Arts
On today’s episode Thomas, Isabelle, and I will be discussing how a Count copes with being put on house arrest in one of Moscow’s most luxurious hotels in A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Toles. This one’s got charming descriptions, hidden rooms, and more Russian literature than Robert Muller’s future memoir.Today we’ll be paring our read with a glass or three of a 2017 Côtes du Rhône, Dom. des Bacchantes.This was selected by my friend Emily, she is a sommelier in LA - here is her selection story:"The book references Chateauneuf – du - Pape (pronounced phonetically like sha-tuh-nuf-du-pop) so I thought we’d run with it. “CDP” as I’ll call it from here on outliterally translates to "the Pope's new castle". In the 14th century the Pope's residences were moved to Avignon in the Southern Rhône valley, and they tried to advance the viticulture of the surrounding area. Extremely long story short, the wine from that area began to be known as the "wine from the pope's new castle", and has been dominating ever since. That said, it's also hella expensive. CDP runs at ~$40 on the cheapest end.SO as a compromise, I recommend this wine – which is just under $15! It’s from the area known as the Côtes du Rhône – which you’ve probably heard of – and it’s right across the river from CDP. This wine’s base is mostly Syrah, which makes it a little more robust and closer to the style of CDP than some other wines from the Southern Rhône Valley. There is also some Grenache and Mourvèrde in there, helping to keep it juicy and smooth."Read my extended review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2614258048 We rated the book as follows:Thomas - 2.5 (out of 3)Isabelle - 2.8 (out of 3)Lauren - 2.78 (out of 3)Our guests can reached here:Thomas - @poketom317Isabelle - @isabellefisher821Lauren - @laurenpopish