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| Cover design by JD Smith |
This was personal.
This was wine.
In 2010, the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France was rocked to its roots by The Red Bicyclette Affair. Several French winemakers were found guilty of selling premium and pricey ‘Pinot Noir’ to a well-known American distributor which was actually a blend of far cheaper Merlot and Shiraz. A €7m fraud and national shame.
Reputations collapsed, viniculturists were jailed and everyone involved (and there were plenty) paid hefty fines for the deception. Yet a certain amount of glee remained at fooling the Americans.
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| Photo by Quinn Dombrowski Courtesy of Creative Commons |
For the price of a coffee and a croissant, a local wine dealer allowed me to pick his brains. His generosity and expert knowledge gave me enough material for a whole series of books on wine fraud, but I stuck to my initial idea.
What if someone simply performing due diligence pulls a loose thread and unravels a story of corruption woven through every level of society? What happens to the whistleblower?
Once the wine fraud plot took shape, it was a matter of where to set it. Rioja country, in northern Spain, had everything I needed, including some old friends who knew the area and its eponymous export well.
Another element I couldn’t ignore was the Basque Country’s fierce individualism and particular language which is quite different from the classic Spanish Castillian. But far more importantly, the region is known as the gourmet capital of Europe.
With a set of individualistic characters passionate about wine and food, where else?
My insider contacts told me about the growing success of white Rioja, lesser-known delicate cousin to the famous full-bodied red. Like any committed author, I did my research, even taking a trip to San Sebastian and Vitoria to sample their delights for myself. This enabled me to build on the plot and characters with authentic tastes, scents, sounds, textures and visual detail to transport the reader to an autumnal Spanish vineyard or pintxos bar.
I consider it a great compliment that the comment I get most frequently from readers and reviewers is ‘Don’t read this on an empty stomach’. Author Annemarie Neary agrees. “Read this, and you'll be desperate for a seat on a Vitoria balcony with a glass of white Rioja, a plate of pintxos and the next Beatrice Stubbs to accompany them.”
Extract from Tread Softly
At least ninety percent of the men in the bar watched Ana walk to their table. Some even tore their eyes away from the football. She ignored them and sat with her back to the window. She hoicked one foot up to rest on the opposite knee and dropped her voice.
“Enrique’s a good guy. And when it comes to the food and drink of the region, he’ll talk the ears off you.”
“Sounds like we might get along. Although I do wish you’d warn me as to my undercover roles a bit earlier. Acting’s never been my strong point,”said Beatrice.
“But asking questions and eating will give you no bother. Here he comes.”
Enrique joined them with a tray bearing glasses, two carafes of wine; one white, one red, and a selection of tiny canapés.
Beatrice smiled. “Ana tells me you are an expert on local dishes.”
“Not an expert. The expert. I know the best restaurants in San Sebastian, the best wines from the Rioja and the best recipes from Bilbao to Vitoria. What do you want to know?”
Ana’s expression was pleasantly enquiring and innocent, a match for Enrique’s. Beatrice was on her own. Enrique opened his hands, offering his knowledge to her on a plate.
“Well, for a start, can you tell me what these are?” she said, pointing to the little snacks on the tray.
“Good question. Let me introduce you to some of our local delicacies. Salt cod croquettes with nuts. You will love them. Tell me you are not vegetarian.”
Even if Beatrice had been a committed vegan, the hostile expression on Enrique’s face would have forced her to lie. As it was, she shook her head.
“No, I will eat anything.”
Enrique’s approval spread across his face. “Good. British and Americans with their fussy intolerances ...” He waved a hand in front of his face, rolled his eyes and then pointed at a terracotta dish. “This is beautiful. Prawn and bacon topped with a home-made vinaigrette. And Txalupa; mushrooms and cream, covered with cheese in a pastry boat. And the speciality of the house, our secret tuna mix topped with anchovy and chives. Try, please. These are for you.”
"There are myriad possibilities for a book about wine crime. I chose the obvious white Rioja, of course, but a particularly special bottle. I also recommend a passionate, beautiful rosé from Turkey. It’s bold and dry like the exceptional character of Luz."
Büyülübag, Iris Rosé 2015. An island vinery in Turkey produces this bone-dry rosé from the Adakarasi grape. Sharp and berry-fruit layers give this delicate blush a confident and delightful structure. Savour every sip and never, ever underestimate a rosé.
Amazon Reviews:
“The novel oozes atmosphere and JJ Marsh captures the sights, sounds and richness of Spain in all its glory. I literally salivated as I read the descriptions of food and wine. JJ Marsh is an extremely talented author and this is a wonderful novel.”
“The research that must have gone into this is breath-taking. The eloquent descriptions of the Rioja region made me want to visit immediately. The images of the local food and wine, were sumptuous. The characters as always were authentic and solid. I love them all and can picture each one. The simple beauty of Ana, the very suave Jaime. Aguirre, charismatic and calculating, all exquisitely crafted.”
"There are moments of farce and irony, there are scenes of friendship, tenderness and total exasperation - and underlying it all a story of corruption, brutality, manipulation and oppression with all the elements you'd expect to find in a good thriller, including a truly chilling villain.”
Tread Softly is third in The Beatrice Stubbs Series.
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