History Main / AGlassOfChianti

* In ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Hannibal Lecter famously announces, "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti," before making a hideous slurping sound. [[note]]The choice of Chianti here suggests a minor bit of fridge horror: Lecter paired a mundane but enjoyable wine with a mundane but enjoyable meal. Though in the original book, he had "a big Amarone", which is what is actually recommended to accompany liver.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/Deltarune'' has Queen, the second chapter's main antagonist, who apparently carries wine glasses with her everywhere she goes. She actually fills her wine glasses with battery acid, and her boss fight requires you to get her to drink it to lower her shields. It doesn't hurt her, though, since she's an anthropomorphic computer.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'''s Giovanni sometimes is seen drinking some sort of alcohol, though it's never certain what sort it is.

* In the ''Franchise/EvilliousChronicles'', the sin vessel of [[SevenDeadlySins Gluttony]] is a wine glass. So, yeah. [[BloodLust Not that Banica used it for wine all the time...]]

* Alucard from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', the trope image, is seen enjoying red wine on his throne more than once in the series. It is hinted it may be mixed with blood, or be blood entirely.

-->'''Mariya:''' It's tomato juice.
-->'''Kanako:''' That's definitely a lie!

* The Computer Society President from ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' gets to try this out while he's villaining it up in the episode "Day of Sagittarius III". It's okay that he's underaged, it's all just part of the DeepImmersionGaming shtick.
** This is actually a ShoutOut to [[BigBad Leader Desslok]] in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''.

* ''[[Franchise/TheFlash Flash]]'' villain the Top is an elitist who never fit in well with the other Flash villains. Part of this comes from the fact that he can taste the difference in red wines...

* ''FanFic/BartSimpsonAttorneyAtLaw'': [[{{Slimeball}} Jeremy]] enjoys a glass of champagne as his plan [[spoiler: to destroy Alex's reputation on TV unfolds]]. Appropriately, [[ShootTheTelevision he throws the bottle at his TV]] in fury when his plan falls apart.

* Evangeline of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' does the "ungirly" version by often drinking red wine ([[VainSorceress usually in the most refined way possible]]). She is partial to several varieties of rare alcohols though (also drunk in refined ways).

** At the end of ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'', 007 defeats ThoseTwoBadGuys, Wint and Kidd, using his knowledge of fine wines. Earlier in the same film, he identifies the vintage of a sherry by taste. When sarcastically told sherry doesn't have vintages, he states that he meant the wine the sherry was made from, possibly [[ChekhovsSkill setting up Bond's superior knowledge of wine for later]].

** Rex Godwin from ''Anime/YuGiOh5ds'' did it a lot too while discussing things with minions, and also once while making a deal with Yusei. (It wasn't identified as wine or anything else in the dub.)

->''"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans, and a nice Chianti."''[[note]]In the original book it was "a big Amarone."[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:296:[-So you ''do'' [[Film/{{Dracula 1931}} drink... vine!]] [[ThatLiarLies Liar!]]-] ]]

Subtrope of WineIsClassy. Wine, especially rare and expensive wine (and the ability to identify vintages of it by sight, smell, and taste), has become a cliche commonly associated with the Grey Poupon set. This can be used to indicate someone is [[AppealToVanity a snob]], or simply as a part of the background culture of the story. Further, red wine is more often an acquired taste, possibly hinting that one had the funds to develop it.

* Lex Luthor from ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. In fact, most of the time you can clearly see the crystal decanter in his living room.

* Double Subverted in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'', where the human subculture of vampires are considered freaks because they file down their teeth, wear bright colors, stay up past noon, and [[IDoNotDrinkWine drink...]] ''[[IDoNotDrinkWine wine]]''.

* In ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', there's a wineglass in the vicinity of Jafar, but before he can drink it Jasmine throws it in his face.
* Ratigan from ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' drinks a glass of champagne while, indeed, lounging on his throne.
* In ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'', the Horned King [[AGlassInTheHand broke his glass]] when he decides to execute the clairvoyant pig.

* ''Anime/CaptainHarlock'': Harlock's trademarks are scars, eyepatches, and wine, in roughly that order. While he's more of an AntiHero, many of his actions could certainly be seen as unlawful and he's actually portrayed as the villain in ''Cosmo Warrior Zero''.

