A Perfectly Purloined Pinot (Nikki Sands' Mysteries) Read online

  “Nice as in I just made your favorite dessert.”

  Simon clapped his hands. “Oh, you are so darling.”

  “I am. So now tell me what you know about the missing bottle of wine!”

  He took a bite of a lemon bar and, with his mouth still full, said, “Well, okay, I don’t really know much. But what I do know is that your gal-pal Alyssa and her ever-so-hot fiancé Jonah . . .”

  “Hey,” Marco interrupted.

  Simon rolled his eyes at him. “Come now, love. We both agree you can look at the menu as long as you don’t order off of it.”

  “My wine!” Nikki shouted.

  Simon took another bite of dessert. “Yes, well, your pal and her man were having a quaint little picnic the other day under that nice shady willow tree, you know the one over on the little knoll overlooking Shady Haze Vineyard on the back forty.”

  “Get to the point!”

  “Easy there, hormones.”

  Nikki balled up her fist.

  “Anyhoo, I spotted them laughing and kissing and it looked to be quite a celebration, and honestly from where I stood I thought to myself that the bottle they were drinking from looked like a very expensive bottle of wine. I didn’t think much of it. We do live on a vineyard, and she is your buddy, and she works here.”

  “Fine. Expensive bottle means nothing. We have a lot of expensive bottles here, but the Pearl wine is like a grand a bottle!”

  “I know, and that is why my mouth dropped when I could have sworn I recognized the label, and I thought to myself, “Say it isn’t so.” So I didn’t believe it and went about my day, because I could not believe that you would have let her have the Pearl wine. And now I know that you didn’t. She took it.”

  Nikki shook her head. “I don’t believe this. I really don’t. How far away were you, and what were you doing out in the vineyard?”

  “I was, uh, picking grapes.”

  “Bull pucky you were.”

  Simon crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing into little slits. “Are you calling me a liar, Snow White?”

  Nikki thought for a minute about choosing her words wisely, and then figured why bother. “Yes.”

  “Well then, no organic heirloom tomatoes for you! And to think you were going to be the first person to try out my gourmet lobster enchiladas, which, by the way, the lobster will be coming from a seafood sustainable source.”

  “Your story is fishy.” Nikki pinched her nose.

  “Don’t believe me. Why don’t you go and ask your BFF, because you and I . . .” he shook his head and tossed it back, “are no longer pedi-mani partners any longer. That’s right, and honestly these lemon bars today are sub-par. BFFs do not accuse their BFFs of deceit, sister. So go on ahead and ask your new BFF what she was drinking with her gorgeous specimen of a detective on Saturday under the tree. That is where you may find the lies coming from and your stolen bottle of Pearl Wine. When that happens, apologies may, and I emphasize may be considered at a cost . . . of, say, possibly Gucci sunglasses.”

  “Oh please.” Nikki walked out of the spa and muttered, “Gucci Smucci! Kiss my pattuci!!!”

  Yep, Simon’s story sounds a little fishy for sure, but what isn’t fishy are his lobster enchiladas. If you want something that will impress a couple of dinner guests, and you want to go all out, try this recipe on for size and pair it with a nice chardonnay—or you can’t go wrong with a margarita! If lobster isn’t in the budget, feel free to substitute with shrimp. You will need a pound and a half of shrimp if that’s the route you go.

  Simon’s Lobster Enchiladas

  Ingredients

  3 lobster tails*

  4 small ears corn

  1 bunch fresh cilantro, divided

  2 Tbsp butter

  1 large sweet onion, chopped and divided

  3 jalapeño peppers, seeded, chopped, and divided

  2 cups whipping cream

  1 1/2 tsp salt, divided

  2 large avocados, peeled

  3 tbsp lime juice, divided

  2 plum tomatoes, chopped

  1/4 tsp ground cumin

  1/2 cup sour cream

  8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

  Cooking spray

  Cook lobster in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven 6 to 7 minutes Remove from liquid, reserving boiling liquid in pot. Cool lobster.

