Web mistress Lisa here to introduce Nadine Nettmann, whose debut novel, DECANTING A MURDER, has just released. Today she shares her decision about choosing the location for her novel. Please welcome Nadine! ~Lisa
Setting a Novel in Napa
When it came time to choose a location for my debut novel, Decanting a Murder, I had a decision to make. Although I knew the novel would take place in a winery, I had to decide where the winery would be set. Which one of the many wine regions would be home to the start of my series?After I became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2011, I immediately wanted to visit wine regions around the world. There’s something to be said for seeing where the grapes are grown, the topography of the area, and the way the sun shines on the vineyard. You learn so much more about the wine, and I truly love knowing the story behind each and every bottle.
Although I was only outlining the story at this point, I wanted to have the location set before I put words on the page. Because, as you’ll find, the essence of the wine region flows throughout the story. I’ve traveled to wine regions around the world from Chile to South Africa to vineyards all over Europe, but after some consideration, I decided on California’s Napa Valley which has more than four hundred wineries.
There were a few reasons for choosing Napa, but the main tipping point was because I’m a native of California and I thought it would be fun to start the series close to home.
But why set it at a winery if my main character is a sommelier who works in a restaurant? I wanted to start the series where the wine’s journey begins, which is in the vineyard. It’s the start of each bottle’s story before it’s opened at a restaurant or at home.
Though the first book takes place in Napa, I would like to have each book set in a different wine region. For example, the next book, Uncorking a Lie, takes place at a dinner party in Sonoma, a wine region not too far from Napa.
I hope readers enjoy a glimpse of Napa Valley in Decanting a Murder. Every chapter is paired with a wine so get your drinking glasses ready!
Thanks for joining us, Nadine! Do we have any wine lovers in the house? Are you a red wine person or a white wine person?
Nadine Nettmann, a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, is always on the lookout for great wines and the stories behind them. She has visited wine regions around the world, from Chile to South Africa to every region in France, but chose Napa as the setting for Decanting a Murder, her debut novel. Nadine is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in California with her husband. Find out more about Nadine at Nadinenettmann.com
Decanting a Murder is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
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