Hosting a Book Club with Wine

Pick a single wine that suits the month’s book and explain the choice in one sentence when you pour. Then have a crowd-pleasing backup open — a crisp white or a soft red — for anyone who would rather not.

A standard bottle pours five generous glasses. For an evening, plan on about half a bottle per guest who drinks, and always offer something good that is alcohol-free.

A simple spread is best: good bread, a hard cheese, a soft cheese, olives, nuts and a little fruit. These flatter almost any wine and do not require a host to leave the conversation.

Keep it light. Ask what the wine reminds people of in the book. Is it a character? A place? A mood? You will be surprised how often it leads back into the novel itself.