1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 548 The Booming Provence Wine Market
Opening the wine, tasting the wine, discussing it, opening the wine, tasting the wine, discussing it—this process was repeated dozens of times, and several hours passed quickly.

The owner of this boutique winery didn't intend to invite everyone to lunch; not everyone is as skilled at 'spitting out wine' as Theodore.

When Ronan followed Jacques, Theodore, and others out of the cellar and back into the bright sunlight, he found that many of his companions had wine splattered on their shirts, ties, trousers, or shoes.

The professional winery owner allowed ample time for everyone to get ready before the auction began, ensuring they were in top form for this most important event of the weekend.

Theodore told Jacques and Ronan to go back to the hotel to freshen up. After the auction, he would take them to a very formal dinner party, where they would need to wear formal attire.

This weekend, cars were prohibited in Papal New Castle, so everyone had to walk to get around. On the way to the hotel, Ronan couldn't help but remark:
"What a fulfilling day."

Theodore had arranged everything for Ronan perfectly: a wine tasting in the morning, an auction in the afternoon, and a dinner in the evening. He was going to be drinking all day long.

Theodore, who was following behind Ronan and Jacques with a large backpack, suddenly spoke up:
"Let's hurry up, we have plans for lunch."

Ronan turned around in surprise:
"Do you want to drink again at noon?"

Dude, isn't this intensity a bit too much?

Theodore pushed Ronan across the street by the back of his arm.

"No need for drinks at noon, as we're having lunch with the auction organizers."

After changing into suits and leather shoes at the hotel, the three of them once again walked the streets of Papal New Castle.

With cars banned, the streets were packed with pedestrians, and most of them were carrying all sorts of wine glasses.

Obviously, once you arrive at the magical Châteauneuf-du-Pape, everyone will become 'parched' and can't help but want to have a sip of wine.

Here, it's common for not only industry experts but also ordinary people to spend an entire day drinking.

Fortunately, Ronan had a moment to catch his breath and could put down his glass for a while.

At noon, Theodore had lunch with a gentleman from the auction organizer. Through this man's introduction, Ronan gained a deeper understanding of the auction. In addition to learning that it was the oldest auction in Provence, he also gained a more concrete understanding of the auction rules and the size of the Provence wine market.

"The prices at this afternoon's auction will basically reflect the market price of Provence wines for the next calendar year," the man said with a proud tone. "If there's an increase compared to last year, then the market price will continue to rise next year."

Theodore joked:

"Does it ever drop? I've been participating for so many years, and the total transaction price has been rising every year."

The man smiled and shrugged.

"But there are differences in how much the price has increased, right? For the same winery, a 250-liter barrel could sell for 15 francs in 1984, 17 in 1985, but in 1986 it suddenly sold for 25 francs. There are still big differences."

Ronan silently memorized these details.

So it turns out that the units at the auction weren't just bottles, but also barrels?
Was the barrel of wine purchased for 'secondary' aging?

Theodore's conversation with the man quickly provided the answer.

Theodore shook his head and said:
“The price you mentioned is not a good reference. Buyers usually store them for several years before bottling, transporting, and selling them. By the time they reach the market, the price has increased several times over.”

"This further demonstrates the promising future of the Provence wine market, doesn't it?" the man asked Theodore with a hearty laugh. "If the wine sells well and at high prices, people like you and me can also live well. You should be happy, buddy."

“Speaking of a promising future, I have something else to say.” Theodore pointed at Ronan and said, “Ronan wants to make high-end rosé wine. If the wine from Stellaco is to be auctioned in the future, you’ll have to help him out.”

Theodore always kept Ines's instructions in mind and did his best to help Ronan run Stellaco well.

The man hesitated for a moment, then said with difficulty:

"Rosé wine doesn't have aging properties, so it's a bit difficult to get it auctioned."

In fact, while listening to their conversation, Ronan discovered that the rosé wine faced considerable obstacles in getting through the Châteauneuf-du-Pape auction, the largest auction in Provence, through the normal channels.

According to them, wines purchased at high prices are usually aged a second time to maximize their commercial value.

