Weekends with Matt: A memoir of an unlikely friendship forged over wine

The ‘peacock’s tail’ is used to describe a wine that is wonderfully complex and ultimately rewarding. Surely there’s no better metaphor for life. Weekends with Matt is a classic odd-couple tale of two very different men and the common ground that can be found over a shared passion. It was at the bottle shop, somewhere between the chardonnay and the zinfandel, that Peter realised he didn’t have a clue about wine. On his way to a dinner party and in a mild panic, he called Matt, a wine-loving acquaintance who expertly steered him towards the perfect bottle. The selection was a hit, but it was Matt’s passion that stuck in Peter’s mind. He decided to visit Matt’s vineyard for an introduction to the noble grape. One visit led to another and this unlikely pairing of a Proust-quoting intellectual and a farmer with a love of hunting found themselves bonding over life, ideas, vulnerability, aspiration, nature, philosophy - and, of course, a glass or three of wine. Like a tipsy Tuesdays with Morrie, this well-crafted tale is as much a guide to life as the mysteries of wine. With thought-provoking notes and philosophical undertones, this is a delightful story that readers will love to sip and savour.