Chapter 288: The Winery
Longdan does not know much about the production and manufacture of grapes, only that France is the world's wine-producing country. Long Dan asked: "Isn't France the land of wine, and the geography and climate of the island that belongs to me can also produce grapes?" ”。 Mason saw that Long Dan was not very clear, so he explained: "Master, it seems that you have never been to that small island, which is originally a production area of wild grapes, both in terms of grape quality and on the basis of grape production, it has the conditions to produce top wines, if you don't have your own winery, this will be ridiculed by the upper class society in Europe."
Long Dan smiled and said, "According to what you say, I still have to build a winery to try?" Mason said: "That's right, Master, with your status, there should have been such a winery a long time ago, and it is better for me to build a winery." Long Dan saw that Mason was so enthusiastic, and that island was idle wherever he was, and he was not short of money anyway, so he said: "Mason, I don't know what kind of winery to do, I see if you help me, you can tell me if you spend a lot of money, I will allocate it to you, and this matter will be entrusted to you."
Mason was happy when he heard this, and said, "I'm looking forward to Master saying this, after so many years, I'm looking forward to your Master doing something, but there is no chance, and now there is something to do." You don't have to spend any money, you just have to give me a power of attorney, and in a year's time, you can come back and I guarantee you the best winery in the world." Long Dan said: "Then I thank you very much, why are you so keen on a winery, you still can't drink enough of my ten-year bamboo green wine?" ”。 Mason said: "Master, don't you know, your ten-year bamboo wine is good, no matter how you say it, it is also a mid-range commodity, and it cannot be accommodated by the upper class society in Europe, which has nothing to do with the role of wine, it is the result of European habits for hundreds of years." Long Dan asked Mason to introduce the situation of European wines with great interest, and Mason confidently introduced it.
Mason said: European wine evolved according to the French winery system. In 1855, France was under the reign of Napoleon III. King III wanted to take advantage of the Paris World's Fair as an opportunity to promote Bordeaux's wines to the world, and he wanted the wines of the whole country to participate in the exhibition. He asked the Bordeaux Wine Chamber to prepare an exhibition to introduce Bordeaux wines and classify Bordeaux wineries. It's like poking a hornet's nest, because all the wineries are self-righteous, and there can only be one winner. So the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce put the blame on an official organization of wine wholesalers, who had them classify all the châteaux into five levels, including each Gironde wine producer. Two weeks later, the official organization came up with their classifications, which included 58 wineries, 1 super first, 4 first class, 12 second class, 14 third class, 11 fourth class and 17 fifth class. The super first vineyards are: Château Lysalus, and the four premier wineries are: Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Rouge Grandeur.
All classified wineries will generally be marked on the wine label: Grand Cru. A Premier Winery like Latour is sometimes labeled as "First Class". For other grades of red wines, dealers with a high degree of integrity will clearly mark the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade There are 9 most famous wineries in France, they are: Château Lusalus (also translated as Château Igan), the history of the winery has been 413 years, in the famous 1855 Bordeaux official rating, Château Lusalus was designated as the only super first class winery, above the current 5 major wineries including Lafite, Latour and Margaux.
Château Lafite, as early as the 1855 Universal Exposition, Château Lafite was already the number one winery, the characteristics of Château Lafite's red wine are balanced, supple, and have a strong oak flavor in the mouth, which is very unique. In addition to its signature red wine, Lafite, the winery has also created a sub-brand of Brushed Thinking in Chile, which produces low-cost red and white wines in large quantities.
Château Latour, in French, means "tower", if you use the name for sixty or seventy years, Latour is equivalent to "tower" (named after the old tower in the winery). Latour's style is strong and uncompromising, and Latour has become the first choice for some drinkers who originally loved spirits but want to switch to red wine for health reasons. Château Latour is also one of the most expensive first-class wineries due to the large number of winemakers.
Challage d'Aubion, as early as 1855, Champ Aubiong was already famous, and if it was not on the list of Premier Wineries, its authority would be questioned. Obian Manor is now owned by Americans. The wines also produced by the estate have a special earthy and mineral aroma belonging to the Gruzi region, and are intense and have an aftertaste.
Magaux is one of the Bordeaux wine regions, but it is also the name of the winery. Being able to use the appellation as the name of the winery, tartar acidity naturally has its own merits and a very long history. Margao wine is the designated wine for French state banquets, and when the Chinese president visited Wèn in Bordeaux, France, the winery he visited was Margao. At that time, the wine that the winery gave the chairman to taste was the 1982 Margau. Ripe Margao wines are supple on the palate, with complex aromas and, in the case of the best vintages, floral notes of violet. If Latour is the "wine king" of the Médot district, then Margao should be the "drunk".
