I'm number one. Thank you everyone. You guys are too fierce.
The recommendation votes should be more ferocious!
Heh heh.
This chapter is almost three thousand words long. Thank you everyone for your support.
What does Romanee-Conti look like in 1981? You can go to Sina, Weibo, and see. I've posted there.
I just happen to have this bottle.
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The bright red wine slid into the glass very steadily and did not cause any ripples. The aroma of the wine was not too strong. It seemed that all the flavors were locked in the crystal clear wine that was like a pigeon's blood ruby.
The Wine Master's hand didn't tremble in the slightest. The four glasses were evenly distributed, two fingers' height horizontally. The naked eye couldn't tell the difference.
Lan Jue stared at the wine, while the Gourmet stared at the enormous ham in front of him. Their eyes were equally entranced.
The twenty candles were arranged in a dense, even arrangement, just slightly smaller than the empty square disk.
The Gourmet's right hand swept over the candles, and all twenty of them lit at the same time. The flames weren't high, but they were bright.
The Gourmet pinched the edge of the disk, and placed it flat on top of the candles. He let the flames burn the bottom of the disk.
The Coffee Master said, "Aren't you tired?
Can't you use your own fire? "
The Gourmet didn't even look at him. "That's why I said you have no taste.
If you weren't extremely lucky, you wouldn't have been able to drink this wine and eat this ham.
My fire is Yang fire, dry, hot, and violent.
The candles are yin, soft, warm, and even.
What I need now is the latter. "
The Coffee Master didn't seem convinced. "Why not?
I don't believe it!
Wine Master, is he telling the truth? "
The Wine Master didn't utter a word. He picked up the tall glass in front of him, gripping the long crystal shaft at the base. He lifted it high over his head, caught the light, and stared at the bright red liquid within.
The Coffee Master turned his head to look at Lan Jue. "The Gourmet looks down on me!
What reason does he have to say that? "
Lan Jue's eyes were also on the glass. His movements were almost identical to the Wine Master's, holding his own glass and staring at the crystal red liquid.
"He's right, and he has a reason.
The Wine Master didn't say it because he didn't want to hurt you.
But I can tell you, it's payback for what you did just now. "
"Fine, go ahead," the coffee master said, unconvinced.
Lan Jue smiled faintly and said, "If you want to learn, you have to pay the price.
Give me the wine in your cup, and I'll tell you. Otherwise, how is this revenge? "
The Coffee Master was a little embarrassed. "Fine. If your reasoning can convince me, then why shouldn't I drink Romanee?
Conti, this cup is for you. "
Lan Jue placed her glass on the table, then turned her eyes to the Wine Master. "Don't fight over it.
He's asking me. It's your fault for not telling me earlier. "
The Wine Master sighed. "He's willing to part with a glass of Romani just like that?
Conti, this is actually a very good reason. "
Lan Jue smiled and said, "But this is not enough to convince him, because he can say that his desire for knowledge is stronger than the taste of wine."
He picked up the cup and took a sip of warm water.
Lan Jue's eyes finally turned to the Coffee Master.
"Actually, the reason is simple. It's because you're a barista.
Even if you understand wine and good food, you're still a barista. "
The Coffee Master was at a loss. "What kind of reason is that?"
Lan Jue: "Of course it's a reason. You love coffee more than wine.
How many cups of coffee do you drink every day? "
"Three," the Coffee Master replied.
Lan Jue: "Drinking coffee has become the most important habit in your life. The better the coffee, the longer and richer the flavor.
However, it can also invade your taste buds.
Before tasting a top-notch red wine, in order to fully experience its rich fragrance, you can't eat anything strong for at least three days.
Coffee, tea, chocolate – these are absolutely forbidden.
Otherwise, your taste buds will be occupied. Even if you use white bread to try and absorb the flavor, there will still be a trace of it left.
It will affect the wine's ability to elevate your soul.
