1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 562 A Difficult Price War!

After signing the sponsorship contract for the Lourmaran Marathon, Ronan felt a sense of relief.

By focusing on the bottle design, the wine itself, and the brand – these three key strategies have finally established Stellar's association with the "high-end" image, laying the groundwork for its transformation.

However, these three paths are not all of Ronan's methods. He has a general idea of ​​a few others, but he hasn't figured out the specifics of how to do them yet.

One of them is to focus on the land parcel.

Bernard, a fellow Parisian, implemented a 'plot classification' system at his winery, setting different price points for wines made from grapes grown in different soils, with basalt plots priced the highest.

Bernard said that pioneering wineries in Bordeaux proved this logic to be viable more than a decade ago, and customers were willing to pay for it.

Ronan improved the soil in the several hectares of the northern slope vineyards he had acquired. It was the only clay-limestone mixed soil near Lourmarin, which was definitely worth making a big deal out of.

Ronan hadn't figured out how to do it yet.

Perhaps it's necessary to meet with Bernard again to get to the bottom of things.

Another effective way for Strasbourg to transform into a high-end winery is also related to this meeting.

“If I also join the ranks of ‘Nouveau de Paris,’ Stella will immediately be labeled as high-end—” Ronan thought to himself on the way home. “This is more effective than spending money on advertising. People in the industry know that ‘Nouveau de Paris’ is deeply involved in the high-end wine line of Provence.”

Theodore explained that the 'Parisian New Winegrowers' did not participate in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine auction because these Parisians who came to Provence are very united and exclusive. They have formed their own alliance of new wineries and rarely interact with other wine groups in Provence.

If that's the case, Ronan can only be recognized as a 'new winegrower of Paris' through Bernard, and to meet Bernard, he needs Llorente's introduction because Ronan hasn't exchanged contact information with him.

Llorente had done a lot for the Lourmarin Marathon, and he would definitely be there on the day of the event. Ronan decided to bring up the matter of meeting Bernard with him on the day of the marathon.

However, neither the land classification system nor the status of "Nouveau Winegrowers of Paris" can be rushed; they require long-term planning and some buffer time.

The most urgent thing for Stella Artois right now is to increase its production next year.

With a breakthrough in the table wine market, Ronan is confident about the high-end rosé wine market, but today he suddenly has an additional 15 francs in debt. All of these wines have to be made from the grapes in the fields.

To acquire more and better grapes at 'beautiful' prices, they needed the help of Pierre, the head farmer.

After leaving the Lourmaran government, Ronan went straight to the old tavern.

At the end of July, the busy farming season is in a lull, allowing farmers to take a breather and wait patiently for the harvest in September.

The old tavern was just as packed during the day, but farmers still stood at the door drinking and chatting. Ronan knew he could find Pierre there.

Sure enough, before even seeing the old tavern's facade, they heard Pierre's voice.

Upon closer listening, it turned out to be a complaint.

"Damn it, why aren't these tourists leaving yet? The group at the table near the bar has been sitting there for almost two hours, their glasses are long empty, but they still refuse to get up from their precious butts!"

After Pierre complained, several other voices appeared, all with the same complaining tone.

Farmers can tolerate working in the fields for hours under the scorching sun, and they can tolerate sweating all day in the sweltering heat, but they just can't tolerate not having a comfortable place for them to drink and chat.

But after three or four months of this, these people were on the verge of collapse.

Ronan walked to the entrance of the old tavern and greeted the staff with a smile:
“They’re all here.”

Pierre kept pointing in Ronan's direction with his index finger, while angrily saying:
“Look, look, even restaurant owners are being squeezed out to find places to drink. Ronan, I’ve forgotten what month it was last time I sat in your restaurant for a drink.”

Fabian blurted out:

“In early March, after that, people started lining up at Ronan’s restaurants, and we could no longer get a table.”

You should know that last winter, Ronan's restaurant was kept afloat by farmers and artists drinking wine and eating cake. It was the absolute stronghold of these two groups.

But all of this came to an end with the start of the tourist season. Farmers returned to the less crowded old taverns, and the village artists gathered near the art barn, rarely going to restaurants anymore.

Ronan assured:
"Once my new restaurant on the commercial street opens, it will be almost half the size of this one, and all three floors will be seating. I've already reserved a private area for you."