  Add corn to reserved boiling liquid, and cook 3 minutes. Remove corn; measure 2 cups cooking liquid, and set aside.

  Remove lobster meat from shells, reserving shells. Chop meat.

  Cut corn from cobs, reserving 2 corncobs. Loosely measure 1/4 cup cilantro leaves; chop and set aside.

  Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup chopped onion and 2 jalapeño peppers; sauté 2 minutes. Add reserved lobster shells, reserved corncobs, reserved 2 cups cooking liquid, remaining cilantro, whipping cream, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer, discarding solids. Cool cream mixture slightly.

  Process cream mixture, 1 avocado, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Set cream sauce aside.

  Chop remaining avocado, and place in a small bowl. Stir in corn kernels, remaining onion, remaining jalapeño pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, tomato, and cumin. Set 1 cup corn relish aside.

  Stir lobster, sour cream, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt into remaining corn mixture.

  Warm tortillas according to package directions. Place 1/2 cup lobster mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tortillas and place, seam side down, in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cream sauce, spreading to cover edges of tortillas.

  Bake at 350° for 22 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup corn relish and reserved chopped cilantro. Serve immediately and drink with a perfect margarita or a buttery chardonnay like Toasted Head.

  Nikki knew in her brain that birthdays at her age should not be a big deal. Come on! Right? Who cares when you turn thirty-eight? No big deal. It isn’t. But why was it such a big deal to her that everyone she cared for had forgotten her birthday? Maybe it was because until she was sent to live with her aunt as a little girl, no one in her house ever even acknowledged her birthday. There were a lot of issues there—issues best left behind that Nikki had figured counseling had taken care of, so she should not care. Right? Wrong. She cared. Stupid. Well, her birthday was tomorrow and maybe they were all just waiting until then. But she knew this crowd, and they were always curious as to what she planned to do on her birthday. Or they at least always asked what she would like, etcetera. Maybe it was simply that everyone was so busy these days.

  She headed toward the tasting room where her good friend Alyssa poured several tastings a day to tourists visiting the golden, green, and purple valley of Napa. Alyssa had wound up with a job at the winery in an ironic way—kind of like Nikki herself. Once a stripper in San Francisco, she had been trying to raise money to take care of her young son in need of a heart transplant—which he had gotten since Nikki had known Alyssa. Alyssa had helped Nikki find a killer a couple of years ago—one who had knocked-off the chef at The George’s on The Vineyard located at Malveaux spa and B&B. The detective on that case had been Jonah Robinson and the two were now engaged. As far as Nikki was concerned, there was no way either of them would have stolen the collectible Pearl wine.

  Alyssa was pouring a flight of whites to a young, madly in love, making-out kind of couple. There was also a group of what Nikki was sure were moms out for a weekend. They were having a good time and onto the red wines. Nikki wished she was a mom. Giggling over spilt milk and snoring husbands sure did sound good to her.

  Alyssa turned around from the dark cherry wood bar and faced the counter. She smiled when she spotted Nikki. “Oh hey, birthday girl.”

  Nikki smiled back. “Oh, no biggie.”

  “Sure it is. I have something for you. Hang on.” She set the flight of whi
te wines down in front of the lovey-doveys, explaining to them the nuances of the champagne, sauvignon blanc, viognier, meritage, and chardonnay. The couple couldn’t have cared less. They wanted the wine and . . . other things.

  Alyssa turned back from the couple and took something out of a gift bag from behind the bar and handed it to Nikki. “I know it’s a day early, but I didn’t know if I would see you tomorrow. I’m sure Derek has something great planned for you.”

  “Ah, thank you. You really didn’t have to,” Nikki said. She didn’t want to tell her that from the looks of it, Derek had nothing great planned for her. In fact, he had nothing planned at all.

  “Of course I did. Open it.” Alyssa glanced sideways at the couple. “I think they need a room.”

