Chapters and Grapes: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Books on the Hill is hosting another session of Chapters and Grapes on Wednesday 25 November, this time working through Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's a monthly book club they run in collaboration with Baruccio, and the whole thing is built around pairing a specific text with a curated wine tasting and a guided discussion.

For this one, the wine is handled by Gabriele, the owner of Baruccio and a trained sommelier. He picks wines to match the atmosphere, setting or particular scenes of the book, and the night is rounded off with light nibbles. The discussion itself follows Wilde's nineteenth-century study of decadence and sin, which became a succès de scandale when it first came out: Dorian Gray, influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, trades his soul for eternal youth and beauty, leaving only his portrait to bear the traces of his depravity. If you've read it before, it's a good excuse to revisit it; if you haven't, it's a way into one of Wilde's most famous works.

Books on the Hill is an independent bookshop on Holywell Hill that does more than just sell books. They programme author events, book launches, signings and literary activities throughout the year, including a 6am Writing Club for local writers and a Sit & Stitch evening for knitting, crochet and embroidery. Chapters and Grapes fits right into that mix, combining a book club with a tasting rather than just a chat.

The session runs from 7:00 to 9:00pm on Wednesday 25 November at Books on the Hill, 1 Holywell Hill, St Albans, AL1 1ER. Tickets start from £42.