However, the appeal of rosé wine lies in its freshness. Most rosé wines change in taste over time, unlike high-end red and white wines.

To sell at a higher price and penetrate the high-end market, in addition to a unique taste, you also need to come up with some 'gimmicks' or make a huge breakthrough.

The topic arose suddenly; Ronan hadn't thought that far ahead. In order to preserve the hope of Stellar appearing at the auction in the future, he blurted out:
"Rosé wine is not entirely unable to be aged; there are ways to do it, but you just need to try."

Ronan was unlucky; the gentleman at the auction happened to be one of those who thought rosé wine was for children and ladies, and having dealt with high-end red and white wines for years, he had a bad impression of this kind of "inferior sweet summer wine."

But out of consideration for Theodore and Mr. Jacques, his tone and attitude were more tactful:

"Rosé wine has existed for hundreds of years, but as an affordable wine, its market acceptance has never been very good. If you want to make a big breakthrough, I'm not so sure I'm optimistic about you taking such a big risk."

Mr. Jacques is a staunch advocate of rosé wine, believing that anything other wines can do, rosé wine can also do:
"Red wine can be made with fruits other than grapes, and white wine is also starting to pursue a chilled texture. We should also be more tolerant of rosé wine."

Ten years ago, adding other fruits to the process of making red wine would have been considered 'cult', but in the late 1980s many wineries sought a breakthrough and began to add fruits that could enrich the taste. Several of these wines were among the ones they tasted this morning.

You can't apply double standards.

Other wines can seek breakthroughs, but rosé wines must 'follow the rules'. Who made that rule?

Theodore seemed quite interested in the topic, and, true to his profession, pressed Ronan for more information:
How do you plan to age the rosé wine?

Ronan answered without hesitation:
"The simplest way is to add 'strong liquor' to it. Of course, there are many other ways, but we'll only know after trying them all. But gentlemen, what I'm trying to say is—"

After answering Theodore, Ronan's eyes darted back and forth between the other three:

“Aging is indeed important, but it is by no means the only element of high-end wine. Rosé wine should have its own unique definition of high-end value.”

The organizer made a questioning, nasal sound:
"You want to break down the traditional categories of red and white wine and redefine 'high-end'?"

Ronan smiled and shrugged:

"Rosé wine is rosé wine, not red wine, not white wine. Isn't it good to be unique?"

The person stopped talking, knowing that continuing the conversation would only make the atmosphere more awkward.

Mr. Jacques encouraged him:

“You’re right, rosé wine should have its own high-end definition, distinguishing it from others.”

Ronan encouraged himself:
"I will try my best!" Apart from the part about rosé wine, the lunch went quite pleasantly and harmoniously. Ronan also left a very good first impression on the gentleman from the organizing committee with his eloquence and personal charm.

On their way to the auction after leaving the restaurant, Theodore brought up the topic they hadn't finished discussing with Ronan:

"The idea of ​​adding spirits is very creative, but you have to be careful to add grape varieties with rich flavors and strong structure during the winemaking process, otherwise the aroma of the spirits will overpower the fruity aroma of the grapes."

Ronan never expected that a casual remark he made would attract Theodore's attention, especially since Theodore had taken the initiative to discuss brewing precautions with him:

"You know about brewing?"

Theodore shrugged:

"How can you appreciate the full flavor of wine without understanding the winemaking process?"

Hearing this answer, Ronan's desire to have Raccoon Orteau join him intensified, and he excitedly said:

"Once this year's grapes are harvested, I'll be doing a few experiments. Would you like to come and take a look together?"

Theodore shook his head:

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Winemakers don't like having people pointing fingers at them. It would be bad if we disagreed. I can go over later to taste the wine for you and give my opinion. That's no problem."

Ronan smiled and pointed to himself with his index finger:

“I’m the brewer of Stella, and I absolutely won’t object to you giving me pointers. In fact, you’d better give me a few more pointers.”

Theodore stared wide-eyed, asking incredulously:
"You're the brewer? No, didn't you hire a brewer?"

My God, are you insane?
Ronan then cast the 'bait' out:
"Whether I can brew wine or not, you'll find out when the time comes, won't you?"

