Damn the French in general, of course, but they do produce some extraoridnary wines. In Chapter 32 of Scoundrel in the Thick, Thomas enjoys a bottle of Romanee-Conti, considered the finest wine in the world when he drank it in 1882, and still considered to be numero uno to this day. This wine is produced in extremely tiny quantities (less than 500 cases per year), which ensures gargantuan levels of demand: as of 2023, DRC Romanee-Conti is the most expensive wine in the entire world, averaging nearly $20,187 per single bottle for the most recent release. How many books do I need to sell to enjoy a single glass? Let me grab a calculator..