A Chardonnay Worth Screaming About
The Book:
Project Hail Mary is Andy Weir's follow-up to The Martian, and honestly, it might be better. An astronaut wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there or what his mission is, and has to piece it together while solving a problem that could decide whether humanity survives. It's the kind of sci-fi where you're constantly going "wait, could this actually happen?" The book is grounded enough in real science (that the average person can actually understand) that you believe it, even when things get wild. I listened to this one on audiobook while walking the dogs, and the number of times I gasped, cried, or straight-up screamed "NOT ROCKY" had my whole neighborhood wondering if I was okay. It's so full of heart. I slept on this book for way too long and I'm mad about it.
The Pairing:
Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)
Why It Works:
Chardonnay is one of the most malleable grapes in winemaking. The same grape can come out lean and mineral or rich and layered, entirely depending on choices made in the cellar. That's basically Ryland Grace's whole arc: an ordinary guy who saves the human race not through innate heroism, but through careful, applied problem-solving… it’s the same kind of deliberate craft that shapes an ordinary grape into something extraordinary. You want a bottle where that craft still shows: bright fruit with real texture, not smoothed into something generic.
The Bottle:
My pick: 2023 Chardonnay, Bishop Forbes Wines (Sonoma). This one hits the tasting notes I want for Project Hail Mary—bright citrus and green apple up front, with texture that keeps revealing something new the longer you drink it—and it's made by Lisa Bishop Forbes, one of the kindest, most wonderful people I know, whose winemaking beautifully blends science and art. That felt almost too perfect for a book that's basically about doing the same thing.
Alternate: Any Sonoma County Chardonnay with bright acidity, citrus and green apple, and restrained oak. Skip the buttery, heavy-oak styles here: you want freshness and texture working together, not one steamrolling the other.
This is the kind of pairing that shows up in the newsletter most weeks: a book, a wine, and why they go together. If that sounds like your kind of email, you know what to do.
About Erin Kirschenmann
Erin Kirschenmann is the founder of Novel Pairings and Managing Editor at Wine Business Monthly. She holds a WSET Diploma, teaches at Napa Valley Wine Academy, and was named to Beverage Dynamics' 40 Under Forty in 2025—but mostly, she just really loves matching a good book to the right glass of wine. Every month, Novel Pairings members get a new pairing like this one, plus the book club, playlists, and community to go with it. [Learn more →]
