On this episode Ryan, Julia, and I will be discussing the second half of The Overstory by Richard Powers. If you haven’t listened to the previous episode where we discussed the first half of the book, you’re going to want to stop, go back, and listen to that first. 

We’ll be pairing our read with a glass or three of 2018 Oeno (EE-NO) Pinot Noir from natural wine producer Amy Atwood. Pour yourself a glass and stay tuned.

Link to book: https://amzn.to/39Iqpdn

Link to wine: https://primalwine.com/collections/red-wine-natural-biodynamic-organic/products/oeno-pinot-noir-russian-river-valley-california-usa-red-wine

The Overstory by Richard Powers

It’s 502 pages in length. For this episode, we read to page 253.  I pulled this description from online:

The stories of nine people—Nicholas Hoel, Olivia Vandergriff, Ray Brinkman, Dorothy Cazaly, Neelay Mehta, Patricia Westerford, Douglas Pavlicek, Mimi Ma, and Adam Appich—are woven together not just with each others', but with those of the trees that they come to see as crucial conduits to the longevity, health, and sustainability of the entire planet. The grave danger that the rapacious and capricious cutting down of trees presents is the main catalyst for action for most of these characters, while others engage with the natural world in more peripheral, albeit still profound, ways.

About the author:

Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) is an American novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology. His novel The Echo Maker won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction. He has also won many other awards over the course of his career, including a MacArthur Fellowship. As of 2018 Powers has published twelve novels and has taught at the University of Illinois and Stanford Universities. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory.

2018 Oeno Pinot Noir from Amy Atwood

The wine is aged in neutral oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered following a non-interventionist approach. Oeno Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied red wine bursting with cherry and cranberry flavors, with some earthy forest floor elements for balance.

About Amy Atwood:

I started Amy Atwood Selections (Cleanskins Wine LLC) in 2009 because I wanted to work with wines I love and winemakers I respect. After 15 years of working for other wine wholesalers and importers, my focus had shifted towards smaller production wineries, making wines more naturally. This means organic or sustainable farming, and little to zero intervention in the winery. And most importantly, the wines have to bring joy and be delicious to drink. Wine. Naturally. We are based in California.

Get in touch

Our sommelier, Emily Rutan: @emilythesomm
Lauren Popish: @laurenpopish
Julia Popish: @juliapopish
Ryan Consbruck @specialrobotdog