Literary Elixirs

Jamsheed Urban Winery in Preston is a fully functioning winery housed in a rather large warehouse in Preston. The space, like the wine, is packed with personality with an industrial brewery feel on one level and a cosy lounge and pool room on another.

Gary and I sat in the lounge area of this working winery and had a lovely chat about three of his many beautiful wines, how he fell into the wine-making business and how a winery is similar to an author.

The wine and the books:

2018 Jamsheed Beechworth Roussanne - honeysuckle, buttercup, fleshy grapefruit, mineral, textural

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg - This book starts out as the story of two women in the 1980s, of gray-headed Mrs. Ninny Threadgoode telling her life story to Evelyn, who is in the sad slump of middle age. The tale she tells is also of two women-of the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth, who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, a Southern cafe offering good barbecue and good coffee and all kinds of love and laughter, even an occasional murder.

This is a delightful, moving, sassy, textural, fleshy and earthy read which deserves to be read whilst drinking a delicious wine like this one.

2019 Candy Flip - a blend of Pinot Gris, Mourvedre and Merlot - Pet Nat style - Red apple/Schapple, crushed blood oranges, rosehip and red rooibos tea flavours. Finishes lively and playful!

The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is a funny, clever and heart-warming debut novel. Kind of like a cross between Forrest Gump and Up! if you know those movies!

The 100 year old man, Allan, is a wonderfully playful character. His love of vodka and indifference to politics combine with his ability to blow things up and get him into lots of trouble! Through Allan we see some of the momentous events of the twentieth century in a new light. 

It all starts on Allan’s one-hundredth birthday when, sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not... Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. 

This is a lively, light, bright, playful and fun read and highly recommended with a vibrant tipple!

2017 Ma Petite Francine 100% Cabernet Franc - raspberry, cherry mulberry leaf, funky with some green pepper, red liquorice and red berry, earthy forest floor

Mr Penumbra’s 24 hour bookstore by Robin Sloan

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon away from life as a San Francisco web-design drone and into the aisles of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, but after a few days on the job, Clay discovers that the store is more curious than either its name or its gnomic owner might suggest. The customers are few, and they never seem to buy anything; instead, they "check out" large, obscure volumes from strange corners of the store. Totally clueless, yet suspicious, Clay engineers an analysis of the clientele's behaviour, seeking help from his variously talented friends, but when they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover the bookstore's secrets extend far beyond its walls.

What follows is a fantastical series of events involving secret booknerd societies, typography, ancient artifacts, codes and puzzles, the capabilities of computers, and the coolest bookstore you have ever heard of. It's a collision of ancient mystery and very modern, internet-savvy characters. It is a juicy, red berry, funky and vibrant read.

Recently I visited Adelaide Writers Week and couldn’t resist popping into the Smelly Cheese Shop for a chat with the lovely Valerie about her amazing cheeses. The Adelaide Central Markets are a wonderfully vibrant, albeit slightly noisy background to this episode, enjoy!

The cheese and the books:

Mons Camembert, Normandy - Summertime, orange highlights, golden and softly clotted, intense and persistent, mouthfillingly fruity, mushroomy, earthy, buttery and meaty, rich and complex.

Underland by Robert Macfarlane

In an epic exploration of the Earth’s underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land itself this book takes us on a journey into our relationship with darkness, burial, and what lies beneath the surface of both place and mind. The author takes us from the birth of the universe through to a post-human future, from Bronze Age funeral chambers to the catacomb labyrinth below Paris, and from the underground fungal networks through which trees communicate to a deep-sunk “hiding place” where nuclear waste will be stored for 100,000 years to come. Woven through are the unforgettable stories of descents into the underland made across history by explorers, artists, cavers, divers, mourners, dreamers, and murderers.

Like this cheese, Underland is intense, persistent and meaty. It is a journey into wonder, loss, fear, and hope. At once ancient and current, this is a book that could change the way you see the world.

Primavera, Section 28, Adelaide Hills - Spring, floral, dried meadow flowers, beautifully balanced, smooth, rich and buttery, delicate nuttiness and subtle hints of grass.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

Set in mostly in Italy in the Springtime, four dissatisfied English women find each other - and an Italian castle filled with wisteria - through the classifieds. They expect a pleasant holiday, but they don’t anticipate that the month they spend in Portofino will reintroduce them to their true natures and reacquaint them with joy in their lives. This is a beautiful story, gentle yet with a tartness to it. Somewhat nutty, especially the delightful Lotty, and full of smooth, buttery moments which just linger delightfully in your mind much like this cheese lingers on the palate. It is the essence of Spring and a perfect match to this delicious cheese!

