We’re excited for our partnership with our friends at Norwich Bookstore! Each month, Book + a Bottle brings together both familiar and new faces for lively conversation, thoughtful reads, and wines chosen to complement the story just as much as the discussion.

Our book for July is The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. This rich, atmospheric novel follows a group of women living in a Washington, D.C., boarding house during the height of the McCarthy era. Through shared secrets, unexpected friendships, and a central, gripping mystery, the story explores what it means to find community, resilience, and true connection while navigating the paranoia and rigid political pressures of the 1950s.

To pair with the book, we’ve chosen the Les Fleurs Blanches Vermentino. Much like the novel’s mix of elegant facades and deeply layered lives, this wine—a Mediterranean Vermentino and Grenache Blanc blend from Bruno Lafon—is both sophisticated and thoroughly quenching. It offers a crisp, stainless-steel-aged finish with vibrant, hand-harvested freshness—a true utopia of refreshment for a story about female solidarity, hidden truths, and the strength found in coming together.

Your Book + a Bottle pre-order includes:

A copy of the book

One curated bottle of wine

An invitation to our guided group discussion

Choose from two discussion dates:

Sunday, July 26th, from 4:30-5:30 PM
or Thursday, July 30th, from 6:30–7:30 PM

Please be sure to select your date at checkout.

Pick-up details:

Orders will be available for pick-up beginning June 23rd, and you’ll receive an email as soon as your bundle is ready. Please note that orders will be held for two weeks from the pick-up start date. After that, unclaimed orders may be forfeited.

Space is limited, and discussion attendance is reserved exclusively for those who have purchased Book + a Bottle. As a little perk, let our bartenders know you’re part of the group during the meetup to enjoy 10% off your bar tab.

We can’t wait to read, sip, and discuss with you- see you there! 📚🍷