In writing a scene for a sequel  to The Douglas Document, I decided that my heroine needed a break from being chased by two sets of bad guys plus the Mounties. Having narrowly escaped death first by shooting and then by exposure in the frozen  forests of northern BC, she found herself on a private jet and in the hands of the very people who killed her brother. Safe for the time being, she’d had a rough couple of days and needed a good meal and a glass of good wine to go with it. A little research on good wine was in order. As usual, the research was interesting and I got a bit carried away – but here’s some of what I discovered.

Pinot Noir is one of the most expensive wines because it is the toughest to make. The grape skins are thin and so a crop can be lost on the vine or picked too soon. But, a good bottle of Pinot Noir  is exquisite. In fact, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon described it as ‘sex in a glass’. As my heroine is too busy avoiding death to have a lovelife, a glass or two of  Pinot Noir would be just the thing.

Incidentally, regions close to the 45 parallel are the best climates for Pinot Noir. These include among others, the Bordeaux region of France and, Canada’s Niagara Peninsula. So, my heroine was served  a Niagara wine:Henry Pelham Pinot Noir 2006. It’s just under $40.00 a bottle.

Oh yes. The most expensive Pinot Noir. It was purchased at auction in Geneva, Switzerland by a private US collector. It was a 1945 Domaine de la Romainee – Conti Romanee Conti for $123,899.00