Ronan attended an art auction in Gold earlier this year.

At that auction, Ronan was deeply impressed by Provence's unique auction style, the astonishing privileges granted to local buyers, and the intense atmosphere.

He had expected the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine auction to be similar to the one in Gold, filled with 'madness' and tension, but to his surprise, the Provençal people showed him a rare moment of tranquility.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest and most important wine region in Provence.

Provence is one of the most important wine-producing regions in France.

France is also the most important part of the world wine market.

This resulted in the auction attracting buyers from all over the world, including Americans, British, Germans, Hong Kongers, Swiss, and Japanese. Less than half of the buyers were from France, and the vast majority of them were professional wine wholesalers.

Perhaps worried that their exaggerated behavior might damage the reputation of their country, these people stared at the auction catalog in their hands the whole time, remaining very quiet. If they hadn't known in advance that this was an auction, they might have thought they were there to watch a fashion week or an art auction, which was completely different from the lively atmosphere at the event.

After the bidding started, there was no fierce competition, and Ronan didn't even see who was bidding several times.

Because the auctioneer has many assistants standing in various corners of the venue, they can keep a 360-degree view of the buyers' every move and will also alert the auctioneer immediately when someone bids.

At such a large auction, even a Michelin-starred restaurant owner like Mr. Jacques was considered an "unremarkable person" and had no right to sit at the table, so Ronan was even more of a bystander.

However, Jackson kept his promise and had Ronan sit next to him so that he could tell the young man more about the ins and outs of the Papal Newcastle auction.

Jackson's grapes were last year's top seller, so he attracted a lot of attention today, which also gave Ronan a little bit of credit.

"Is the yellow-skinned young man sitting next to Jackson a distributor? He looks unfamiliar; I've never seen him before."

“He’s not a distributor; he’s the new owner of Stersgaard, Jerome’s successor.”

"Huh? The new owner of Stellar? What's he doing at the auction? Does Stellar have any wine to auction today?"

"Just because it didn't happen this year doesn't mean it won't happen next year. Look, he's sitting next to Jackson. Who knows, maybe the two of them will collaborate in the future."

"My God, rosé wine is going to be auctioned? That's insane!"

Ronan was completely unaware that a number of people were discussing him in the auction hall; he was focused on experiencing the atmosphere of the auction.

An hour later, he roughly understood why the entire venue was 'as quiet as a chicken'.

The prices of each item in the previous auctions were jaw-dropping; the total estimated transaction price is over ten million.

In this situation, it is inappropriate for anyone to make any exaggerated gestures or movements, as that could be mistaken for a bid. If this mistake occurs, the consequences can be exorbitant, to the point that even native French people, who are known for their gesticulating and inability to speak without using their hands, have temporarily abandoned this habit and obediently kept their hands and feet still.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Jackson asked Ronan.

"That was so exciting! That barrel of wine just sold for 60? Did I hear that right?" Ronan didn't dare to move an inch except for his mouth.

Jackson was overjoyed:

"Everyone in Châteauneuf-du-Pape who's in the wine business can rest assured."

The auction prices reflect the state of the wine market for the coming year, and it's clear that next year will be a year of huge profits!

Ronan clicked his tongue in envy:
"I hope this happiness will come to me next year."

As the auction drew to a close, even the auctioneer couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

After leaving the auction hall, Theodore told Ronan and Jacques that this year's average price was about 13% higher than last year, making it a truly bumper year.

Over 9% of the residents of Châteauneuf-du-Pape work in grape-related fields. Ronan wondered if it was just his imagination, but everyone he saw along the way seemed to be beaming with joy, even the anatomical mannequin in the pharmacy window seemed to have a smile on its face.

Ronan also joined in with a silly grin.

The Provence wine market is doing well, and Stuttgart will benefit from it too. I'm so happy!

Suddenly, a cold object entered Ronan's open mouth.

They had arrived at the banquet hall, and Theodore poured a spoonful of olive oil into Ronan's mouth:

"Things are going well. Those guys are going to get really drunk at the party tonight. You guys better watch out."

(End of this chapter)