[Chapter 567: Wine]
On January 3rd, the small vineyard experienced a significant milestone. After two and a half months of hard work, the winery had completed the first six steps of producing red dry wine from 160,000 pounds of grapes.
Red wine production is divided into eight stages: harvesting, sorting, crushing, maceration, fermentation, pressing, aging, and bottling. The sixth step -- pressing -- involves separating the fermented wine from the grape pomace.
At this point, the wine is technically finished and drinkable. The quality has mostly taken shape, but it can't yet be called a finished dry red wine. To elevate the wine's quality further, it must enter the seventh step -- aging. The fermented wine is placed in oak barrels for a period, allowing the oak to impart additional aroma and to mellow the wine's texture.
Winemakers judge the completion of aging through a range of practices and standards. The duration varies greatly depending on the desired quality:
- Ordinary table wines: 1 to 3 months
- Fine dry reds: 6 to 12 months
- Premium dry reds: 1 to 3 years or more
After aging, the final step -- bottling -- takes place, where the wine is filtered, clarified, and bottled for market.
Today marked the completion of the pressing step: separating the fermented wine from the pomace. Knowing how important the winery was to Linton, Carter specifically invited him to witness the wine being racked and to sample the very first batch.
Under the direction of French winemaking expert Aumern, workers poured the fermented wine into a specialized machine, which separated the liquid and filled it into standard large oak barrels.
Seeing the process move smoothly, Aumern took a large glass decanter holding about two pounds of wine and approached Linton, pouring it evenly into three prepared wine glasses.
Linton stood nearby, inhaling the subtle, rich aroma. Aumern spoke softly in his ear.
"Boss, the first phase of winemaking is successfully completed. Usually, the quality of the wine is basically established by now. The aging is just to enhance it. Let's taste it together and see how it turned out.
When judging red wine quality, three main aspects matter: color, aroma, and taste. Since the wine hasn't aged yet, impurities still cloud the liquid, so we can't assess color accurately. As for aroma, though it's freshly racked, this wine already carries a gentle, full-bodied bouquet -- something only premium dry reds boast. I'm confident that after aging, its aroma will rival the best.
But the most crucial factor is taste. Let's try it now."
With that, he handed two glasses to Linton and Carter, and the three raised their glasses for a toast.
Linton swirled his glass gently, took a sip, letting the wine coat his tongue evenly. The entry was slightly sweet, with a smooth and rounded mouthfeel. Then, a rich grape aroma flooded his palate.
Swallowing it, he soon felt a rising energy within his stomach, quickly spreading through his entire body. Cells seemed to awaken, flooding him with excitement. A craving, a thirst for more wine, followed immediately.
The three exchanged glances but remained silent -- each downed their glasses in one go.
Linton visualized inwardly, noticing faint strands of energy radiating from his stomach, absorbed by every cell. This energy was similar to the vitality discharged by his Vitality Pills. The cells greatly benefited from it, which explained the spontaneous craving to drink more.
In other words, this red wine held remarkable health benefits. Its effects, though weaker in both quality and quantity, were in the same league as Vitality Pills.
Linton roughly estimated that the energy contained in one bottle of this wine was about one ten-thousandth of that in a single Vitality Pill. It was actually better than an equivalent amount of enchanted tea.
This was likely the result of the grapes absorbing earth and air vitality over many years -- a subtle but extraordinary phenomenon bound to cause a sensation once publicized.
At that moment, Aumern's voice excitedly pierced the air. "Boss, this wine is incredible! It's unlike any wine I've ever tasted."
"Tell me more."
"In terms of taste alone, though newly racked, it's already smooth and rounded, with a powerful grape aroma -- that's top-tier dry wine quality. And it will only improve after aging. But more importantly, drinking it instantly brings a surge of exhilaration, followed by a relaxed feeling, and then an irresistible urge to keep drinking."
Aumern's entire face lit up with enthusiasm. "I've never encountered such a magical wine. This is a truly unique treasure. Once fully aged, it will rival the world-renowned Romanee-Conti without question."
Carter smacked his lips thoughtfully, then added with excitement, "Boss, after drinking it, I definitely feel a huge boost to my health. Beyond Aumern's 'exhilaration, relaxation, and craving,' there's this renewed vigor, like I'm freshly energized all over."
"Exactly, I feel the same," Aumern exclaimed, waving his arms. "This is like nourishing the body with vitality energy. Though subtle, for ordinary people, it's far better than the most expensive tonic."
Even Linton agreed. Regularly drinking this vitality wine and enchanted tea had real benefits for health.
It confirmed his original idea: wine is a more effective carrier of the natural energy found in grapes.
"Aumern, how much wine do we expect to yield this time?"
"The pressing isn't completely finished, but based on what's been done so far, we estimate about 5,000 liters. The yield ratio for this batch is roughly one-sixteenth by weight. After aging, impurities will be filtered out further, so the final dry red volume will drop by about 10%, meaning approximately 4,500 liters."
Hearing such a number, Linton was delighted. This was just the yield from young vines this year; next year, once the vines matured, production could easily expand fivefold -- potentially over 22,000 liters annually.
That volume would be tiny for a mature vineyard, barely scratching market demand if sold commercially.
