1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 381 Hiss. Was the budget approved too low?
Ronan explained to Astrid in a concise manner:
“I’ve been keeping an eye on Stella’s developments, but this buyer acted too quickly and didn’t give me a chance to react. You know, leveraging trends and taking advantage of opportunities takes time, but actually I was about to succeed.”

Astrid threw her gloves and coat onto the sofa and said in an icy tone:
"Tell me in detail how you planned it, what you've done in the past two months, and how Stella was robbed."

Ms. Astrid was undoubtedly a very capable 'teacher,' and coming from the renowned Fox family, she could offer a word or two of advice, making the gathering worthwhile. So Ronan recounted in detail what had happened since their last meeting.

From participating in Gold events to delve deeper into the art world, to the wonderful rosé atmosphere created by the second wave of artists' migration in Lourmarin, to understanding the perfume museum model and the arrival and response of the tourism bureau.

During the process, she also talked about the plan to remove the old grapes and plant new ones, and even went into details about how to enhance her personal influence through cooperation with Ines and how to promote rosé wine from the art community to the general public.

Astrid wanted to give this kid a good talking-to; she'd shown him the way, but he still hadn't gotten on the bus.

Moreover, she knew better than anyone that without passion, Stellaco couldn't be run well, and good rosé wine couldn't be made.

What will she drink from now on?

But after hearing Ronan's account, she realized that apart from his delayed contact with Jerome, there was nothing she could criticize him for.

Ronan had made many preparations over the past month, and his plans were more detailed than she had pointed out. He had even considered the long-term goal of transitioning to fine wines. Moreover, he not only took advantage of the Lourmaran government's influence, but Ines and Juliet also became part of his plans.

Astrid thought to herself, "They're growing up so fast."

Her anger had subsided considerably, and she lazily asked Ronan:
"Stesgaard is gone. What are your next plans?"

Ronan said calmly:

“We will continue to do the rosé wine business, but we will have to start a winemaking cooperative from scratch. Although it will be much more difficult, there is still room for maneuver if the government can secure a satisfactory budget. It’s just that the development of rosé wine will be slower.”

Astrid glanced at him furtively:
"Should we continue brewing?"

Ronan said firmly:

"Of course, as long as I can brew good wine, I will become famous sooner or later. And I have already done so much in the early stages, so there is absolutely no way I can give up now."

Astrid shook her head slightly.

She admired Ronan's determination and his dedication to rosé wine.

But having passion alone is useless; it's the least valuable thing.

Without Stella, Ronan will face many more difficulties.

When will we finally reach the society he described, where "everyone drinks pink wine"?
This is so annoying, so incredibly annoying!

How did things, which were going so smoothly, suddenly turn out like this?
As soon as Astrid entered, she sat down next to Ronan with an aggressive air, scaring everyone away so that no one dared to sit near her and could only watch from a distance.

They observed that Astrid's mood suddenly became 'irritable'.

First, he rudely searched for something in his bag, and when he couldn't find it, he threw the bag down. Even the wine glass in his hand seemed to be in his way, making a sound every time he put it down.

Ronan, of course, also noticed Astrid's change in mood, and he strongly suspected that this agitation was caused by him.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." He stood up politely.

Ronan's departure seemed to have triggered something in Astrid; she suddenly changed her demeanor and asked seriously:

When did the Lourmaran government submit its budget request?

Ronan paused, then recalled for a moment and said:

"It's been more than a week, almost two weeks."

After Ronan left, Astrid propped one arm up on the sofa, squinting as if lost in thought.

When Ronan returned to the private room, Astrid had already moved to another spot and was sitting among the crowd, quietly drinking.

Ronan sat back down in his original spot and let out a sigh of relief.

This woman exudes an incredibly powerful aura of pressure.

After a while, Juliet sat down next to Ronan and asked in a low voice:
"What did you talk about with Ms. Astrid?"

Ronan feigned ignorance and said:

"What else can we talk about? Rosé wine, of course. That's the only thing we have in common."

Juliet pursed her lips enviously, giving Ronan a look that was hard to describe but full of unspoken words. Ultimately, she didn't say anything more on that topic and changed the subject:

"You want to ask about the 'experimental field' project?"

Since the decision has been made to continue with the previous plan, the new grape varieties will still be planted. Ronan nodded and said expectantly:

"Yes, I want to encourage farmers in Lourmaran to uproot their high-yield, low-price grapes and plant new varieties instead."

Juliet didn't seem surprised. Ronan had been eager to participate when they last discussed the uprooting plan. She explained in a professional tone: "The experimental field project is simply an agricultural experiment project carried out by the government and research institutions. It aims to test new varieties, environmental protection technologies, and sustainable planting methods, and encourage production areas to improve their competitiveness through experimentation. Depending on the experimental project, regional governments, the Ministry of Agriculture, INRA (National Academy of Agricultural Sciences), the European Community, water authorities, and even tourism bureaus may become funders."

