Ep 2. Any Old Port in a Storm

In the Columbo season 3, episode 2 called "Any Old Port in a Storm," Lieutenant Columbo (played by Peter Falk) is called to investigate the murder of a wealthy wine connoisseur, Adrian Carsini (played by Donald Pleasence). The episode opens with Carsini accompanying his sommelier, Enrico Guiseppe Rastelli, as they sample wines at his Napa Valley vineyard and winery. Carsini is an arrogant and wealthy wine enthusiast obsessed with the idea of owning the finest wine collection globally and constantly battling with his younger brother, who is a more relaxed family man.

Things take a drastic turn when Rastelli, who is being sexually harassed by Carsini, hits him over the head with a wine bottle during an argument, killing him instantly. He tries to cover up the crime by setting the scene to make it look like an accident, but he is interrupted by one of the winery employees, whom he then proceeds to murder as well.

Columbo arrives at the scene of the murder the next day and immediately sets to work investigating the area. He becomes interested in a locked door, which is the one leading to the wine cellar but is told by Carsini's brother that it is never opened. Columbo, of course, smells a rat, but Carsini's brother is reluctant to allow him access, and he is forced to find alternative ways to investigate.

Columbo spends much of the episode trying to trick Rastelli into revealing his guilt, to no avail. Meanwhile, Carsini's brother is looking to take over the winery and liquidate some of the precious wines. As he is going through the inventory, he notices that the contents of one of the bottles are suspicious; one of the most expensive and rare bottles in the collection appears to be filled with a common table wine. This is when Columbo realizes that if he can solve the mystery of the bottle's contents, he can solve the case, as Carsini was known to never let even a single bad bottle into his collection.

Later, Columbo meets with a group of wine experts, including a friend of his, who is a wine connoisseur. He brings them a bottle from Carsini's cellar that he believes to be the one tampered with, and the group is surprised to note that the wine tastes terrible. They quickly deduce that the fraudster probably took cheap table wine and mixed several expensive wines into it to try and pass it off as rare and highly valuable. Combining his deductive skills and the knowledge provided by the wine experts, Columbo eventually pieces together the truth behind the murders and brings the culprit to justice.

The Any Old Port in a Storm is considered one of the best episodes in season 3 of Columbo, with a compelling plot and excellent acting by the cast. It's a must-watch for fans of the series, and also those who enjoy a thrilling murder mystery.