If you enjoy tales and tastes of days gone by, you’ll love our Historical Fiction Book Club Pairings! Each book and bite is a blast from the past in the very best kind of way. In our book, historical fiction includes stories written about the past from a more modern time. (For books written about times of yore while those times were still going on, wait for our Classics edition later this year!) So what do you pair with the yarns of yesteryear? Get a taste of history with aged cheeses and wines like these!

Aged Cheddar: How do you make cheddar even better? Let it age a year or three! As cheese ages, a depth of different flavors and textures develop. Visit our specialty cheese department for a variety of aged cheddars.

Parmigiano Reggiano: Often referred to as the “King of Cheese,” this choice cow’s milk cheese is made in copper vats with traditional methods and is aged two years before being brought to market.

Cave Aged Gruyere: This raw cow’s milk alpine cheese is aged for a minimum of one year in naturally occurring caves, and has a sweet, nutty and spicy flavor that’s fantastic in fondue or enjoyed with a good glass of wine. Speaking of which…

Buena Vista Sauvignon Blanc: Founded in 1857, Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma is believed to be the oldest established winery in California and is still making excellent wines today. Their sauvignon blanc has mild pear notes and a touch of sweetness, that’s rounded out nicely by hints of tart lemon peel on the crisp finish.

Robert Mondavi Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon: The Robert Mondavi winery was the first new winery opened after prohibition in Napa Valley. Their new Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 3 months in new and used 100% American oak bourbon barrels and has flavors of dark cherry and blackberry accented by vanilla and brown sugar from the extra wood aging.

On the book front, you can feast your eyes on stories about anything from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Depending on your time period preference, you might enjoy titles like Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian, The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton, The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, How the West Was Won by Louis L’Amour or The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel.

Visit our adult beverage and specialty cheese department for more delicious aged food and beverage picks, or your local bookstore or library for more historical fiction favs!