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2020 has taken many things from us; it has taken our freedom, our peace of mind and, for many of us, our jobs. What 2020 cannot take from us, however, is our wine. The next time you’re planning a book club evening with a small group of friends, remember these 5 handy tips on how to choose the perfect wine for the evening’s festivities.

1      Keep Things Light & Breezy

Yes, reading the wine label still technically constitutes as reading, but let’s not forget the main (slash perhaps secondary, if we’re truly honest here) purpose of book clubs. It will be difficult to maintain some semblance of literary discussion if everyone is plonked. Choose a playful rosé with just the right amount of sweetness and fruit. It’s delicate on your palette and won’t leave you winded or slurring… which is always a plus in my books.

2     Find A Wine That Is Budget Friendly

If your book club friends are snooty, rude women – get a new book club. You don’t invite them into your home to judge you, that’s why we have mother-in-laws. Real friends wouldn’t do that, at least not always in front of you. Choosing a wine that is kinder on your pocket is just the wise thing to do, after all, you could end up going through 6 bottles and ordering a pizza – I certainly won’t judge you for either of those. I ate cereal and wine for dinner for most of my mid-twenties (not mixed together – I’m not a total savage).

3   Choose A Wine That Pairs Well

I’m no expert on wine; I am experienced though – very experienced. The way I see wine is a little like how I see my outfits – the sexier ones are more “night” wines. Much like I wouldn’t wear a black sequined dress to brunch, I also wouldn’t serve a merlot. Every wine has its perfect place and brunch wines do indeed exist - they just need to be found. Every wine has its perfect food pairing and even its perfect book pairing. Keep things simple at first, until you’re a black-belt wine connoisseur. Like I said before though, I’m no expert – I just have tenure.

4.    Keep It Simple

You may have your preferences when it comes to wine, perhaps you like to be winded by a spicy, dark wine-nado (cue acid reflux…), just remember that not everybody shares those preferences. Rather opt for something that can be enjoyed by the many and not just the few. You could have a few wine newbies in the mix and we don’t want to scare them off the grape for good. So, easy does it.

5.     Keep Things Fresh

I don’t just mean that you shouldn’t serve year-old open wine that’s been living in the shadows, that’s a given. If you do happen to have an old bottle lurking somewhere, shame on you – that wine never got to live out its wine dreams, or aspirations, and will now just be poured down the drain. Tsk, tsk. What I mean is keep things exciting - keep choosing new wines and new flavors. Always have back-up bottles of the good ones, but mix in some new ones too – after all, what is book club without wine? Not for me is what that is.