  Nikki laughed and opened up the pink and purple gift bag. Inside was a book. It wasn’t just an ordinary book though. It was a scrapbook and the title read, “Life on the Vineyard.” Nikki started to flip through it and saw photo after photo of her and Derek, Ollie, Simon, Marco, Alyssa, photos of the vineyard and grounds, different guests who had stayed at the hotel over the last couple of years—people that Nikki had connected with on some level. She teared up a bit as the memories from the photos flooded her. She reached out and hugged Alyssa. “This is so thoughtful. I love it.”

  Alyssa hugged her back. “I’m so glad. I didn’t know what to get you, and then I heard about this website where you can upload your photos and arrange them to create a book.”

  “It’s so great.”

  “And in the back, check it out, I put a bunch of recipes in there and different wine pairings that I thought you would approve of. I gathered recipes from everyone around the vineyard.”

  “That is so great. So cool. I love you.” Nikki flipped to the back of the book to check out the recipes. What caught her eye was Alyssa’s recipe. Grilled rib-eye with a Mediterranean sauce. The wine pairing to go along with it happened to be the Pearl Wine, and there was also a photo of the bottle. Uh oh. She looked up from the book and felt the blood drain from her face.

  “You okay?” Alyssa asked.

  “Um, yes. I see you used the Pearl Wine to pair with your recipe.”

  “Oh yeah. I know that’s over the top because it’s a collectible and only a few left in the world, but since it was made here and I know Derek has always talked so highly about it, I thought it would be fun.”

  Nikki nodded. “It’s great, but have you ever tried the wine?”

  “Oh God, no. Where would I get it? I mean you guys pay me well, but not that well. You know that I am certainly no collector.”

  Nikki nervously giggled. “Well, how then did you get a photo of it?”

  “Oh that. I, um, asked Chef Bertrand if he knew where a bottle was. There is one in the glass cabinet in the restaurant for show.”

  “There is?” This was news to Nikki, who thought she managed the winery pretty well and should have known this. Maybe she was not as on top of things as she thought. Now she needed to go pay their new chef a visit. She couldn’t help notice Alyssa fidgeting.

  “I better take care of the customers. I’m happy you like the gift.”

  “I love it,” Nikki replied as she watched her friend go back to the customers. She couldn’t help wondering if Alyssa had lied to her. It was an awful thought, especially after the considerate gift—her only gift. Alyssa seemed to be the only one to remember. Thinking she could be a thief and a liar was not something Nikki wanted to consider, but obviously she had to.

  It is never fun thinking that someone has lied to you, but to think that someone you care about has lied and possibly stolen from you—well, that would be awful. For Nikki, it is a horrifying thought. If I were her, I would end this day with Alyssa’s rib-eye steak and drink down a nice bottle of pinot. Then I would call it a day and hope my husband remembers my birthday.

  If you like a good steak, try this recipe. The sauce is so flavorful, it really adds to the meal. Consider layering this meal with polenta cakes on the bottom, topped with steak and rich red sauce! The best part is that it’s easy. If you aren’t a red meat eater, this sauce is also great on chicken, and a hearty-type fish like swordfish.

  Mediterranean Steak Sauce

  Ingredients

  1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

  1/3 cup red wine

  3 garlic cloves, chopped

  1 medium onion, chopped

  8 kalamatta olives, pitted and chopped

  1 teaspoon oregano

  1 dash olive oil , to fry the garlic and onion

  Salt

  Pepper

  Heat some olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and onion, and fry until slightly browned. Add the tomato sauce, red wine, olives, and oregano. Add salt and pepper if desired. Simmer on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Serve over steak or any meat you like!

  “Hey, Bertrand. How are you?” Nikki entered the kitchen inside the Malveaux Restaurant and found the chef Bertrand whistling while he worked. Nikki had personally hired Bertrand. She liked the round Frenchman who loved to whistle and sing. He was fun to be around, always nice, eccentric—which she appreciated—and an amazing chef.