Fabian's mouth involuntarily watered; he missed the 'Chinese' taste from Ronan's wedding.

When will your new restaurant open?

Ronan recalled details of his conversation with the designer named Solena at the wedding and replied:

"It should be able to open in September."

Zoe's designer friend will be in charge of the interior design for the new restaurant and dessert bakery.

At the wedding, Ronan and she had a long chat, after all, they were both in the same industry.

It turned out that the designer was perfect except for being expensive; the construction team was efficient and no less so than Cafu; and she could quickly understand the feeling Ronan wanted.

Later, Ronan called Cafu over, and the three of them chatted for a while.

Cafu obtained several key milestones regarding the completion of the new commercial street from the Lourmaran government.

According to information provided by Cafu, the construction team will be able to start construction on the second and third phases of the commercial street in early August. However, before that, they will need to sign a construction safety agreement with the government and receive safety training, as the roads outside are also under construction at the same time.

Based on the newly obtained timeline and estimated efficiency, the largest shop on the new commercial street of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative will not be able to open for business until October.

However, smaller restaurants and dessert and bakeries can finish renovations in September and catch the tail end of the travel season if they hurry.

In fact, very few business owners like Ronan go to such lengths to renovate their shops. Many shops are put into use shortly after the completion of the second and third phases of the commercial street, such as the one that Cafu bought.

His wife's eyewear shop will be open by the end of August.

Cafu learned from the market center that there were many people who had opened their businesses even earlier than them.

In other words, starting in mid-to-late August, more than forty new shops will open in Lourmaran, doubling the scale of the commercial area, and offering a full range of food, drinks, daily necessities, and entertainment.

At that time, no matter if there's nowhere to drink, no place to eat, or no bread to buy, all the 'crises' will be resolved.

However, Ronan pessimistically believes that this relief is only temporary.

The tourists may have left, but Lourmaran's development will not stop.

Lourmaran will be the largest village to expand in the entire Luberon region. Don't forget, Ronan and Lourmaran have their eyes on the vast untapped potential of winter tourism. With Lourmaran's summer and winter tourism booming, its growing popularity, and its economic take-off, a new 'crisis' is very likely to arrive again in the next tourist season.

Take our good neighbor Mena village, for example. It has expanded four times in ten years and is still expanding.

Ronan didn't want the farmers and artists to live a life of constant displacement, so he specifically instructed Luo Tianhai to reserve a dedicated area for these two groups during the renovation.

No matter how bustling Lourmaran becomes, how many times larger it expands, or what crises it encounters, they will never be 'homeless' again.

When the farmers heard that Ronan had reserved a special area for them in the new restaurant, their smiles were brighter than the Provençal sun. Although Ronan was now the boss and no longer farmed the land himself, they remained close partners!
After chatting about the commercial street for a while and listening to the farmers boast for a bit, Ronan went into the old tavern, asked Como for a glass of chilled rosé, and then returned to the spot where he had been, mingling with the farmers and not seeming to be in a hurry to leave.

Pierre wiped the beer foam off his beard and asked with a wicked grin:
"You've only been married for two days, and instead of sleeping with your new wife, you're hanging out with us stinky men. Are you crazy?"

Ronan raised his glass:
"Zoe is working hard in her studio. She's very busy; she's going to an art exhibition at the end of the month."

Zoe is the owner and accountant of Stella, so she should theoretically attend the general meeting as well.

But the wedding took up too much of her time. She got up at dawn this morning to go to the studio, knowing that they had been working late into the night.

Of course, Ronan wasn't idle either.

“Aren’t you busy?” Fabian said, pointing to the hillside where Stella was. “I heard from Cornell that you had a meeting this morning? And Theo just came here for a drink and said he’s going to Avignon with Lucas tomorrow on a business trip.”

"Busy, I'm incredibly busy." Ronan took a sip of rosé wine, shook his head, and said, "I got up early to go to a meeting in St. Louis, then went to the government to sign a contract, and now I'm here to talk business with you guys. I haven't stopped for a moment. Tell me, am I busy or not?"

Pierre looked over curiously:
"What important business do you want to discuss with us?"

Aren't we all drinking and chatting?

Ronan hooked his arm around Pierre's neck and said in a tone that said, "You absolutely can't abandon me."
"You absolutely cannot sell your grapes to Château Moli this year. Keep them for me, you hear me? I'm already drowning in debt before we've even started making the new wine. I'm desperate for grapes!"