It was only in 1973 that the French made an exception to upgrade Mouton to a Premier Ur winery, and it is still the only winery to receive this honor. The owner of Mouton Rothschild is very business-minded, and not only does the common table wine Mouton Madet produce millions of bottles a year, but the winery also invites a world-renowned artist every year to design the label of the "signature wine" Mouton Rothschild. Because the label of the wine itself is quite artistic, even if the wine of that year is not good, the bottle alone is a precious treasure. The characteristic of Mouton red wine is that after opening the bottle, the quality and aroma of the wine are varied, usually with coffee and chocolate aromas.
Cheval Blanc, the 1947 Blanc Blanc, is in the minds of many professional wine connoisseurs as the best Bordeaux wine of the last 100 years! In the 1996 ranking list, Cheval Blanc was ranked as a "Super Grand Cru First Class". The White Horse label is gold on a white background, which is very elegant and matches the quality of the wine. When it is young, it has a grassy green taste, but when it matures, it has a unique floral aroma and is balanced and elegant.
In the 1996 ranking of wineries, Otsumang was the only one in the same class as Cheval. And Osongzhuang is also the least known winery among the eight major wineries. In the mid-to-late 90s of the 20th century, the new owner of the winery carried out a major renovation of the winery, and strictly demanded the quality of the wine. All the grapes that do not meet the specifications are used to make sub-wines, or they are sold to other brewers to make low-grade table wines, so in recent years, the annual production of the signature wine Okumatsuso has become extremely valuable. The characteristic of Okumatsuso is that it is resistant to storage, and it can be aged for a long time before drinking, and the wine is rich in quality, with a coffee and barrel aroma, and it is very atmospheric.
Château Potus, usually preceded by the name of Château de l'Écor, because most of the French châteaux have a beautiful house or castle. Among the eight major Bordeaux wineries, only the Château Platus is not crowned with a château, and the château does not have a beautiful house or castle, only a cottage, and the production of Portus Château red wine is also pitiful, so its price is also the most expensive among the eight major wineries. Made from 100% grapes, this wine is usually suitable for early drinking but not shelf-stable, but because of its excellent geology and large mineral reserves, it is both early and shelf-stable. Although Potus is not ranked, it is the king of red wines in the minds of drinkers. Especially in high-end social contacts, he represents romance, dignity and elegance.
After the introduction, Mason said: "Master, your winery is most appropriately named after your surname, our winery is called Long's Winery, and the wine produced is called Long's wine, I believe that in the near future, in the European high society, the wine produced by your winery is a must-have." Long Dan listened to Mason's rambling words, but he still didn't quite understand, so Mason said: "Master, in fact, there are also very good wineries in other countries, such as in Germany, in our British country, etc., and you will understand it when you have more opportunities to come to Europe in the future."
Long Dan said: "When I was in China, there were a lot of Lafite wines in all the famous hotels, and they were all marked with 82 or 83 years, which seemed to be fake. Mason said: "Château Lafite does not produce much, the maximum annual output of the whole estate is 240,000 bottles, and about 50,000 bottles can be distributed in the Chinese market every year. Although the others are also produced by Château Lafite, they are actually Laffite wines produced in Chile, but the quality is much lower than that of the Lafite brand". Long Dan smiled and said: "Hehe, then I will never drink Lafite in China again, it is said that there are more than 3 million bottles of Lafite consumed in China every year, which is much more than the actual output of Château Lafite.
Mason said: "So, I advise you to build a winery by yourself, at least don't drink fake and shoddy wine", Long Dan also said: "What you said is also true, it is said that my ten-year bamboo wine also has fakes in your European market, you have to keep an eye on it for me, this is not to smash my brand", Mason said: "What the master said, however, the ten-year bamboo green you produce has a special strength, and it will refresh you when you drink it, which cannot be made by fake wine, so you can rest assured."
Long Dan Dao said: That's right, the key process of ten years of Zhuqing is to use the energy crystal balls on the spaceship to release energy, this is unique, and the counterfeiters have nowhere to find the crystal balls made by Sirius Technology. Long Dan said: "Mason, the output of our Long's winery should not be too large, and I don't want to use this to make money", Mason said: "Yes, Master, the output should not be too large, and scarcity is expensive."