  “Ah, Madame Nikki, how are you this lovely day?” He took her hand and kissed the top of it, which was standard behavior for him.

  “It is lovely, isn’t it, and the smells in here are also lovely. What are you fixing?”

  He smiled widely. “Ah, something so special. I am making a Cassoulet.”

  “Sounds divine.”

  “It is. Come have a seat with me.” He wiped the perspiration beading along his forehead with a rag. “I am in need of a break. Let us share a glass of wine over some lunch together. I want you to try what I have created. It is soooo delicious.”

  Nikki glanced at her watch. It was after lunch time. Ah, why the heck not?

  Bertrand uncorked a nice bottle of red wine. “From my home town. The Fronton region.” He smiled. “I love wine in the middle of the day. It is like home.”

  “Can’t say that I can complain about wine in the middle of the day either.”

  “Let’s go to the patio and sit.”

  “Perfect. Can I help with the plates?”

  “Nooo. Take the wine, Madame.”

  Seated outside surrounded by bougainvillea, jasmine, and orange blossoms, along with hummingbird feeders where the tiny, colorful creatures buzzed in and out for their fill, Nikki knew she could be easily lulled away by the cheeriness of the chef and the serenity of her surroundings. Despite the wine, lunch, and cute little birds, she could not forget why she had come to see Bertrand in the first place.

  Bertrand came around to the other side of the table, whistling all the way, and set the lunch plates down. The food did smell glorious, and Nikki’s stomach rumbled. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company to today?” he asked.

  The door was open. Tact was in need. First she took a bite of the cassoulet and was overwhelmed by the flavors. Dammit! Why did someone have to take that bottle of wine?! All Nikki wanted was to relax. “This is excellent. The beans, the pork, oh my gosh, all of the flavors blend so nicely. You have to add this to the menu.”

  “I know. I plan to.” Bertrand grinned. “Well . . . why did you come to see me?” He took a sip of his wine.

  “You know the Pearl wine?”

  “No.” He shook his head.

  “The very expensive wine. It’s a collector’s item, really. We have two bottles. I thought we had one, but according to Alyssa we have two.”

  “No. I know nothing of this wine.” He shook his head.

  Nikki studied him. She had come to recognize a lie for a lie over the past couple of years. At least she thought she had, but so far today she could not tell if anyone was lying to her. Until now! Bertrand was lying. She could tell he was. He started perspiring again and his eyes were shifty, and when he said “no,” his voice raised an entire octave.

  “Are you sure? Because Alyssa told me that the second b
ottle of wine is in the glass case above the bar for show. She said that she took it down to take a photo of it, and then she put it back.”

  “Oh, that wine. That is called Pearl? Why that name?” He took another bite of his lunch.

  “It’s named after Derek’s aunt who passed away. There was a very limited run on the wine, and I thought we had the only bottle left, but now there seem to be two. The strange thing is that the one in the private Cave cellar is missing.”

  “Sacre bleu.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I say.” She took a sip from her wine.

  “Stolen?”

  “Stolen.”

  “We must see if the other bottle is in the case still!”

  “We must,” Nikki replied.

  Bertrand leapt up, a bit too eager as far as Nikki was concerned. She followed him into the bar. He brought both hands to his mouth covering it. “Oh no! It is gone.”

  Hands on her hips and totally dumbfounded, Nikki shook her head. The wine was indeed gone, if it had ever been there in the first place.

  Nikki certainly did not want to leave that plate of cassoulet waiting, but she did need to find out what had happened to the Pearl wine. For the rest of us who might want a hearty meal with out-of-this-world flavor, do yourself a favor and get out your slow cooker to prepare this on the weekend. Open a medium bodied bottle of red wine (preferably French, in keeping with the theme) and eat to your heart’s content. Let’s leave the detecting up to Nikki. We shall read, eat, and drink!

  Cassoulet

  Ingredients

  4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 pieces and trimmed of excess fat

  Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  2 Tbs canola oil

  1 cup panko

  4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips

  4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)