1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 546 Hey buddy, let's have some authentic Papal Newcastle specialties.

Theodore is an excellent sommelier who has tasted countless wines and is particularly adept at 'precisely' describing the distinctive flavors of aged wines. However, his palate is too discerning; after tasting for an entire afternoon, all the white wines were 'defeated,' and he only said that two red wines were good.

Mr. Jacques is not a sommelier, but he is knowledgeable and has an almost obsessive passion for fine ingredients and high-end wines. He has tasted countless fine wines. However, he is rather rigid and serious, and his words when evaluating wines are too blunt, which made Jackson laugh awkwardly several times.

Ronan was kind by nature and this was his first meeting with Mr. Jackson. He also lacked the industry standing of the other two. Although his drinking skills were not bad, he even imitated Theodore's 'tricky' style of wine tasting, but his words were very tactful and humorous.

The imagery of a promising young man, the scorching Provençal sunshine, and the taste of a November forest morning all suggest that this wine has some problems or isn't very good, but Jackson found it much more pleasant to hear.

Despite Stella's mediocre previous business, Jerome was doing quite well in Papal Newcastle. Many local plantation owners knew him, and Jackson and others had even dined with him privately before going to Madrid.

“Jerome doesn’t have your skills.” Jackson put down his glass, smiled, and shrugged at Ronan. “I mean in terms of wine tasting; he’s too focused on rosé.”

Ronan's palate won over the vineyard owner; his wine tasting performance this afternoon was in no way inferior to that of professional sommeliers. He was clearly a connoisseur of wine, and the kind who would accept anything, which suited Ronan's taste perfectly.

Who says that people who sell rosé wine can't drink other kinds of wine?
Look at Ronan, he not only drinks everything, but he's also an expert!
Ronan, in particular, gave Jerome a lot of face. Although it was their first meeting, the vineyard owner's goodwill towards him soared, and he felt as if they were kindred spirits.

Ronan was pondering how to respond 'humorously' to Jackson's compliment when Theodore spoke up first.

“So Jerome gave Stellagas to Ronan—” Theodore glanced at Ronan with a complicated expression, trying his best to complete the task Ines had assigned him while offering him his best wishes, “I hope Ronan can fulfill his unfinished dream. In the future, Stellagas will also be producing high-end rosé wine, and you two might have the opportunity to collaborate. Jackson, don’t underestimate Stellagas now. Believe me, its name will soon be known throughout Provence.”

Jackson, leaning against the oak barrel, seemed to be in a very good mood.

"Since you've said that, I have to have a couple of drinks with Ronan. Don't leave tonight, stay here for dinner. I'll have someone prepare it, it'll be ready soon."

Jackson is a very famous vineyard owner in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and all the high-end wineries in the area work with him.

Arranging for Ronan to get to know him and gradually become familiar with him is an important way to help Stella enhance her high-end image, and it is also one of Theodore's purposes for this trip. Therefore, he did not refuse Jackson's dinner invitation.

Theodore, the key figure, did not object, and Ronan and Jacques, who had been invited, naturally stayed.

Although both are located in the province of Vaucluse, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Lourmaran have different soil types, resulting in different culinary styles.

Tonight, Jackson has prepared authentic country flavors, and it's also a culinary marathon, but one of the main courses is red wine stewed duck, which is rarely eaten by the people of Lourmaran.

The main meat consumed by the Lurma people is mutton, followed by chicken. These two are the most common. They also eat pork and beef, but less frequently. In winter, they eat wild game from the mountains, but duck is not even considered "wild game" and is eaten at most two or three times a year.

This was Ronan's first time eating duck stewed in red wine. Leah had cooked duck once or twice, but she always roasted it.

Because he opened the restaurant, Ronan enjoyed exploring new food pairings, so he ordered an extra piece of red wine braised duck on top of his usual portion, which made Jackson like him even more.

“Not everyone can stomach duck,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Many people think duck has a peculiar, unpleasant smell, but there are more people in Papal States who love duck than pork.”

There was one guy present who didn't like eating duck meat.

Theodore looked at the red wine-braised duck on the plate, which had suffered some minor scratches, and said with a pursed lip:

"I really can't get used to it."

