Chapter 30 The Vacation Estate
Butler Hunter's intention was simple—after all, the winery's annual cost was only around 100,000 pounds, which was a drop in the bucket for Arthur, whose personal fortune had long surpassed one hundred million.
Even if the wine produced by the winery failed to penetrate the European market in the next few years, it could still barely sustain itself through sales within Australia.
Especially considering the current chaotic situation in Europe, should war break out among European nations or some other unforeseen event reduce wine production there, that would be the perfect time for Arthur's winery to seize the market.
At the very least, by targeting the low-end wine segment, the winery could claim market share in Australia, and even in Southeast and East Asia, thereby turning a profit.
After all, Europe was still the brightest jewel of the world, and anything Western was highly sought after in other regions—let alone wine, which was deeply beloved by European nobles.
This is the typical psychology of comparison, where people believe that foreign goods are always better than local ones.
"Hmm." Arthur nodded, signaling his agreement with Butler Hunter's assessment.
"Your Highness, our winery includes a plaza, exhibition hall, winemaking facility, vineyard, storage zone, and underground cellar. Its estimated maximum annual output could exceed 4,400 tons. Based on standard barrel capacity, that's over 39,000 barrels of wine a year. If bottled, we could produce more than six million bottles," Hunter explained with a smile.
Barrels are a common packaging method for wine in the UK. Even lower-end wines in barrels can fetch several pounds per unit, and slightly higher-end ones can sell for ten pounds or more.
Even if the wine from Arthur's winery were priced at just five pounds per barrel, it would still be enough to break even.
If sold in bottles, the profit margin would be even higher. Most bottled wines are marketed as premium, and are thus more expensive than the same amount of wine in barrels.
Generally speaking, a single barrel of wine can be sold for ten pounds. But if divided into over a hundred 750ml bottles, each could sell for more than three shillings, effectively doubling the revenue.
As things stood, the winery's maximum output could easily meet Australia's consumption needs. At least until the nation's per capita income increased significantly, Arthur's winery would accumulate large quantities of wine each year.
"Uncle Hunter, when can we drink the wine?" Patricia asked impatiently.
Seeing the eager expressions on Patricia and Marguerite's faces, Butler Hunter smiled and replied, "The grapes won't be ripe until August, and with time needed for fermentation, I'm afraid the two young ladies will have to wait until at least the end of September to taste wine from our new estate."
Hearing this, Patricia and Marguerite were visibly disappointed and dissatisfied with the wait.
"Enough. Don't we still have plenty of wine brought from Britain? That should be more than enough to last until October," Lady Louise said with an exasperated glance at her daughters, smiling as she spoke.
In truth, Patricia and Marguerite weren't eager to drink the new wine; they were simply curious about it.
The wine Arthur had brought from Britain consisted of around a thousand bottles of premium vintages produced by his former estate.
Since the royal household only included Arthur, Lady Louise, and the two sisters, consumption was low. Even after several months, more than nine hundred bottles remained.
"Oh!" Seeing their mother begin to scold them, Marguerite and Patricia quickly hid behind Arthur and muttered their reluctant replies.
"Let's go take a look at the winery," Arthur said with a smile, coming to the rescue of his two sisters.
Upon hearing this, Marguerite and Patricia returned to their mother's side and began touring the estate grounds.
It must be said, the winery's geographical location was superb—nestled against a hill and facing water, with abundant sunshine ideal for grapevine growth.
A clear stream flowed across the plaza in front of the winery. The water was crystal clear, and from time to time, schools of fish could be seen swimming through.
With such a favorable environment, this place wasn't just ideal for a winery—it would be perfect for building a vacation estate as well.
Although summer had arrived, the cool breeze and the gentle sound of the stream made Arthur reluctant to leave.
"Your Highness, I took the liberty of building a small estate within the winery grounds, near our fruit tree orchards and beside the stream. Given that it's already summer and the government building, though spacious, gets quite hot, I suggest you stay at the estate temporarily. It would help you escape the heat and also give the young ladies something to enjoy," Butler Hunter proposed.
When scouting locations for the winery, Hunter had already noticed the exceptional natural surroundings.
Backed by mountains and surrounded by water, with a basin behind enclosed by hills on three sides and a stream on the fourth—it was the perfect setting for a vacation estate.
So Hunter took it upon himself to designate the finest section of land within the winery to build a small estate for Arthur and the royal family.
Though the estate wasn't large, its location and environment were truly excellent—a perfect summer retreat.
Seeing the sparkle of interest in his sisters' eyes, Arthur smiled and asked, "The estate is already complete?"
"Of course, Your Highness," Hunter nodded and replied. "The estate was built alongside the winery. It's fully constructed and only needs to be furnished before it's ready for occupancy."
"Let's go take a look," Arthur said with growing interest, smiling.
In all the great monarchies of Europe, royal families had their own private estates. Some powerful royals even owned multiple, sometimes more than a dozen estates.
These were used when the main royal residences were uncomfortable—serving as places to rest, travel, or retreat.
Take the British royal family, for example. Queen Victoria owned more estates than one could count. Among the most famous were Balmoral Castle, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Clarence House, Kensington Palace, St. James's Palace, Hampton Court Palace, and Sandringham Estate. Each year, choosing where to vacation was a difficult decision.
In contrast, until now, the Australian royal family had only the government building as a residence—making them seem rather impoverished and humble.
That was exactly why Butler Hunter took it upon himself to construct an estate here for the royal family.
(End of Chapter)
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