1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 392 Why are there tourism bureaus everywhere?
Quincy and Blanco simply wanted to confirm whether Ronan truly understood wine; they didn't intend to make things difficult for him.

They didn't go to great lengths to find wines from other regions; they simply had their staff buy 10 bottles of wine that isn't commonly drunk in Lourmarin, and 6 of those were rosé.

"Isn't this too easy?" Ronan wondered, looking at the 10 cups in front of him.

In Provence, there are only a few rosé wine production methods, mainly because no one is willing to put in the effort to study the structure of rosé wine. They can't even sell the traditional varieties, so who would buy the new ones?

Of the three present, Quincy believed he knew the most about rosé wine, as he had been studying it for over two years, more than Blanco and Ronan.

"Don't underestimate these 6 glasses of rosé wine; there are many 'traps' in them."

Blanco also believes he is the most knowledgeable about rosé wine at the event. Since the government decided to build a rosé wine museum at the end of last year, they have been frantically studying rosé wine.

To make things easier for Ronan, Blanco kindly reminded him:
"Let me remind you first, some of these wines are made from single grapes, while others are blends. The most complex wine contains three different grape varieties."

"Only three kinds?" Ronan thought to himself.

That's seriously underestimating my 'God's Tongue'!
Never mind, as long as the goal is achieved, that's fine.

Ronan's gaze first fell on the six glasses of rosé wine beside him.

Although all are rosé wines, these six glasses have different colors. The deepest one is a deep red that is close to that of a rose, while the lightest one is only a light flesh color. The depth of color is determined by the length of time the skin is soaked.

He picked up the lightest color first, wanting to put it to his nose and smell it. Don't forget, Ronan's nose is also very sensitive!

However, Ronan suddenly recalled the scene of his first meeting with Theodore, the 'sacred ritual' held in the cellar that left a deep impression on him.

To make his persona more 'tall and three-dimensional', Ronan's arm suddenly changed direction in mid-air, drawing an arc with a diameter of half a meter.

This action terrified Quincy and Blanco.

They instinctively flinched back, only to find Ronan holding the glass by the bottom and spinning it three more times. He then raised the glass to eye level, carefully observing the trails of rosé wine slowly flowing down the glass after it had swirled.

"Hiss—" Quincy gasped.

So he really was 'tasting' wine, only Ronan's movements were unusually exaggerated.

Quincy curiously leaned over to look at the state of the rosé wine on the glass.

Does a larger range of motion make it easier to see?
The next second, Ronan suddenly brought his nose close to the wine glass, his nostrils flaring out dramatically, making clear inhalation and exhalation sounds.

Blanco's nose worked in sync with Ronan's breathing, following the rhythm of Ronan's breath. After a dozen or so breaths, Ronan suddenly took a deep breath, then stopped, swirled his glass once more, and took his first sip of wine.

"How is it?" Blanco couldn't help but ask.

But the only response he got was the sound of rinsing his mouth.

Ronan held the liquor in his mouth and gargled for a few seconds, then slightly pursed his lips to let some air into his mouth. After that, he repeatedly contracted and puffed out his cheeks. After five or six repetitions, he finally lowered his head.

He then picked up the trash can in the office and vomited all the alcohol out.

Quincy's eyes lit up.

Is Ronan really a professional?
That's how great wine tasters taste wine!
And Ronan's words did not disappoint the two leaders:
"It has fruity aromas of strawberry, red cherry and honeydew melon, but it is not round enough. The acidity is medium. This wine is made with only Grenache."

Quincy picked up the bottle corresponding to the glass of wine and said happily:
"That's right, this is a rosé wine made from single Grenache chrysanthemums."

Blanco eagerly pointed to the other cups on the table:

"Try the others."

After going through the same 'wine tasting' process, Ronan wiped the wine stains from his lips, pursed his lips, and said:

"Compared to the previous one, it has more rose notes, is fresher, and has lower acidity. It contains Cinsault, and is a blend of Grenache and Cinsault."

“That’s right.” Quincy nodded.

Grenache and Cinsault are the most common combination in Provence rosé wines, so it's not surprising if you guessed it right.

This time, Quincy didn't let Ronan choose for himself, but instead picked up a glass with a suitable color and handed it to Ronan:

"Try this one too."

'Splash splash—Ptooey—'

Ronan spat out the wine, then touched his lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

"It has aromas of fruit and flowers, a refreshing body, but a mineral feel on the palate, and a distinct spice finish, making it more complex. It uses Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah."

The base of Provence rosé wine is a combination of Grenache and Cinsault, and whether it is made alone or blended, it can only be sold at the price of table wine.

The addition of Syrah, which has aromas of spices, leather, a hint of cream, and chocolate, creates a richer flavor profile and increases the selling price accordingly.

Quincy immediately handed the fourth glass of wine to Ronan.

This time, Ronan's wine tasting process was much longer, as if he was reluctant to spit out the wine.

Finally, he spoke with reluctance:
"Finally, I've tasted a 'good wine.' It has distinct fruit and spice aromas, a combination of Grenache and Syrah, but with a touch of saltiness. This wine is higher in alcohol than the previous three glasses, and it's noticeably fuller on the palate, indicating the use of high-tannin grapes. However, the acidity is very high, so the pairing with Grenache and Syrah is a Mourvèdre that enhances the wine's structure."

Mourvèdre is the most common choice in Provence for enhancing the structure of wines and is synonymous with high-end wines.

