The Name of the Rose and Red Burgundy (Bourgogne Rouge)
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco, 1980
Red Burgundy (Bourgogne Rouge)
Burgundy, France
The monks perfected this wine. Drink it while one solves a murder.
Why it works
Medieval monasteries were the great winemakers of Europe, and in Burgundy the Cistercian monks spent centuries mapping which plots of land made the best wine — the foundation of the region’s famous vineyard system.
So Eco’s monastic murder mystery belongs with Pinot Noir. A village-level Bourgogne Rouge is light and earthy, with red cherry, forest floor and a whisper of incense. Perfect for long, candle-lit puzzling over forbidden books.
Also try
A Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley offers a similar earthy elegance.
In the same spirit
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