The garlic-laden winds of change are blowing through the vineyards of Burgundy. Under threat from the increasing use of pesticides is the helix pomotia: the humble snail, the main ingredient for escargot Bourgignon.

Meanwhile, on the Canal de Bourgogne, Monsieur Pamplemousse is lecturing a group of international wine buffs on the fruits of the region, a task from which he is distracted by a Marilyn Monroe look-alike. It turns out that skulduggery among the vines will be the least of Monsieur Pamplemousse's worries.