Naked Wines: Our Favourite Wine-and-Book Pairings

Thank you for being a part of our Booktopia community!

We’ve partnered with Naked Wines to give you the perfect wine pairing to some of our favourite reads over the summer.

Naked has given Booktopia customers access to an exclusive, boutique case offer from Australia’s best independent winemakers. Plus, they even unlocked $100 off your first case.*

Find some of the wines featured and their perfect pairing below!

Claim your $100 off here*

Time of My Life by Myf Warhurst

Perfectly pairs with Obelisk Wines Pilotage Plan Cabernet Merlot 2021

Myf Warhurst links music with memories in a heartwarming, captivating and uplifting memoir. There’s a beautiful fusion of heart and joy in this very personal and delightfully insightful book, just like the robust and juicy Cabernet Merlot from Obelisk Wines. Just like Myf, this wine is also a real crowd pleaser – medium bodied with a delectable flavour combination of fresh berries, choc-mint and spice. Hand crafted with love and passion, this deep coloured red wine is the perfect pairing for a tale that is all about magical matches. Add in a feast of tender roast lamb and you’re absolutely set for a perfect night in!

Exiles by Jane Harper

Perfectly pairs with R. Paulazzo NSW Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Intense and brooding, this mystery by bestselling author Jane Harper will have you hooked from the very beginning. While you join investigator Aaron Falk to try and decipher who is behind the confusing disappearance of a mother, you’ll need an equally powerful drop to savour. NSW Winemaker Rob Paulazzo has just the thing – his 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with intense blackcurrant and dark cherry layers. It’s a full-bodied red and its grippy tannins make it an ideal match for the tense undertones of this read. A tasty meal of rich, slow-cooked lamb will allow each sip to linger long on your palate and enhance the food’s flavours. Your only challenge will be how to juggle your fork, glass and book at the same time… because you’ll be unwilling to put any of them down!

We Love Love by Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley

Perfectly pairs with Jen Pfeiffer The Rebel Merlot 2021

Former Bachelor finalists and hosts of top podcast Life Uncut, Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne are the ultimate wing women. They are vulnerable and authentic as they tackle all the big topics around love. We get the feeling the girls would also fully endorse pouring a glass of wine by another trailblazing, strong woman, to sip on while you turn pages. The Rebel Merlot by legendary winemaker Jen Pfeiffer is the perfect match as you navigate your way through their love and life advice. Like many an inspiring woman, it’s voluptuous and smooth… with just the right amount of spice! Pull a gooey goat’s cheese and mushroom tart out of the oven as you crack chapter four and settle in for a cosy evening of laughs and maybe even a few cathartic tears.

It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Perfectly pairs with Boy Meets Girl Chardonnay Sparkling 2022

A fabulous book about true love meets its perfect match with Boy Meets Girl Chardonnay Sparkling 2022. Boy Meets Girl is a wine label that began with a love story of its own (that continues to this day), and their fresh, delicate bubbles are an absolute dream to sip on as you devour this book. It Starts With Us is the long-anticipated sequel to the blockbuster smash It Ends with Us. Colleen Hoover shares fan favourite Atlas’s side of the story and shares what comes next. That includes Atlas being reunited with Lily – and after two years of separation, she doesn’t hesitate when he asks her on a date. But Lily’s ex-husband Ryle is much less thrilled at the prospect. This book switches between the perspectives of Atlas and Lily – Boy and Girl – and follows their path towards a potential second chance at love. The excited fizz in your stomach will be matched by the scrumptious bubbles on your tongue, as you happily sip on this light, balanced bottle of sparkling wine. It has a lovely bright scent, complemented by a hint of fresh berries and cream… and just so happens to pair perfectly with freshly shucked oysters, a known aphrodisiac. Cancel your Friday night plans – this is the dream night in! 

The Guy Who Decides by Jimmy Rees

Perfectly pairs with Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Rose 2022

When it comes to making decisions, social media superstar Jimmy Rees tackles all the big questions – who decides on the collective nouns for animals? What horoscopes are what? Which Olympic sports do we take on and why? With Jimmy doing the heavy lifting (and supplying a truckload of laughs in the process), a few glasses of Rose by Victorian winemaker Sam Plunkett are the ideal accompaniment. Light, fresh and fabulous, it’s the perfect balance to the hilarious angst Jimmy delivers. This beautiful pale pink wine has aromas of red apples with a delicate floral lift. It’s lightly sweet, with the perfect amount of acid to give it a balanced and zippy finish… much like a fabulous punchline. With the wide variety of themes being covered and versatility of this Rose, we recommend an irresistible array of tapas to nibble on too.

