What do you get when you take early-1980s feminism, mix it with a brutally handsome Irish thief-slash-con artist, sprinkle in a dash of detective work, with just a soupcon of explosions and guns? You get Remington Steele.
Laura Holt wanted to be a private investigator. So she studied, and apprenticed, and trained, and opened up her own detective agency. And no one came. You see, this is 1982. No one wants to work with a woman. Back in 1982, women could barely even find their common sense and rationality, let alone actually investigate something.1
So she invented a superior. A boss for herself, named Remington Steele. Now that it was Steele’s agency, the cases started pouring in! Which caused its own problem… people wanted to actually see/talk to the boss! OH NO!
Luckily for her, Pierce Brosnan’s forever-unnamed character was in the right place at the right time, and in an attempt to escape from two men chasing him, he assumes the role of the fictional Steele. This works for Laura, as she now has a partner and a solid backstory.
Since, again, a woman cannot do this on her own.
These were, after all, the 80s.
So, what wine to pair with this odd yet eminently enjoyable show? Something to go along with Steele’s dashing good looks and incredible sense of style and class. Something a bit mysterious, but not too much so. Something that, while different, is incredible enjoyable itself.
Sparkling wine.
Perfect.
Brosnan’s Steele was probably the closest thing TV in my lifetime has gotten to its own James Bond. Classy, stylish, handsome, and roguish, Steele was all of these things and more. And for those reasons, I am pairing sparkling wine with Remington Steele.
Pop a cork, prepare for some early-80s misogyny-disguised-as-feminism, sit back, and enjoy.
Some sparkling wines I can recommend:
- NV Domaine Chandon etoile Brut (91)
- NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rose (89)
- 2006 Domaine Chandon Yountville Vintage Brut (89)
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The preceding sentence is to be taken with the strictest sarcasm.↩