Sip of the Day

I’ve been asked, “How do you choose what book to read?” Normally it’s me consulting my TBR list that I’ve kept since high school (seriously), but this time the choice came from a new book club organized by my overseas friend Valerie Quintanilla. “Let Me Tell You What I Mean” by Joan Didion struck me as intriguingly prescient. It’s a collection of the late author’s early writing from 1968 to 2000. If her latest essay was written over 20 years ago, why do we grapple with the same issues today? The answer is either we’ve learned nothing, or Joan Didion was just that perceptive. I chose Michele Chiarlo La Court Nizza Riserva DOCG to pair with it, a 100% Barbera. Barbera can be simple, fruity, easy to drink, easy to love; while at the same time has gained complexity and great expression in the past few decades, especially Nizza. Like Joan Didion’s essays are easy to read and start with simple subjects—photography, not getting into the college of your choice, or (my personal favorite) Martha Stewart—her writing delves deep and opens your mind towards complicated questions. La Court Nizza Riserva DOCG starts out easy—it’s Barbera!—and ends with nuance.