Any Old Port in a Storm is our favorite episode and a perennial fan fav. It features all of the show's trademarks and plays them to perfection:
An extravagant murder, a scenery-chewing villain, and a thrilling detective story driven by rich characterization rather than random gunfire. Then there is Lieutenant Columbo, the charming, cigar-smoking outsider with a strong moral code and respect for nearly everyone he meets — even murderers.
That last quality is displayed in "Any Old Port in a Storm," leading to a surprisingly poignant finish. The killer is Adrian Carsini (Donald Pleasance), the owner of a respected but unprofitable winery. Adrian is a true wine connoisseur, unlike his playboy half-brother Rick (Gerry Conway), who plans to sell the winery to pay for his fourth wedding. Adrian knocks Rick unconscious and leaves him to suffocate in an unventilated wine cellar; he returns to dump the corpse in the ocean in a staged scuba diving accident.
Columbo, an admitted beer man, is a stranger to the world of wine, but he grows to admire Carsini's passion and perfectionism even as he investigates the man for murder. Notably, "Any Old Port in a Storm" was Peter Falk's personal favorite "Columbo" episode, according to a specially-recorded introduction that aired on the A&E network in the early 90s. By the time Columbo and Carsini share their final drink, you'll understand why.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=72BrILsoA28&pp=ygUZQW55IG9sZCBwb3J0IGluIH…
https://www.looper.com/1819162/best-columbo-episodes-ranked/
