Novels and Nebbiolo
November is for two things: Writing novels and drinking Nebbiolo. It’s for many other things, too…but these are the activities we like to engage in most. November is National Novel Writing Month AND Nebbiolo Month. Let’s talk about how you can get involved in these delightful things both inside and outside of our shop!
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
National Novel Writing Month is an annual challenge to produce an entire novel—of at least 50,000 words—in just 30 days. The challenge helps writers learn how to create a routine with their writing with a tangible end goal in mind. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received as a writer had to do with starting and finishing a project. Whether it’s one chapter or a whole novel, starting and finishing a piece of writing is a great way to build confidence in your work and get out of writing slumps.
Every Thursday from 12 pm-2 pm, our shop hosts a weekly Writer’s Retreat. This is a space where writers can bring their own work or utilize one of the prompts that we provide. It’s a great community of writers who either talk craft or put words on the page once a week. If you’re already doing the NaNoWriMo challenge, our shop on Thursdays is the perfect place to achieve your goals. However, our space is a prosperous writing environment every day of the week. Our staff is knowledgeable about books and can make recommendations to heighten your craft. And, we have all the ingredients for productive writing: coffee, wine, snacks, and the comforting yet unintrusive chatter of a coffee shop.
Nebbiolo Month
Nebbiolo is a popular grape in the Langhe region of Piedmont, Northwest Italy. This region’s terroir notoriously produces wines that are perfect for fall. Nebbiolo is no exception; it’s a grape that champions tasting notes that are tannic and bold. You might catch hints of rose, leather, cherry, clay, and anise. It’s bold because of its ability to reflect the Langhe region’s terroir, but its color is light like a pinot noir. Even better, Nebbiolo is a great food wine; it’s a classic pairing for truffles, which is why there’s a big white truffle festival in Italy with Nebbiolo at the forefront. This truffle festival occurs in November every year. Hence, Nebbiolo Month.
Our by-the-glass menu this month reflects Nebbiolo's greatness in a couple of ways. The G.D. Vajra "N.S. Della Neve" Rosé Brut NV is 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Pinot Noir. It’s a sparkling wine made in the traditional method with notes of strawberry, pink grapefruit, and rose petals. It would pair perfectly with our Mimolette or baked brie. Also on our by-the-glass menu is the G.D. Vajra, Barolo Albe 2018. The Barolo region is a high-caliber region for growing Nebbiolo. It’s a special case where all wine from Barolo is Nebbiolo, but not all Nebbiolo is Barolo. Nebbiolo won’t be called Barolo if it’s grown somewhere else. This particular Barolo on our by-the-glass menu is categorized as smooth and easy with tasting notes of crushed raspberry, roses, and cake spice. This is THE wine to pair with truffles!
In addition to these by-the-glass options, we also carry several retail bottles of Nebbiolo that are simply phenomenal. Stop in for a glass to celebrate Nebbiolo Month and stock up on other wines from the Langhe region for all your fall drinking endeavors!