatives that fight poverty and dismantle systemic inequality for the aging community—championing the idea that everyone deserves to grow old with grace, purpose, and respect. Fierce yet full of heart, she’s the kind of woman whose energy lingers long after you’ve spoken with her—thus the name The Energizer for the Ages.
Why We’re Pairing it with Shield of Sparrows
Just like Janet, Princess Odessa is thrust into a world that tests her strength and compassion in equal measure. Both women rise to meet extraordinary challenges with resilience and purpose, grounded in the belief that change—real, lasting change—requires courage. This wine, much like the novel, celebrates quiet power, fierce integrity, and the beauty of stepping fully into one’s role even when the world expects something smaller.
Pour a glass of The Energizer for the Ages as you read; it’s an ode to strong women, bold choices, and the stories that remind us of our own capacity to lead, to love, and to fight for something bigger than ourselves.
In the Bay Area? I’ll pick up bottles directly from the winemaker and deliver to you to help save on shipping costs!
Shield of Sparrows: Rise & Reclaim
A romantasy soundtrack for heroines who rise, fight, and forge their own fate. Shield of Sparrows pulses with power, grit, and grace—each track celebrates women standing tall through fear, fire, and love. For every reader who knows that soft doesn’t mean weak, and strength can bloom in the ashes.
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.