We’ve got five books and five double tickets to the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show to give away!
Five lucky winners will receive a set of double tickets to the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show (25-27 Aug at Menlyn Shopping Centre, Pretoria) and will collect their book from the event.
Advertorial:
The Grape Escape: Why books and wine go hand in hand
Who doesn’t love curling up on the couch, underneath a blanket with a good book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other? Pairing the best of both worlds is Maryna Strachan from the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show – a national wine tour that is taking place for the first time in Pretoria at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre between the 25th and 27th August – and Sonja Janse van Rensburg from local book store, Graffiti Books & Stationery.
Presenting a love affair of literature and fine wine, the pair recommend which wines best complement a thriller, love story, suspense, drama or comedy, among other genres at a pop-up Book & Wine Pairing at the show. To tease your palate, here Maryna and Sonja provide a taste of how the written word goes hand in hand with the world of fine wine.
Deep and intensive psychological thriller
Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on a Train is an utter page-turner, gripping to the last word. It tells the sad tale of Rachel Watson, a 32 year old who is reeling from the dissolution from her marriage to Tom. Losing her job, self-worth and sobriety, she stalks Tom and his new family while aboard a train that passes his house every day. Trying to divert her pain, Rachel becomes obsessed with Tom’s neighbour and imagines her life as hers. This dream is shattered when one day she sees something that sends her into a rage and leads to her waking up bruised and battered with no memory of the night before …
“Girl on a Train pairs well with a wine that elevates big flavours – and reads. This is Marianne’s Floreal,” suggests Maryna. “A complex fruit-filled nose with stunning aromas of dark cherries and red berries with a hint of vanilla, it’s just the varietal to sip on while immersing yourself in a book layered with intensity and emotion.”
Light and easy
For something less heavy, Sonja suggests ladies’ literature’s new queen, JoJo Moyes and her novel Me Before You. Now a major feature film, the story is about Lou Clark, a quirky and creative 26 year old who hops from one job to another. That is until she becomes a caregiver and companion to Will Traynor, a wealthy young banker who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Determined to show Will that life is worth living, the couple embark on an adventure that sees them get more than they bargained for.
“A big international hit like this needs a well-matched MCC. And there is no better than Avondale’s award-winning Armilla. An organic wine, it is a celebration of life. Rich and round on the palate, it’s a perfect balance of toasty, warm, hazelnut bread and fresh quince,” recommends Maryna. “It would also complement a great girls’ night in to watch the movie together.”
Full of emotion and drama
Emily Hobhouse: Beloved Traitor by Elsabe Britz is a fresh, nuanced look at an extraordinary woman and her lifelong fight for justice. Defying the constraints of her gender and class, Emily Hobhouse travelled across continents and spoke out about oppression. A passionate pacifist and feminist, she opposed both the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War and World War I, which lead to accusations of treason.
“A story like this needs a wine that is characteristic of its terroir and has a full, long aftertaste,” says Maryna. “This is Zandvliet’s wooded Chardonnay; it is a true wine – mouth follows nose – and offers rich aromas of coconut, vanilla, grapefruit and marmalade.”
Hit the right spot with a literary pop
If you’re like 27 per cent of American adults who, according to Pew Research Centre, said they’d not read a book in the last year, James Patterson’s BookShots are for you. Each BookShot contains a riveting adventure and action-packed novella, you can read these books in an afternoon and the experience is akin to reading a movie. Pair the pop of literature with a wine that delivers on command, such as Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc.
“This classically-styled wine suits an occasion that is fresh, summery and light. BookShots matches its instant gratification mood and both can be enjoyed as a lunchtime or sunset ‘me-time’,” suggests Maryna.
Of love, loss and life
Another book-becomes-big screen, Marita van der Vyver’s Dis Koue Kos, Skat/Just Dessert, Dear is a light-hearted, satirical comedy. Taking the form of a letter, the novel unfolds in correspondence written over a decade – to an unfaithful husband and female friends. The story of Clara Brand, it is a tale of a woman whose husband leaves her for one of her best friends and the stages of recovery that it requires. A fearless outpouring, the storyline is clever, nuanced and sophisticated.
“Match this masterpiece with Bosman’s Chenin Blanc, an artisanal craftsmanship that elevates literature with the same value. Suitable for wine and book aficionados, this is the winemaker’s favourite; a true piece of art,” says Maryna.
“Books and wine are two birds of a feather. The perfect complement to a relaxing evening or chilled weekend, they’re both engaging, bold and entertaining, and bring out the best in each other – after all isn’t book club the new wine club? Create chemistry by choosing a literary genre of choice and pair it with just the right depth of seduction, depth, drama or allure,” ends Maryna.
Join Sonja and Maryna at the pop-up Graffiti Book & Wine Pairing stand at The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show. Taking place from the 25th and 27th of August at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, you can browse and buy books while pairing with just the right wine.
Tickets to the show can be purchased at www.itickets.co.za or at the door.
Fill in the following form to enter the competition:
- Not loading? Click here to enter
Book details
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
EAN: 9780857522320
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
EAN: 9780718157838
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- Emily Hobhouse: Beloved Traitor by Elsabe Brits
Book homepage
EAN: 9780624076629
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- Hunted by James Patterson
EAN: 9781786530233
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
- Dis koue kos, skat by Marita van der Vyver
Book homepage
EAN: 9780624077619
Find this book with BOOK Finder!
Terms and conditions
The competition closes at midnight on 23 August, 2016.
Travel costs are not included – the winner must be able to make their own way to Menlyn Shopping Centre.
The prize can only be delivered within South Africa.
By entering this competition the participant agrees to the terms and conditions. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The prize may not be exchanged for cash.
The winner will be contacted via email.
The winner may be required to participate in publicity.
Employees or agencies of TMG and SPAR or their family members, or anyone else connected with the Prize Draw, may not enter the competition.
Books LIVE accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the Prize Draw or accepting the prize. Books LIVE further disclaim liability for any injury or damage to your or any other person relating to or resulting from participation in connection with the Prize Draw.
Books LIVE shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control.