La Tur, Northern Italy - Creamy, runny, oozy, moist, earthy and full, with a tang. 

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert  

A unique love story set in the New York City theatre world during the 1940s told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love. This book is an oozy, decadent and glamorous read, perfect for this cheese.

Milk the Cow has long been a favourite cheese destination of mine and the many varied and creative pairings were an early inspiration for this very podcast!

Cheesemonger Laura took me through a tasting with some weird and wonderful cheeses, discussed how cheese is similar to books in the ways they both tell a story, shared some tips on how to pair things with cheese and, for those intrepid listeners who stick it out until the end, some terribly cheesy puns as well! 

The cheese and the books:

Wyfe of Bath, England - succulent, nutty, creamy, taste of old England

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is absolutely bonkers, witty and weird in that delightful English way. Set in an alternate Great Britain circa 1985 where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously.

This book is ridiculously nutty, funky, fun and absorbing, smooth and creamy.

Gjestost, Norway - Unusual, heated and reduced until it caramelizes. Extremely durable, sour but sweet, smooth and fudge-like

Only the Animals by Ceridwen Dovey is made up of 10 fable-like tales told by the souls of animals killed in human conflicts in the past century or so.

Each of these souls narrates their story and are playful and witty, beautifully written and poignant. This book has a depth and a sweetness, it is unusual and its fable-like style lends to the creamy, fudgy  texture which just sticks with you and is a truly lovely read.

Jacquin Tradition du Berry, France -  smooth, dense, mild, lemony, clean and bright

Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal. This story takes place over the twenty-four hours surrounding the resulting heart transplant, it is the story of the heart’s journey – and the story of all the lives it will impact - in the hours between the accident that cuts short his life and the moment when his heart will begin to beat again in the body of someone else.

The language is gorgeously smooth, rolling and warm whilst also clean and precise as this book examines the deepest feelings of everyone involved as they navigate decisions of life and death.

It is a fine balance of emotion and pragmatism, definitely dense and altogether a book which can wash clean what is otherwise a turbulent story.

Special extra ... the cheesiest book I know:

Match me if you can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a romantic romp following the trials of matchmaker Annabelle as she attempts to land the hottest client in Windy City and falls in love in the process. So cheesy, really funny and just a nice, light read!

Cheese is one of my favourite things in life, it is my personal elixir, and a good cheese shop is one of my favourite places in the world to be. So it was with a great amount of joy that I entered my local specialty cheese shop, Harper & Blohm, to chat with cheesemonger Olivia about that most wonderful, delicious, storied and historic dairy product!

The cheese and the books:

Le’Etivaz - slightly smoky, semi-hard, unique

Less by Andrew Sean Greer - with nuggets of deliciousness strewn throughout this is a scintillating satire, a bittersweet romance and a unique look at our shared human comedy.

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino - this collection of essays and observations is smart, sassy, smoky, unique and bold.

Epoisses de Bourgogne - pungent, sticky, smooth, velvety, meaty

Perfume: the story of a murderer by Patrick Suskind is an intense reading experience for the senses. Definitely pungent, meaty, smooth, velvety, intense and odd ... not for all tastes.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman is a nice contrast for this cheese - it is dry, salty yet sweet and quite warm at heart.

Colston Bassett Stilton - rich, buttery, tang, mellow, fruity, savoury

The museum of modern love by Heather Rose is a weirdly beautiful, artistic tale ... salty, savoury, with a long finish.

The art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein details the life of Enzo the dog and is a rich, creamy, complex and mellow read which will linger long after you’ve finished it.

Recently I ventured south-side to Cheltenham on a mission to drink beer and talk books.

I spoke with Craig Blackmore, head brewer at Bad Shepherd Brewing Co, and amongst other delicious beers, managed to taste something I never thought possible ... a Unicorn Beer! 

The beers and the books:

Victoria Pale Ale - crisp, easy, historic Melbourne yeast

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood is the first of the Phryne (rhymes with my-knee) Fisher series set in 1920's Melbourne. It is obviously historic, but also a lovely easy read with a sharp-shooting, straight-talking, high-flying lady detective solving murders and taking lovers like it's no one's business!

Everywhere I Look by Helen Garner is a collection of short works, vignettes really, by the well-loved Australian novelist. These reflections are dry, relaxed, elegant and easy to read, even when they are devastating observations of humanity at its worst. 

