wine in novels

I have been reading a few Preston & Child mystery novels lately and am always pleased to come upon some references to wine, mostly Bordeaux and Burgundy. Can anyone recommend some well-written thriller/mysteries that also have mention of wine in detail? Thanks in advance.

Ack! I actually have read several Preston/Child books, and actually contacted them via website to say "stop it with the wine stuff, or get it right." It would be fun if the references made sense, but they had the great expert Pendergast drinking something like 84 or 91 Petrus in earlier books, while talking about how incredibly expensive it is. . I think lately 1990 Petrus, which makes more sense.

[David M. Bueker]

I'm with Dale. Get it right or don't bother.

Here's a link but it is mostly mysteries set in the USA in places like Texas and Virginia:

http://cozy-mysteries-unlimited.com/wine-list You could also search on www.amazon.com.

There is a thriller by Michael Dibdin called A Long Finish set in the Langhe wine country. From memory I would give it about 60% on its wine content. The hero detective is called Aurelio Zen and I'm always rather suspicious about the local authenticity of novels written by Brits or Americans set in an entirely foreign environment. For example I know France and Paris well enough to be very irritated by Dan Brown's numerous inaccuracies in Da Vinci Code.

I'm with Dale and David: get it right or don't bother.

The late Robert Parker (no, not that one, the writer) put lots of references to wine in his Spenser series of novels. Spencer, his inamorata and the Hawk all drank, and drank pretty well for the most part.

In another series, his main character is an alcoholic, but before he stops---or tries to stop---drinking, he consumes some pretty good scotch.

In the Matt Scudder series by Robert Block (one of the finest extended series of crime novels there is, with superb writing and awesome character development), booze is frequently mentioned, but rarely in the specific, since the whole series is about Scudder's problem with alcohol. He drinks (early on), and then spends the rest of his life trying not to drink. When he drank, he favored bourbon, but didn't really care about brand favorites. He was simply interested in the effect. Most of the time he just plunked it into his coffee...so he could be drunk and wide awake at the same time.

Lot's of Iron Horse bubbly, various Champagnes---Krug, Cristal, etc.---and wines cited. And for the most part, as I recall, with knowledge thereof sufficient unto the moment.

Sadly, in most mentions, they don't get it right, and it grates. Serves to take attention away from the focus of the writing.

not mystery novels, but Jim Harrison's fiction has featured plenty of good wines, most often in copious quantities.

For example I know France and Paris well enough to be very irritated by Dan Brown's numerous inaccuracies in Da Vinci Code.

Also London has such howlers it seems he didn't even look at a map.

. For example I know France and Paris well enough to be very irritated by Dan Brown's numerous inaccuracies in Da Vinci Code.

He also had quite a few theological inaccuracies!

Thanks Hoke, Steve and Tim. I'll look up some of those authors.

J P Donleavy included a few comments on wine in some of his novels, the best are from "Liela: Further in the life and destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman."

"Announcing in sepulchral tones the year of vintage as he poured the decanted premier grand cru Margaux with its bouquet shrinking back into the glass from the cold."

"Darcy Dancer sipping his sherry in the chill fireless library. Poured from the decanter in all its nut fragrant pale brown gleaming glory. Warming the innards and the boulevards of one's memories............"

Plus there is DBC Pierre's novel, “Lights Out in Wonderland”, which features Marius wines and a character called “Pike” who just happens to be Roger Pike of Marius Wines in McLaren Vale South Australia.

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novels had at least one wine reference that is almost surreal for an American crime story from the 40's. Archie Goodwin says he definitely needs to get back for dinner because Nero is serving a Montrachet and he knows what an effect a Montrachet would have on his taste buds.

Weren't the novels featuring M. Pamplemousse rife with wine?

not usually a thread revivalist, but had a "Get it right or don't bother"moment. August Snow series (Stephen Mack Jones), newest one had several wine mentions, most ok, but someone suggests the 2016 Latour a Pomerol Pinot Noir" . Aaarrgghh.

Not wine related, but to Peter's point re London geography, I see that all the time with NYC. A recent book where someone comes out of Americsn Museum of Natural History, jumps on subway to go a few stops to the Met Museum (just across park, easy bus ride or walk, would be convoluted by subway -and closest stop is Lex Ave). And in an interesting period mystery (led me to background reading about the Womens Medical College of Philadelphia) by a new writer named Ritu Mukerji the character travels from Philly to "Long Island" where she arrives in a small town (there are hundreds of villages, towns, hamlets in NAssau/Suffolk). Research, people.

[Robin Garr]

Thread revival can be fun, Dale. Thanks for this thought-provoker.

Hadn't come across this thread before. Yes, the Pamplemousse books have a lot of wine and most of it pretty accurate.

For me the acme of wine in fiction is Roald Dahl's superb story, 'Taste'.