The grapes grown in Lourmaran have always been sold to Moli Winery, formerly known as the Moli Winery Cooperative. In terms of market share, Moli is definitely the "big boss" of Lourmaran, with more than 90% of the villagers drinking their red and white wines.

The cold snap at the beginning of this year caused a significant reduction in grape production in Lourmarin, and the "Baten Project" further reduced the yield. Grape prices are sure to skyrocket this autumn.

At that time, Mori will definitely engage in a price war with Ronan.

However, Ronan is very likely to lose to Mori, and despite his frugal lifestyle, Stella's funds are running low.

He and Zoe had discussed the possibility of using their personal accounts to support Stella in September.

If that's not enough, Ronan will have to take out a bank loan.

In order to win this price war, in addition to preparing funds in advance, farmers also need to make some preparations in advance.

Pierre did not give a direct yes or no answer, nor did he express a direct opinion, because he could not make a decision like a village farmer:

“I’ve thought of that. If you can’t get enough grapes in Lourmaran, it will be more troublesome and costly to get them from other places. I will keep an eye on the market prices and what’s going on in Moli, and I will let you know immediately if there are any developments.”

Pierre has two faces.

When they have nothing to do, they are more mischievous than anyone else, and they have no limits when it comes to playing pranks.

But when it comes to important matters, he transforms into a reliable older brother, someone who worries everyone.

After Ronan finished talking about the grape harvest, he lost his appetite for drinking. He finished his beer and left early, not knowing where he was going.

After Pierre left, the farmers secretly complained to Ronan.

“Actually, you don’t need to tell me. Pierre had already thought about the grape harvest in St. Strasbourg in the fall and had been ‘brainwashing’ us in private more than once,” Fabian said in a low voice.

"Brainwashing? What kind of brainwashing?" Ronan asked in surprise.

Fabian said with a smile:
"What else can you brainwash us with? Brainwash us into selling our grapes to you in the fall. He'll say you've had a tough time, and if the price difference isn't too big, it's better to sell them to Stersgaard."

Another farmer said jokingly:

“Pierre also said that maybe one day we will stop farming and go work for you. Your business is so big, there will always be times when you need people. Helping you is helping ourselves.”

Fabien sighed and looked in the direction Pierre had left:
"This person has a lot on his mind. Now that you've brought it up, he'll keep it in mind even more and will definitely try to find a solution for you."

Ronan felt uneasy after hearing what the farmers said, so he went to Pierre's house to find him.

But his wife said Pierre hadn't come home and she didn't know where he had gone.

In the afternoon, Lucas came to Ronan's house to pick up the dog.

Tomorrow, he and Theo will be taking Margaret with them on their trip to Avignon, and as a 'son-in-law,' Little Black will also have to go along.

Xiao Hei followed Margaret and easily jumped into Lucas's pickup truck, seemingly already used to this lifestyle of living in two different places.

"You're something else, kid. You've even ventured out of Luberon and broadened your horizons in a big city." Ronan put a bag of dried meat made by Luo Tianhai into the car and patted its head with a wry smile.

Lucas got into the driver's seat, but didn't start the car right away:

“Emily and Gilani haven’t spent a summer in Lourmaran in a long time, so they might be a little out of sorts. If they encounter any problems, I’ll have them come to you.”

Lucas's wife and son finally moved back to Lourmaran this month, and they also attended Ronan and Zoe's wedding.

Theo has to go on a business trip with Lucas and can't take care of the family for his brother, so Lucas has no choice but to ask Ronan for help.

Ronan patted the car door, indicating that he shouldn't worry:

"Don't worry, I will take good care of them."

Lucas raised his hand, started the car, and drove away.

Watching the car disappear at the end of the vineyard, Ronan turned and walked towards Marseille, who was urinating.
"You're not crying or making a fuss today?"

Marseille has gotten used to her brother's pattern of spending half a month at home and the other half disappearing.

Not sad at all when Xiao Hei got into the car and drove away, it ran around carefree like someone with ADHD.

Ronan walked past Marseille with his hands behind his back, heading towards the backyard:
"With such boundless energy, come train with me. I'll find you a sheep to keep you company."

(End of this chapter)