Jackson smiled and pursed his lips:

"Who told you not to drink? Trust me, if you eat a bite of duck meat and a sip of wine, you'll find the duck swimming around in your mouth."

Theodore took a sip of water:

"My taste buds tell me that even a sip of the best white wine cannot mask the taste of the duck."

Although we're eating country food today, the drinking etiquette is absolutely top-notch.

With each main course served, Jackson would open a different drink for everyone.

This red wine braised duck is paired with dry white wine; the fruity and acidic flavors of the white grapes can mask the gamey smell of the duck meat.

Ronan ate with a bite of meat and a sip of wine, his meal was truly authentic.
"I think it's pretty good, I really like this flavor."

Ronan was even inspired to consider selling duck dishes in his restaurant, although it was a bit difficult to buy ducks in Lourmaran.

“Oh la la—” Jackson shook his head regretfully, “It’s such a pity that you moved Stellagas to Lourmaran to run the business. It would have been so much better if you had lived in Papal Newcastle. You would have adapted very well.”

Suddenly, he asked Ronan excitedly:
"Want to experience some other 'customs' in Papal Newcastle? Things related to drinking."

Ronan put down his knife and fork, looking serious.
"Of course I'd like to. What is it?"

Mr. Jacques also put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy:

"I'm sorry, I won't be participating in this part."

Theodore said to Jacques in a teasing tone:

"Please, we're just having fun. Don't be so rude. Trust me, it will make you all have even more fun."

Jacques' sarcastic remark about Theodore:
"Then give us some face, what's wrong with having a sip of wine? We'd be even happier if you could have a drink today."

The atmosphere was good today. The other three people at the table tried their best to get Theodore to drink, but to no avail.

Theodore immediately shut up and tried to excuse himself:
"Do you think you can vomit all the alcohol? Some of it will still be absorbed by your body. I drink too much alcohol every month, and the amount I passively absorb is terrifying. If I drink alcohol actively, my body won't be able to handle it."

Ronan, who was listening in, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Are there really people in Provence who are so health-conscious?

"Alright, alright, guys, let's teach Ronan something new." Jackson ended the pointless conversation, looking at Ronan and saying, "In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, people like to sing the 'Wine Song' when they drink, it's an essential part of a perfect party."

"How could it be singing?" Ronan thought to himself.

But he had just agreed, and it would be too disappointing to say no now.

Besides, it's just singing. Which drunkard hasn't belted out a few songs in an old tavern after getting drunk?
Small scene.

"How do you sing it?" Ronan asked Jackson eagerly.

Theodore playfully added from the side:

"It's singing and dancing at the same time, Ronan." What is that?
Ronan glanced at Mr. Jacques and noticed that the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.

Before Ronan could escape, Jackson was already standing beside him:

"Don't be shy, young man. For the next two days, you'll be constantly hearing the melody of 'The Song of Wine.' If you want to successfully join the joyful crowd, you must learn it now. This is your last chance!"

Don't waste Theodore's help, and don't let Ines's arrangements go to waste. You must fully integrate into Pope Newcastle's work for the next two days. Ronan encouraged himself with these words, rolled up his sleeves, and stood up.

"Come on, teach me."

Jackson laughed heartily, put his arm around Ronan's neck, and said to Theodore:
"I like the young man you brought!"

The Song of Wine holds a similar status to a 'battle horn' in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The war songs never stop, and the drinking never stops—this is a true reflection of the drinking culture of the Papal Statesmen.

Ronan was initially worried about whether his musical talent could support him in learning a whole song in half an hour. As everyone knows, he learned the electronic keyboard for three months when he was a child, but he still couldn't play as well as Luo Tianhai, who drove him to class.

Fortunately, "The Wine Song" has no lyrics; it's all "la la la la" from beginning to end. Jackson told Ronan that the melody wasn't a problem either; if you can't sing it, just shout it out, and that's just as good. The focus of the song is on the movements.

For the first third of the song, everyone needs to sing (shout) and clap their hands at the same time. When the climax of the first verse comes, the movements become more complicated.

First, clench your fists, raise your arms from the sides above your head, and rotate your wrists back and forth.

