1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 532 The Rose Manor of Extraordinary Significance

The Vaucluse Rosé Wine Lovers Association, which had been holding a reunion after several months, was located at the private estate of its president, Ines.

Perhaps because the gathering had been too long in between, Ines wanted to express her apologies and invited the members to her place to be properly entertained.

Ronan had never been to Ines's private estate, so he drove to Bonnillo and went there with Mr. Jacques.

Although the gatherings haven't been held for a long time, Ronan still maintains close ties with the association members.

Needless to say, the president's side has been delayed. The reason the gathering has been postponed is because Ines is preparing for the "Provence Art Guide," and Ronan and Zoe are key figures in this effort. Ronan has lost count of how many times he has met with the president during the days when the gathering has not been held.

Ronan worked with Juliet, who worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, to advance Lourmaran’s ‘vine-pulling project’ and ‘weather insurance’. Juliet also helped Ronan apply for two experimental plots.

Gabriel's candy shop in Lourmarin was thriving, and Ronan often saw him on the shopping street.

Mr. Jacques and Ronan also interacted frequently. Before March of this year, he ordered high-quality truffles from Ronan. In recent months, when Jacques ordered rosé from Jérôme, he would also tell Ronan at the same time.

“So, I don’t need to make a big fuss about announcing that Stella has been handed over to me. The members should all know the news by now, right?” Ronan turned to ask Mr. Jacques for his opinion.

The association's gathering was delayed, and Ronan never found a formal opportunity to announce this big news to the members.

However, I heard that Jerome and Ines have already 'announced' it for Ronan in private.

“I think you should mention it briefly, since not every member has private interactions, and there are bound to be some people who don’t know about this yet,” Jacques said, adjusting his black-rimmed glasses.

Ronan asked curiously:

"I haven't had any contact with any members in the past six months. Does our association have any members like that?"

The members of the party were all wealthy and influential, and Provence has a strong culture of "circles," especially among the rich. Members of these circles often interact and keep in touch with each other in private.

Those who work in the government see each other all the time.

The business members must have met in various social settings.

Take Gabriel as an example. His shop is on the same street as Ronan's restaurant, he plays golf at the same golf club as Corentin, and the candy king often takes his friends and family to Mr. Jacques' Michelin-starred restaurant.

Ronan couldn't think of anyone who hadn't interacted with the members for six months.

Mr. Jacques smiled and patted the steering wheel:

"Then we'll see if there are any people like that, just by looking at everyone's expressions."

Ines owns properties in Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille.

However, the private estate where this gathering took place was located in the heart of Luberon, outside a small village called Egarry.

Ines named her estate 'Dali', which consisted of several botanical gardens, and every single one of them was planted with roses.

These roses come in different colors and varieties; some are white, some are red, and some are black.

"Does Ines like roses very much?"

As the car drove through the endless sea of ​​flowers, Ronan felt as if she were traversing a series of paintings, only the materials used were not paints and oil paints, but flowers and plants. The beauty of this estate was unparalleled, but it was hard to associate it with a fashion queen.

Ronan felt that this was not something Ines would like.

The president always gives off a cold vibe, and her clothes are mostly black, white, and gray. I've never seen her wear anything too bright, not even when attending a royal dinner in Monaco.

Mr. Jacques and Ines had known each other for many years and he actually knew a lot about the history of this estate:

"This estate was a gift from Ines to her son."

Ronan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"They really are rich."

Ronan knew a little about Ines's son and had heard that he often infuriated the editor-in-chief. Many employees of Michelin magazine had witnessed Ines's bizarre act of "putting family aside for the greater good."

If your son is so useless, why would you give him an entire estate?

If her son were to become more successful, what would she give him?

Rich, really rich!

Jacques, focused on driving, didn't notice the fascinating change in Ronan's expression beside him. Remembering that Ronan wasn't a native of Provence, he thoughtfully added:

"In Provence, roses have a special meaning and are associated with children."

Ronan, who loved hearing stories about the people and culture of Provence, immediately became interested:
What is the symbolism of roses, and how do they relate to children?

Mr. Jacques slowed down and slowly explained to Ronan:
"In 1242 AD, Count Thibaud IV of Champagne introduced roses to France from the Middle East. At first, they were called 'Pharmacist Roses' because pharmacists discovered that this plant was not only beautiful but also had medicinal properties. It could be pickled into preserves or made into syrup to relieve indigestion; made into a lotion to cleanse and purify the skin; and mixed with maltose to soothe sore throats. In short, it was a magical plant, and this magic reached its peak in Provence."