* [[BigBad Altena]] in ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' not only drinks wine but also owns a private vineyard. She also picks up the grapes herself, and is implied to at least participate in the making of the wine, as well. All and all, she's one hard-working villain.
** Although to some extent this is a subversion, since the vineyard isn't used to demonstrate [[BigBad Altena]]'s decadence or refinement, but rather meant to emphasize her [[DissonantSerenity preternatural humility]] and role as a [[TheHighQueen Madonna figure]]. It takes a [[ZenSurvivor special]] [[AntiVillain kind]] villain of to willingly do hard manual labour day in and day out, after all.

** For the love of all that is good, please rephrase that.
** [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Yeah, stroke the stem of that wine glass...]]

** Pegasus of loved to [[VillainsOutShopping drink wine and read comic books]], but the censors turned his wine into [[FrothyMugsOfWater "fruit juice"]]. Which actually works with his character because he acts childish for most of his on-screen time.

Many {{Big Bad}}s, being more high-class than most heroes, like to sip some wine, usually red, while [[SlouchOfVillainy lounging on their]] [[OrcusOnHisThrone throne]]. This makes them seem [[WickedCultured refined]] and [[EvilIsCool worldly]], even when [[VillainsOutShopping relaxing]]. Heroes and more petty villains go for the more boorish beer, usually because they either can't afford wine or they have [[EvilTastesGood no taste for the stuff]].

* The BigBad in ''Film/RaceForTheYankeeZephyr'' spends half the time with a martini glass in his hand, whether traveling downstream in a rubber dinghy or watching his mooks beat up one of the protagonists.

* Scarpia, the [[BigBad evil chief of police]] from ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}'' starts Act 2 with [[VillainSong singing about conquering the titular heroine]] [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty whether she likes it or not]], then finishes with drinking a glass of wine. Later on in the same act, he offers her some wine from Spain.

* Altena in ''Anime/{{Noir}}'' not only drinks wine but also owns a private vineyard. She also picks up the grapes herself, and is implied to at least participate in the making of the wine, as well. All and all, she's one hard-working BigBad.
** Although to some extent this is a subversion, since the vineyard isn't used to demonstrate Altena's decadence or refinement, but rather meant to emphasize her [[DissonantSerenity preternatural humility]] and role as a [[TheHighQueen Madonna figure]]. It takes a [[ZenSurvivor special]] [[AntiVillain kind]] of BigBad to willingly do hard manual labour day in and day out, after all.

** This is actually a ShoutOut to BigBad Leader Desslok in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''.

* In ''Fanfic/OldWest'', the BigBad [[ManOfWealthAndTaste Dufayel]] is shown indulging in a glass of brandy several times. He actually borders on TheAlcoholic due to his drinking so many glasses being his way to cope with his obscure anxiety over the stalemate he has with the heroes for the majority of the story.

** This even carries over to ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'', Castlevania's SpiritualSuccessor made by Koji Igarashi, Castlevania's most famous head-honcho: His Kickstarter pitch video has him throw a wine glass, and the game's heroine, Miriam, is slated to have an ability where she does the same thing.

* As ''Story Time With Adam Cole'' became more and more over the top, we finally got to him sipping out of cup on ''[[Wrestling/RingOfHonor Road To Final Battle]]'', and yes, sitting on a throne(he was the original Kingdom's centerpiece after all).[[/folder]]

In some parts of the world, any class connotations come from which wine it is, not the bare fact that it's wine. Also, if a Chianti is a villain's wine of choice, that can be an clue that they are not really as classy as they claim or that they really know little about wine; Chianti is a pleasant but modest table-wine, but it's not generally regarded as particularly sophisticated or elegant. Therefore, the TropeNamer ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' is [[ThisIndexIsNotAnExample not an example]] of this trope.

* Dio Brando from ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' often has a glass of wine while reading in [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders part III]]; by then, he's pretty much just flaunting his level of sophistry.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', [[BigBad Frieza]] is seen sipping [[WickedCultured red wine]] (or whatever he drinks that looks the same) in a similar fashion in early scenes and flashbacks during the Frieza Saga.