WIne on Tour

Have you heard of super Thursday? If not, today is the day that the publishers release many of the big titles that are going to be in everyone’s Christmas stockings. Well, look no further than Tom Surgey’s brand new book ‘How to Drink Wine’. We LOVE this book. An introduction to wine in which Tom does away with old-school snobbery and teaches you how to get the most out of your favourite drink. How many people in your life need this book!?!

🥂🥂 ‘Tom is one of my favourite people to taste wine with’ – Oz Clarke

🍷🍷 ‘Tom’s love of wine is matched by his dedication to sharing down-to-earth insights with accessibility and fun’ – Olly Smith

In the next in our series of Pairing Pages interviews, Libby Brodie is in conversation with author Annabelle Thorpe about her novel ‘The Village Trattoria’. She has paired with three wines from top Tuscan estate Castello Banfi.

The Village Trattoria is a gripping World War II saga based around the food loving community of rural Italy. It centres around Casa Maria, famed for its food and for Elena, the formidable matriarch who runs it. But now war has come to Umbria. Sophia di Luca cooks brilliantly and expects to take over the trattoria from Elena one day. But instead it is charismatic, unpredictable Giorgio Capaldi who has inherited it and now arrives from Rome to run it. While Sophia and Giorgio clash, the town falls under N**i occupation. And when no one knows who to trust, it is Casa Maria that becomes the centre for secrets, dangerous passions and ultimately betrayal.

The three wines that Libby has chosen from Banfi Estate to pair with the book are:

🍷 Castello Banfi Chianti Classico 2020
🍷 Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino 2022
🥂 Castello Banfi Badalei Vermentino Toscana IGT 2023

Castello Banfi was founded in 1978 by the Mariani family who saw great potential it what was then a sleepy Tuscan region and from the start their goal was to establish a point of excellence in Montalcino.

Combining a respect for tradition and the environment with state-of-the-art research and working practices, they have helped to transform the region’s wines and established Banfi’s reputation in an impressively short period of time. They produce premium wines in Montalcino and beyond with a profound respect for the land and people from which they come. They were the first winery in the world to be awarded international recognition for exceptional environmental, ethical and social responsibility.

For the tasting and full interview with Libby and Annabelle head over to and click on the link in bio 🇮🇹🍷🥂📖