But Linton's goal was never market sales and profits. The wine was for personal and family consumption, which made current production more than enough for indulgence.
"Aumern, how long do you think this wine needs to age before it's fully matured?"
"Boss, the better the quality, the longer the aging. Romanee-Conti reportedly ages over four, nearly five years. Given our wine's quality, I'd estimate at least four years."
"Alright. One more question: once aging begins, can I interrupt the process anytime to take wine out for drinking?"
"Of course, but the quality won't be at its peak until aging finishes."
"So, if I want to drink it anytime, I can just come and take it out?"
"Absolutely. But I recommend waiting until full maturation to maximize value."
"That's fine. It's for us to drink, not to sell."
"Boss, Romanee-Conti's cheapest 750ml bottles sell for over $20,000. I guarantee -- in quality terms -- our batch won't fall short. That's over $100 million worth of wine."
"It's nothing, a mere $100 million fortune means little to me."
"Sorry, boss, I forgot you're a global billionaire."
"Alright, both of you did great. This year's bonuses are doubled."
"Thank you, boss!" Carter and Aumern cheered happily. That was fantastic news.
"Boss, I have a request," Carter hesitated, then spoke.
"Go ahead."
"Could you reward me with some bottles of wine?"
Aumern also looked at Linton hopefully.
"Sure. Each of you gets an extra 40 bottles. But I have one condition -- the wine must be consumed right here at the vineyard. Absolutely no taking it off the property."
"Thank you, boss! We guarantee it won't leave the grounds."
"Good. Also, bottle 500 bottles for me and deliver them to the inner courtyard, Carter. Start aging the rest. And don't waste the pomace -- send it to the garden's two lakes to feed the fish, just like the soybean meal from the oil plant."
"Understood. We'll take care of it immediately."
...
That night, Linton shared the newly pressed wine with the women in his household. Everyone was instantly stunned by its quality and eagerly asked what kind of wine it was.
When they learned it was from their own vineyard, excitement erupted. They showered Linton with congratulatory kisses.
"This wine is still a semi-finished product," Linton explained. "Technically, it needs another four years of aging to reach its full potential."
"What? Darling, this wine tastes so amazing already, and it's not even finished?" The women, unfamiliar with winemaking, were amazed. If this was just a half-finished product, how incredible would the final version be?
"Exactly. But unlike ordinary wine, the real magic isn't in the usual traits of color, aroma, or taste. Its greatest gift is extraordinary health benefits. Regular drinking can greatly improve your well-being."
"No wonder! After drinking it, my entire body felt refreshed and relaxed. I had more energy, clearer thinking -- it's like your special teas, except this wine is even more powerful," Winnie shared her impression.
"Winnie's right. The wine's effects parallel the tea's, complementing the mind and spirit. While teas primarily stimulate thought and clarity, this wine boosts physical vitality."
"That's fantastic! How much did we get this year? Will it last us? We finished your tea months ago and have been eagerly waiting for new batches."
Last April, Sandro Daza had gathered 10 pounds of enchanted tea for Linton. Linton kept two pounds for himself, and the rest was distributed among the women -- barely four ounces each -- which naturally ran out quickly. Even Linton had been stingy with it, reluctant to offer to guests.
"Don't worry. This year's wine production is about 6,000 bottles. And as the vines grow next year, quantity will no longer be a concern. I don't plan to age all the wine fully. We'll drink it all within the year -- about 500 bottles per month."
"That's perfect -- 500 bottles a month should be enough," the women cheered. Compared to tea, everyone preferred wine.
"Here's the plan: each of you will receive five bottles per month to keep and use as you like -- whether during work or entertaining family and friends. I'll store 200 bottles each here and at the Los Angeles estate for communal enjoyment until they're gone. But remember, quantity is limited, so please don't overindulge."
"Darling, you keep all the wine at home and give the rest to us -- what about entertaining clients and friends?" Madonna, ever the big sister, voiced a practical concern.
"Don't worry. Besides Aunt Kelly, who'll get five bottles every month, there are very few people worldwide worth entertaining with this wine."
Actually, one more person qualified -- Hillary, who was carrying Linton's child. But since she was pregnant, she couldn't drink for now. Once she delivered, this special privilege would certainly extend to her.
"You're too generous," the women gushed, their eyes filled with admiration.
"But one thing: this wine is incredibly precious. Only you all, your closest family, or best friends may drink it. To avoid complications, gifts to others are strictly forbidden."
"Darling, even family can't take it away?" Charlize, thinking of her mother in South Africa, asked.
"No. You can drink it together, but they can't remove it from here."
"Got it."
"Also, about the tea Winnie mentioned -- this year's bushes grew substantially. I expect production to increase several times. Soon, everyone will have over a pound and a half, enough to last a year if rationed."
"Wonderful! This calls for a big celebration tonight, ladies! Don't you think?" Madonna took charge again.
"Yes!" the women responded enthusiastically.
Only Sherilyn Finn, new to the household, seemed surprised. Having tasted the enchanted tea with Linton before, she knew its wonders but hadn't expected it to be shared so generously -- let alone the promise of regular supplies next year. It was an incredible privilege.
"How do you want to celebrate?"
"Let's drink tonight, then party with games and dramatic performances."
"Sounds perfect. Tonight we celebrate together."
*****
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