"Looks like this bottle is your favorite. Take it back later." Seeing Quincy's expression, Blanco knew Ronan had answered correctly again. Ronan's performance proved Blanco's decision was right; he had really made Lourmarin and himself proud!
"No, thank you." Ronan shook his head. "I'm fine with wine tasting, but I don't like wines that are too heavy. This one is too sour for me."

Mourvèdre is indeed very sophisticated, but it also has a slight problem: its acidity and tannins are both very high. While high tannins mean a more astringent taste, which is fine in red wine, it can be too heavy for some enthusiasts who prefer lighter rosé wines.

Stella's premium line also uses Mourvèdre, but it doesn't sell particularly well, while Ronan's most frequently consumed beers are Grenache and Cinsault.

Neither he nor Zoe liked wines that were too strong or too sour.

On the other hand, Quincy was still not entirely at ease.

Provence rosé wines are made using only five or six grape varieties. What if Ronan just got lucky and stumbled upon the perfect wine?

But this 'rosé wine master' has other ways to verify authenticity!
"What should I do if I find the wine too acidic or the tannins too heavy?" Quincy asked casually. "You know, Mourvèdre is an indispensable grape for high-end rosé wines from Provence."

Ronan crossed his arms and looked thoughtful.

"In Provence, the best tannin neutralizer is Cinsault. Cinsault has almost negligible tannins and is very light, but adding too much Cinsault will clash with Mourvèdre. High-tannin Mourvèdre can age for over 20 years, while light-bodied Cinsault is best enjoyed fresh; as for Tiboulon? The tannins can be lowered, but Tiboulon is also very acidic. Moreover, both of these grapes are expensive in Provence, making the cost too high. It seems difficult to have the best of both worlds. Let me think about it some more—"

Quincy's eyes were filled with surprise.

Ronan really knows winemaking!
“I’ll think about this question carefully when I get back, and I’ll answer you in a few days.” Ronan picked up another glass of wine. “Let’s continue.”

Quincy snatched the wine glass from Ronan's hand:
"Are you sure you can temporarily fill in this role if we can't find a brewer?"

There's no need to verify anything anymore!

Quincy asked the same question to many winery owners and winemakers.

They all say that it's impossible to achieve a perfect balance of tannins, acidity, and lightness in high-end rosé wines from Provence; trade-offs must be made.

Ronan may not be a good winemaker, but he is definitely not an amateur, and he is an excellent wine connoisseur.

This means he can be a good 'supervisor' and, even if the brewers invited in the future are not top-notch, with Ronan's cooperation, at least the quality of Stellar will not decline.

Ronan smiled and shrugged:

“Even if I encounter any difficulties along the way, I can consult Jerome, the former boss of Stella, and I believe he will help me.”

“Great!” Quincy was even more relieved to hear this. He looked at Blanco and said, “This is really unexpected. If this is also guaranteed, then let’s move on to the issue of manpower that Ronan mentioned. How about we go to New Papal Castle to recruit workers?”

Quincy's most important task while staying in Lourmarin is to advance the rosé wine business. He wants the winery to get up and running as soon as possible, so it would be best to find experienced workers.

"No." Blanco and Ronan both refused.

Ronan directly expressed his attitude:

“I hope all the workers come from Lourmaran.”

Blanco nodded and added:

"The government's attitude is also to create more job opportunities for the villagers, which is the core of economic growth."

Quincy, however, had a different opinion:
“There will certainly be many jobs in Lourmarin related to tourism in the next few years. We don’t have to limit ourselves to the rosé winery right now. Special projects should be treated specially. In terms of importance, only when the rosé winery is operational as soon as possible can it bring real revenue to Lourmarin.”

Blanco was trying to figure out how to explain things to Quincy when Ronan spoke first:
"It may not be that far into the future; soon, a group of villagers in Lourmaran will need to have their employment issues resolved."

Blanco frowned and looked over.

How come I didn't know about this?

Ronan whispered to Blanco:
"Actually, there's something I've been keeping from you. Listen to this first, and then I'll tell you what comes next."

Blanco said calmly:
“You can say it now.”

Ronan smacked his lips:

"But that has nothing to do with tourism; it's related to agriculture."

Blanco glanced at Quincy, seeking his opinion.

Quincy stood up with a smile:
“Claude and I still haven’t figured out the details of the renovation of Lourmaran Castle. You guys talk about agriculture first, and then we can discuss the follow-up once we’ve reached a consensus.”

Friends, I'll have to excuse myself now.

Ronan wasted no time and immediately said to Blanco:

"I guess you already know, the grapes buried in the ground aren't doing well. The Ministry of Agriculture is urging grape growers to uproot high-yield, low-priced grape varieties, and they'll offer some compensation. I want to encourage everyone to participate in this plan, using the compensation to offset the losses from the cold snap. Farmers who don't want to continue farming can be arranged to work at my winery, and those who want to continue farming can cooperate with the winery to plant some new, high-priced grape varieties. I've heard that the European Community is struggling with the fact that wine is too cheap. If we can cultivate new, high-priced grapes, it can also enhance Strasbourg's future competitiveness in the high-end market. Let me explain this 'uprooting plan' to you in detail—"

Before Blanco could say anything, Quincy, who had already reached the door, suddenly teleported back to the opposite side of Ronan.

"What kind of new grape variety can enhance competitiveness in the high-end market?" he asked expectantly.

It looked as if a bolt of lightning had struck Ronan on the head.

etc.
Didn't Juliet mention that the tourism bureau was also a funder when she talked about the 'experimental field' project that day?

(End of this chapter)