Sounds pretty abstract, right?
It's basically just the action of twisting a bottle cap, at least that's what Ronan thinks.

Then he raised both fists in front of him and waved them back and forth.

Does it still sound hard to understand?

Drinking is simply the act of drinking!

Finally, clap your hands together nine times in a row.
Jackson told Ronan that when clapping, you should clap hard and make the sound as loud as possible.

After quickly completing the above actions twice, you can return to the 'ready' position and wait for the next piece of music to start.

Jackson also gave Ronan a piece of "advice"—don't be idle while waiting, you can have a couple of drinks to replenish your energy, because you don't know how many times the "Song of Wine" will be repeated, it all depends on when the last drunkard passes out.

Mr. Jacques withdrew from the group activity early.

Theodore already knew how to do it, and used that as an excuse to slack off for more than half an hour, only occasionally joining in with a few "la la la".

To give "The Song of Wine" the proper spirit and not to spoil Jackson's mood, Ronan studied diligently, joining in with enthusiastic shouts and clapping. The two of them sang with the energy of a room full of Marseille fans.

As he left Jackson's house, the plantation owner happily remarked that Ronan's mastery of "The Song of Wine" was such that he could lead the singing.

"When you see the child tomorrow, remember to sit next to me at the auction. I'll teach you some other drinking 'customs' in Papal Newcastle, you'll definitely like them!" Jackson reluctantly saw Ronan off to his car.

Mr. Jacques drank far too much today and was no longer able to drive, so Theodore became his driver.

Theodore had other accommodations in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so he took Ronan and Jacques to their pre-booked hotel to rest. They agreed on a meeting time for the next day, and he left alone on foot.

On their way to check in, Jacques and Ronan did a little debriefing of the day's activities.

"Do you remember how many kinds of wine we drank today?" Mr. Jacques asked Ronan in a low voice.

Ronan replied in a hoarse voice:
"More than forty kinds, I suppose. We'll have wine tasting in the afternoon and dinner together. I'm starting to understand your suggestion."

Today's results: More than forty kinds of red and white wines.

Number of times the wine was spat out of the mouth: zero.

At this moment, dozens of different kinds of alcohol were fighting in Ronan's stomach, making him very uncomfortable. This was no longer a matter of how much alcohol he could drink.

"We have to vomit it all out tomorrow." Jacques and Ronan were in similar states: "Either vomit it out, or die."

Today we've only tasted the wine from Jackson's place; tomorrow, dozens, even hundreds of wine merchants will be waiting for Ronan and his companions to sample his wine.

Ronan rubbed his temples and said:

"There should be a place to vomit tomorrow, right?"

Mr. Jacques said earnestly:

"There should be, but we should also make double preparations like Theodore. If something goes wrong and we drink so much alcohol, I might really have to sing war songs with you."

Ronan imagined the scene and said with a smile:
"We still have some time before the auction, so let's wander around Papal Newcastle and see if we can buy one of those little buckets that Theodore brought today."

Early the next morning.

Ronan and Mr. Jacques drank a large bowl of goat milk herbal drink heavily infused with marjoram, tarragon, parsley, and honey before finally sobering up from yesterday's drinking.

The first thing I did after waking up was to leave the hotel and go to town to buy a small bucket.

Ronan's previous visits to Châteauneuf-du-Pape were all to St. Strasbourg during Jerome's time, so the winery was naturally not located in a crowded or bustling area. Therefore, this was Ronan's first time to "deeply explore" Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a small town with a strong legendary atmosphere.

This legend referred to religion hundreds of years ago, but now, the main theme of the legend must be wine.

The houses in Papal New Castle are all made of stone, with thick walls and cobblestone paths everywhere. Gothic architecture is ubiquitous.

The amazing thing is that no matter where you stand or where you go, you can always see the shadow of wine in your line of sight—bottles of wine, barrels of wine, thermometers for testing wine temperature, corkscrews of various shapes, and wine glasses of various materials and styles. Ronan bought a box of tissues at the grocery store, all of which had grape shapes on them.

Seeing Ronan's curious expression, Mr. Jacques said gently:

"We still have time, let's take our time looking around."

Ronan nodded excitedly:
"Ok."

(End of this chapter)