Ronan became more and more excited as he listened.

Are there really that many potential funders?
They're all 'sugar daddies'!
Seeing Ronan's delighted expression, Juliet shook her head and sighed.
"Write me a report outlining what you want to do and the possible goals you'll achieve. I'll submit it for you and see which departments are interested. Remember to be as 'detailed' as possible."

"Okay, okay, I'll get ready right away!" Ronan said happily, but then, remembering something, he continued, "If the application is successful, which department will provide technical assistance? Can I meet with someone from that department first?"

Ronan also wanted to consult with professionals.

He only has theoretical knowledge now, like 'armchair strategist'. If Provence had previously conducted experiments on some new grape varieties, whether successful or not, they would be valuable experiences.

Juliet tapped the armchair and said:

"Similar to the funders, the institutions providing technical support vary depending on the project, as each institution has different areas of expertise. Those that have cooperated extensively with the Vaucluse region include the Avignon Fruit and Lavender Research Centre, the Luberon Agricultural Technical School, the Avignon Agricultural University, the Provence AOC Technical Committee, and the EU Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund."

After a brief pause, she continued:
"Actually, there are also the Avignon Center of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research and the newly established Provence Truffle Technology Center, but these two institutions are currently only conducting experimental projects related to truffles."

Ronan's smile froze instantly:

"Researching artificial cultivation of truffles?"

Juliet tilted her head:

"Yes, the cold wave caused severe frost damage to the underground mycelium in Provence, resulting in a 50% drop in truffle market transactions this year. The government has decided to pilot artificial truffle cultivation technology, and the project is funded by the Provence Regional Government and our Vaucluse Department of Agriculture."

The atmosphere at the last gathering was somber because Ines announced Jerome's decision to sell Stella, and everyone was reluctant to part with the rosé winery that had accompanied the association throughout its journey.

At this gathering, the winery was sold, but the atmosphere was still low. Jerome said that after completing the handover with the new buyer, he would sell the land, equipment, and factory at a low price and then move to Madrid.

"You'll come back occasionally, won't you?" Ines had spent the most time with Jerome, and it was Jerome who entrusted this association to her.

The oldest member was about to leave, and she felt incredibly sad, as if she had lost a comrade-in-arms.

Jerome made a face, trying to make Ines laugh, but ended up laughing at himself first:
"Alright, Ines, don't be like that. Madrid is so close, I'll come back often."

Jerome smiled and said to everyone:

"Whenever you go to Madrid, be sure to look me up! I've collected some of the best Spanish rosé wines for you!"

Jerome was the most cheerful person there, always with a smile on his face, and he comforted everyone, saying that this was already a very good result.

Theodore scoffed.
"How could Spanish rosé wine possibly taste better than Provence's? I'll bring some wine with me instead."

He hugged Jerome:

"Take care of yourself."

The members are all very busy, so not many people came today. Even Gabriel and Mr. Jacques were absent. This may very well be the last time they meet.

Jerome laughed heartily and raised his glass:

"Everyone, please take care. After giving so many toasts today, friends, let's raise a glass to our favorite rosé wine!"

"Please toast with pink wine!!"

The party lasted until after dinner, but Astrid left in the afternoon.

She used to attend every gathering and was always the last one to drink. However, she left early twice out of the last three gatherings, and today she seemed detached, which made the members worry – has this lady's love for rosé wine faded?
Some people joked that if that's the case, then Ronan is the most obsessed and passionate member of the association when it comes to rosé.

Ronan hesitated before speaking, then said:

“This ‘best’ title will always belong to Astrid.”

at the same time.

A high-end banquet hall in Avignon.

The gilded chandeliers illuminated the banquet hall as if it were daytime, and the light reflected from the crystal glasses danced back and forth on the Louis XIV-style wallpaper.

A dozen or so men and women dressed in formal attire sat at either end of a long table, while the chef used a truffle scraper to shave slices of fresh truffles, each over 10 centimeters in diameter, off the dishes in front of them.

These dignitaries showed no surprise at the unusual ingredient, as they were intently watching the elegant lady in a dark black dress speaking at the end of the table.

The lady's fingertips lazily traced circles along the rim of the glass, and champagne bubbles eagerly leaped from the surface:
"This brings me to my trip to Lourmaran a couple of days ago. The village has changed so much! I remember when I went there last autumn, it looked completely different."

A portly man present silently picked up a handkerchief and wiped his sweat.

Why would this woman go to Lourmarin so frequently?
Was the approved amount of 350 million too low?

(End of this chapter)