The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland

Perfectly pairs with Army Of Grapes Pinot Grigio 2022

Raw and emotional, this is a beautiful story by Holly Ringland about love, sisterly bonds and navigating your way through grief. Esther and her family are struggling with the loss of her sister, Aura. To discover the truth about her death, Esther travels from Tasmania to Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands, guided by the magical fairytales and cryptic verses her sister left behind. The story is all about the power of courage and opening your heart to the fullness of both grief and joy – simple notions with layers of complexity. The same could be said for the Army of Grapes Pinot Grigio 2022. Made in Western Australia, the grapes have a legacy of travel too, having been selected to replicate a traditional Italian Grigio style. This Pinot Grigio is a dry white wine, with abundant fruit and crisp acidity. Much like Aura, there’s a hint of the exotic about it and a tonne of layers. Green apple, pear, nectarine and lemon on the nose, then honeysuckle and minerality on the palate. It’s a wine that is perfect for all occasions that involve good friends, family and food – ideally an oversized bowl of steaming pasta, for everyone to share.

The Tilt by Chris Hammer

Perfectly pairs with Wiley Rooster Mudgee Cabernet 2021

This is a stunning, multi-layered novel by the much-loved master of Detective novels, Chris Hammer. Fresh to the job, homicide detective Nell Buchanan is assigned a cold case murder in her former home town. The closer she comes to the truth, the more dangerous things become – and Nell realises she too, needs to survive. The harsh Australian landscape is entwined in this gripping, atmospheric novel, and it’s fittingly paired with a warm climate wine. The full-flavoured Wiley Rooster 2021 Cabernet from Mudgee showcases vibrant black and red fruit, with hints of blackberries, cassis and a touch of chocolately liquorice. Much like Hammer’s tale, it’s complex and deep, with each mouthful delivering a long, more-ish finish. In keeping with the Australian theme, this rich and balanced wine would be the perfect match for a gamey, succulent feast of Kangaroo (or a steak, if you’d prefer to read about Roos instead.)

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Perfectly pairs with Sam Plunkett The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Merlot 2021

Lockdown was a time that changed us all – and sisters Eleanor and Charlie are ready to embrace their lives again with both hands. That includes new opportunities and dreams – relationships, careers and families – if they can determine just what those dreams are first. The two very different sisters soon find their principles and desires clashing and start to question the line between self-love and selfishness. Sam Plunkett’s The Butterfly Effect Cabernet Merlot 2021 is the ideal match for this page-turner. Sam has beautifully blended two separate grapes to create one harmonious union – a wonderful synchronicity with Eleanor and Charlie. The Merlot has less grippy tannins, and when blended with Cabernet gives the final blend a lovely velvety texture and spicy fruit cake aromas. Full-bodied, but not overbearing, this smooth wine has a good length of flavour – setting a great example for our protagonists on how balance can be achieved. Salted lamb chops and roast potatoes would be the final piece of the puzzle – and as you close the spine, sip your last drop and lick your fingertips, you’re guaranteed to be left very satisfied.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

Perfectly pairs with DRG Daryl Groom Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Maali Almeida is a war photographer, gambler and closet queen who has woken up dead and has a depressingly long list of options when it comes to who may have killed him. Maali has seven moons in the afterlife to try and help lead his loved ones to clues to solve his murder. This is a hilarious, epic satire by uber cool Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka – a rockstar on the current literary scene. It finds its wine equal with the DRG Daryl Groom Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2022. Daryl is a premium winemaker, who previously made Grange for Penfolds. He’s let the wine speak for itself – dodging oak to allow zesty characters to shine through and adding a touch of Barossa Semillon to bring a little richness. It’s fresh and fabulous, exactly like Seven Moons. This crisp wine has delectable flavours of citrus, grapefruit, apple and melon – which makes it a sensational accompaniment to a Sri Lankan fish curry too.

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Perfectly pairs with A & R Prosecco 2022

A masterful story set in the heart of the dangerous political world of the Italian Renaissance. There is nothing else this could be better paired with than a vivacious Prosecco. Prosecco originated in Italy, and is the dream drop to serve alongside a salty, rich antipasto platter. Pour a glass and munch on some prosciutto and olives as you are whisked away to Florence in the 1560s, thanks to the entrancing dramatic writing of author Maggie O’Farrell. Lucrezia is the third daughter of Cosimo de’Medici and largely left to her own devices, until the unexpected death of her elder sister thrusts her into a relationship with the Duke she never wanted. Still so young, Lucrezia must navigate a court where she isn’t always welcomed and try to understand a husband who is complicated and ruthless. Pour a second glass of these refreshingly light and elegant bubbles, and savour the crisp fruit flavours of green apple and pear as you learn of Lucrezia’s fate. She quickly realises she has just one duty (and her future depends on it)… to provide an heir to secure the future of the Ferrarese dynasty. È terribile!

Keen to try? Unlock $100 off your first case of Naked Wines here* delivered straight to your door!

*T’s & C’s apply

The boring bits: To use this voucher you must be 18 years or older. Delivery not included. This voucher entitles first time Naked Wines customers to $100 off their first order of 12 bottles. All orders are a minimum of 12 bottles, and a minimum spend of $155.88. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. *Next day delivery is available to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth metro areas for orders placed before 3pm. We don’t ship to Northern Territory. Delivery not included. Offer is subject to change. See website for full Terms and Conditions.

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About the Contributor

Hannah Armstrong