At the edge of the flower field, the outline of a building appeared, and Mr. Jacques slowed down even more:

"There is an old legend in Provence that if you stand under a thicket of roses when you first trim a newborn's nails, the child will be upright throughout his life and will also have a good voice. Ines believed in this legend and built this rose estate. Before his son was 8 years old, he trimmed his nails under a thicket of roses every time."

Ronan couldn't help but ask:

"And what was the result? Was he an upright child?"

Mr. Jacques couldn't help but chuckle and said:

"The boy had a good temperament and was quite upright, but Ines valued the latter half of the legend. She hoped her son would become a singer or actor, or at the very least, some other kind of celebrity. But unfortunately, her son had no artistic talent whatsoever and chose to study medicine in college."

“Oh, that’s a real shame.” Ronan tilted his head.

Another pitiful mother whose dream of her son becoming a dragon has been shattered.

Mr. Jacques' Mercedes-Benz stopped in front of a well-preserved Renaissance-style building, with its latticed windows, round towers, decorative domes, pilasters, niches, and pediments, all showcasing the homeowner's wealth and extravagance.

He turned off the car engine, gestured for Ronan to get out, and said jokingly:

“I suspect that Ines dotes on you partly because she likes talented children.”

Ines never hid his affection for Ronan.

After nearly half a year of intensive exchanges, this 'pampering' has become even more obvious.

At the start of the party, she announced on Ronan's behalf the well-known secret that 'Strasga is moving to Lourmaran and will be run by Ronan in the future'.

By speaking out, she was firstly to let everyone know that she knew about what had happened and that Ronan had not hidden it from her.

Secondly, it silenced those who were unhappy that Ronan hadn't proactively informed them of the news, such as our Ms. Astrid.

This kind-hearted lady, who had been kept in the dark for so long and had kindly helped Lourmaran to make Ronan's rosé wine dominance a smooth and successful path, was planning to make some sarcastic remarks today, teasing Ronan for being tight-lipped and only telling them the news after so long.

But Ines's actions silenced her.

Ronan's ability to "leverage" and "profit" has become increasingly adept, suggesting that Ines has had considerable dealings with him over the past six months. Astrid lazily picked up her wine glass, thinking to herself.

Ronan looked away from Astrid and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He was afraid the lady was still angry; their last encounter at the Lourmarin Rosé Museum had been so unpleasant.

Fortunately, this person is very magnanimous.

Seeing that Astrid had switched to her 'drunkard' persona and hadn't made a move, Ronan looked at the only person present whose expression had changed.

When Ines finished announcing the news, the sommelier Theodore's mouth dropped open so wide it could fit two eggs.

After about ten seconds, you could fit another one in. But that would still be quite big.

Ronan and Theodore were not familiar with each other at all; they had only met three times, including today.

Aside from knowing his profession, that he's very capable, that he gives advice to Sterling every year, and that this guy only tastes wine and doesn't drink it, I know nothing else about him.

But after discovering that Theodore had no private dealings with other association members, Ronan became very curious about this man.

Theodore isn't in the circle of wealthy people?
Where does he live?

Is wine tasting his only profession?

Before leaving, Jerome earnestly instructed Ronan on two things: every member of the Rosé Wine Association of Vaucluse Province would be of help to Stäsgar, and you must get to know them well; the other was to help Ines keep the association in place.

The members are incredibly capable, so the responsibility of preserving the Rosé Wine Association of Vaucluse will certainly not fall on Ronan's shoulders, and Ronan doesn't believe the association will ever disband.

But Ronan had another request from Jerome that he needed to fulfill as soon as possible, so he decided to find a suitable opportunity to get to know Theodore better soon.

The members hadn't seen each other for a long time, and Stella had kept the double celebration in mind, making the atmosphere at the gathering very relaxed and enjoyable.

Before this gathering was even over, everyone was already making plans for the time and place of the next one.

Gabriel protested sternly, saying that the next gathering couldn't be so far apart, or he would miss the members (Astrid).

Ines crossed her legs and said elegantly:

“I had some important things to take care of before and couldn’t find the time, but now it’s all resolved. How about the others? Are you busy lately? If not, and don’t have anything urgent, how about we get together again in a few days?”

Gabriel's positive proposal:

“Okay, okay, come to my place next time. I just bought a vacation villa in Marseille, and this season is perfect for going to the beach.”

The members all chimed in, saying they weren't too busy with work lately and could schedule another time.

