Father’s Day is coming up, and you might like to toast dad with a glass of wine or two, but what should you pair with your vino beyond BBQ? How about some terrific books?
Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.
What do you recommend first?
Dancing with Robots: The 29 Strategies for Success In the Age of AI and Automation by Toronto author Bill Bishop. This is dad’s guide for how to survive and thrive in a world being taken over by robots and other advanced technology.
Futurist, entrepreneur, and innovation coach Bill Bishop shares strategies for dealing with artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchains, big data and self-driving cars, among others.
Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County, California, United States
I’d pair this wine with because it was made by humans not robots. In fact this wine is made by the Benziger family in California. It’s a robust Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of cassis and blackcurrant. It’s aromatic enough to stand up to strong outdoor aromas like sunscreen, smoke and Dad’s aftershave. I’d pair with a grilled steak.
What’s next?
I have Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Dr. Brené Brown. Brené is a university professor in Texas who publishes bestselling books, like Daring Greatly, on the courage to be vulnerable. In Atlas of the Heart, she explores eighty-seven emotions and experiences that make us human– the opposite of robots.
EastDell Summer Rosé 2019
Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada
I’d pair this wine with Summer Rosé from Eastdell winery in Niagara because real men do drink pink. This wine offers aromas of field strawberries and raspberries. It would pair well with grilled seafood and endless Dad jokes.
What else do you suggest?
I love the father-daughter relationship explored in Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by actress Julianna Margulies, an actress best known for her roles in ER and The Good Wife. This is a deeply moving memoir and coming-of-age story about complicated family dynamics, resilience and hope.
Sea Sun Pinot Noir 2019
California, United States
I’d pair this wine with Sea Sun Pinot Noir because Dad loves the great outdoors, and because this is the heartbreak grape. There’s lots of laughter and tears in Julianna’s books. This wine has aromas of ripe cherry and fresh earth. It would pair well with grilled chicken and makes a much better gift than yet another mug that says “World’s Best Dad” on it.
What’s your final recommendation?
Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature by Zibby Owens is a moving memoir about rewriting your story from the creator and host of the award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. Of course, the Dads we’re talking about today are so helpful and thoughtful that the Moms in their lives do have time to read books.
Zibby’s love of books is infectious as she chronicles the impact they’ve had on her life and family. She turned to them in times of grief to remember who she was and the importance of love, food, reading, writing, and finding your own voice.
Emmolo No 5 Sparkling
California, United States
I’d pair this with Emmolo sparkling wine from California. It’s effervescent like Zibby’s enthusiasm for books and Dad’s sparkling personality. It offers notes of crisp green apple and lime. Pair it with grilled seafood and Dad’s stories that start with back in my day.
Printed with permission from CHCH.