Unicorn Beer - Peach Brut IPA - fantastical, dry, badass, drinkable

Uprooted by Naomi Novik is a truly fantastical, magical story, but it's not the one you think you're getting. It is high fantasy at its best, told beautifully, as the main character learns and grows and faces the corrupting threat of the 'big bad'. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir has been described as 'lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space' and honestly, that's all you need to know about this bone-dry, crazy, amazing, unicorn of a book!

Hazelnut Brown - toasty, malty, smooth, nutty, rich, dry, clean

Rivers of London is the first novel in the series of the same name. Part BBC police procedural, part magical academy this story of a young police officer who, after seeing a ghost, becomes the first apprentice wizard in over seventy years, learning magic and solving supernatural crimes. A smooth, toasty, completely nutty story which is addictive!

To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis is comic science fiction featuring time-travelling historians ... a very dry, English style of nuttiness is on show here with smooth, clean writing that will keep you entertained throughout.

It was the hottest of hot days when I headed out to La Sirene Brewery in the suburb of Alphington to chat with brewery ambassador Will Macdonald. We spoke about the philosophy behind being a modern day Farmhouse brewer, Wild Ales as a house style and the importance of microflora in an open-fermentation brewery.

The beers and the books:

Saisonette - light, spicy, fresh, dry, tart

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Light and fluffy romance on the surface but with surprising depth and freshness.

Paradoxe - lively, refreshing, tropical, creamy

The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

An absolutely luscious, creamy, joy of a read!

Farmhouse Red - malt, rose, hibiscus, fruit, sweet, floral, bitter

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

This is a classic, beautiful story. Sweetly bitter but with a solid Farmhouse backbone that just grabs you and keeps you hooked. Simply lovely!

Praline - chocolate, nuts, vanilla, creamy, complex, sweet, elegant

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

This is an elegantly complex tale that will leave you feeling deliciously warm inside!

Welcome fellow readers to the debut episode of Literary Elixirs. It was a hot day perfect for a cold beer when I ventured down a few back streets in Brunswick to Inner North Brewing Co.

Brewmaster Zack was kind enough to chat with (a very nervous) me for the debut episode. Luckily we were discussing two things very close to my heart, beer and books. ☺

The beers & the books:

WTFPA Enigmatic, Australian, juicy, gritty

The lost man by Jane Harper

Two brothers meet at the border of their vast cattle properties under the unrelenting sun of outback Queensland. They are at the stockman’s grave, a landmark so old, no one can remember who is buried there. But today, the shadow it casts was the last hope for their brother, Cameron. The Bright family’s quiet existence is thrown into grief and anguish. Something had been troubling Cameron. Did he lose hope and walk to his death? Because if he didn’t, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects.

A deeply atmospheric, enigmatic and Australian, gritty and juicy tale this is a book that had me hooked from the very beginning.

The nowhere child by Christian White

Psychological thriller about a woman uncovering devastating secrets about her family—and her very identity. Kim has been enjoying her relatively normal life in Australia. Sitting alone in a coffee shop, a man approaches her. He shows her a photograph of his sister Sammy, who went missing over 20 years ago in Kentucky. He insists Kim is that sister!

This debut novel is definitely gritty and enigmatic. From Melbourne to Kentucky, this is a fast-paced, juicy story with a few WTF moments of its own!

Drink, Pray, Love Inspired by Thai sticky rice. Fruity, tropical notes of mango & coconut

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

Delightful, vibrant and cheeky this is a joyful read, fruity in the best of ways, it will transport you to a holiday state of mind.

Mostly dead things by Kristen Arnett

One morning, Jessa-Lynn Morton walks into the family taxidermy shop to find that her father has committed suicide, right there on one of the metal tables. Shocked and grieving, Jessa steps up to manage the failing business, while the rest of the Morton family crumbles.

Florida is tropical right??? This is a strange, fantastic, gem of a book, different but with a lot of heart. Might seem sweet at first but really there's a lot more going on under the surface. Plus taxidermy is interesting.

Brunny Dubbel Complex, malty, sticky

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Set in the days of civilisation's collapse. One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theatre troupe known as the Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains.

A gentle, unhurried, evocative dystopia that lingers until long after you've finished reading. This book has a complex tale and a malty backbone which carries the story through.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Keiko has worked at the convenience store her entire adult life. But as she nears 40, the pressure to find a “real” job or get married is mounting – what sort of life awaits Keiko outside the comfort zone of the store and will she step out to meet it.

Darkly quirky, unique and non-conforming this is a short yet complex tale that is surprisingly easy to consume.