Ines observed Astrid's reaction, and seeing that she didn't seem to be objecting, was about to speak when Ronan spoke first.

"I might not be able to attend next month. I've run into some difficulties in St. Louis, and I need to take care of those first. Besides that, I have some personal matters to attend to. If I can't make it, please drink more for me."

Everyone in the room looked at Ronan at the same time, their expressions varied.

Some were puzzled, some sighed, and some were resentful.

Theodore stared at Ronan with displeasure.

The problem arose as soon as you took over Stellar?
Ines's expression also turned serious, and he asked with concern:
"What happened to Stella?"

Ronan looked bitter:
"Sales have been so good in recent months that we're running out of stock."

After hearing Ronan's explanation, the members' expressions became even more varied.

Do you think this is a problem?
This is clearly a good thing.

You might say this isn't a problem, but it can't be ignored.

Mr. Jacques, who was familiar with Ronan, was the first to offer advice:

"If you are facing a two- to three-month inventory shortage, then you do need to address it. In fact, this situation is quite common for both red and white wines, but it is relatively rare for rosé wines to experience an inventory crisis in Provence. You need to explain this to your customers to avoid any misunderstandings."

Theodore looked serious:
"In 1982, several wineries in Châteauneuf-du-Pape experienced inventory crises in April, but that did not dampen customer enthusiasm. On the contrary, it led to higher sales of their 1983 vintage. This was an opportunity."

He looked at Ronan and said hesitantly:
"It's just a matter of whether we can seize it."

Ronan asked Theodore:
How do these wineries solve their inventory problems?

Theodore blurted out:

"Immediately implement a strict quota system to balance the market."

This was the third time Ronan had heard this word, following Jerome and his fellow Parisian Bernard.

The core of the quota system is to classify customers when wine is in short supply and allocate the remaining inventory based on historical purchase volume and importance.

Ronan looked bitter, but Stella—

“No rosé wineries in Provence have ever used a quota system, and Ronan’s introduction of this measure now might backfire.” Corentin and Ronan were on the same page.

Juliet, however, expressed a different opinion:

“There is a first time for everything. The reason why no rosé wineries use the quota system is that Provence does not have high-end rosé wineries, but Stella Garnier will launch a high-end brand line in the future.”

Juliet knew more about Stellar than anyone else; she had procured the advanced agricultural equipment used on those acres of land on the north slope of Lourmaran, and she knew that Ronan was committed to developing Stellar into a high-end agricultural enterprise.

The members then engaged in a heated debate about whether Strasbourg should introduce a quota system, with each person presenting compelling arguments.

Ronan, the person involved, was extremely excited when he heard this.

With so many experts helping him find solutions, how could this problem not be solved?

After more than half an hour, having listened to the entire account and already formed her own judgment, Ines quietly asked Astrid for her opinion:

Do you think it's feasible for Strasbourg to implement a quota system?

Of everyone present, Astrid is undoubtedly number one in terms of business acumen and judgment.

Astrid remained languid, adopting an indifferent attitude, and said with her eyes lowered:
"The path is one we forge ourselves. As long as it proves that Stella is high-end enough, or that it will pursue a high-end strategy in the future, that's enough. I don't understand what's the point of arguing about it."

Ines nodded, interrupting the members' debate.

Her gaze swept over everyone's eyes before finally settling on Theodore:
"Theodore, do you have a way to help Stellar move upmarket in a short period of time?"

Theodore pondered for a few seconds:

“There’s a high-end wine auction in Châteauneuf-du-Pape next month, and I can invite Ronan to attend.”

Mr. Jacques knew that Ronan had never attended a wine auction before and was not familiar with Theodore, so he took the initiative to say:
“I’ve also been invited to that auction, and I’ll be going with Ronan and Theodore.”

"Alright, I'm relieved that you two will go with Ronan." Ines finally looked at Ronan, "Do you have any questions?"

Ronan asked Theodore, somewhat embarrassed:
"What day of next month is that auction?"

Theodore recalled:
"May 7th."

Ronan finally smiled:
"Oh, that's great."

After speaking, he stood up and raised his glass to everyone:

"Zoe and I are getting married on the 20th of next month. Since we haven't decided on a date for our next get-together yet, how about we meet up at my place? Does everyone have time that day?"

"God, you're getting married?" Juliet gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.

“I absolutely have to go! I must attend!” Gabriel almost jumped up.

"Today is a day of triple celebration, friends, let's toast Ronan!" Ines said with a gratified smile.

(End of this chapter)