It's a blasphemy. "
After a pause, Lan Jue smiled at the Coffee Master. "So, in these three days, have you had any coffee?"
The Coffee Master forced a smile. "Of course I have."
"Thank you." Lan Jue gracefully picked up the glass in front of him and poured all the wine into her own.
The empty glass was returned to him.
The Wine Master sighed, gently swirling the glass in his hand. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it. Suddenly, the seriousness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a look of intoxication and immersion.
He took a relatively large sip, savoring the aftertaste in his mouth before swallowing.
Lan Jue also took a sip. She lowered her head and inhaled, the sound of water coming from her mouth. Then she lifted her head again and swallowed.
It took a long moment for the Wine Master's expression to return to normal. "Pomegranate red, distinct layers. Typical Romanée-Conti aroma, sweet peppers and rose petals. Light and harmonious, the intensity is restrained in the mouth, and the aftertaste is extremely long."
At this point, he turned his eyes to Lan Jue. "You've chosen well. This bottle of Romanée-Conti is just in its prime."
Lan Jue let out a light breath. "The combination of floral and spicy, elegant and pleasant. In the mouth it shows an astonishing fluidity and harmony. Flavors of red fruits and cherries, rich and delicate tannins. The exquisiteness of this wine is a pleasant surprise!
As expected of the World Wine King, who was known as the Heavenly God's lost pearl!
I think in the next three days, my taste buds and even my gums will be filled with its wonderful flavor. I won't be able to drink for three days. "
The Coffee Master looked at their expressions, and couldn't help but say, "Are you exaggerating?
Wine Master, give me a little more. "
The Wine Master sighed. "The white bread was originally prepared for you, to let you absorb the impurities on your taste buds. Plus, the Romanée-Conti has a strong flavor, so you should be able to force yourself to taste it.
But you've already lost out to the Jewelry Master, and I was only going to share that cup with you.
So, I'm sorry, but there's no more for you today. "
The Gourmet removed the plate from the candle, and placed it on the table. He patted the Coffee Master's shoulder. "This is the Jewelry Master's revenge.
He's very vengeful. "
The Coffee Master turned his head, and glared fiercely at Lan Jue.
Lan Jue took another sip of that wonderful wine. "Miss Carmel came to my shop the other day. Although she didn't buy anything, I could tell from her eyes what she liked."
The Coffee Master's face stiffened, and he sighed. "You win."
Lan Jue signaled to him, and the Coffee Master's expression returned to normal. "But I won't leave just like that. Although I didn't get to drink the wine, I still want to eat this ham."
A long, thin knife had appeared in the Gourmet's hand. With a gentle slash, a paper-thin slice of ham floated down onto the plate.
His hand left a trail of afterimages in the air, and before long, dozens of slices of ham covered the plate.
"Why do you roast it first?" The Wine Master asked the Gourmet.
The Gourmet said, "The black-furred pig you speak of should actually be called an Iberian pig. It was usually raised in the forest pastures of Upper Era Spain.
This region is a typical Mediterranean environment, containing vast pastures and forests dominated by green oak and Spanish cork oak.
The main source of food for the pigs raised in the vast pastures is the fruits of these trees, acorns.
And acorns are essential to obtaining true acorns of Iberian ham. "
"The production process is as follows: cut up the pig, freeze the pork to six degrees Celsius, marinate it, rinse it, and let it rest. Once the marinating process is completed, the ham is washed in cold water to remove the salt, and then stored in a warehouse for two months to evenly distribute the salt.
Then it is hung in a natural cave for at least twenty-four months before it can be eaten. Top quality Spanish Iberian ham even needs to rest for forty-eight months. "
"The one you took out is the highest quality of Iberian ham. Only a 100% purebred Iberian pig that is completely fed on acorns can be left in a cave for seventy-two months.
Even in the Upper Era, this is a good thing that money couldn't buy. "
"But this kind of ham has a problem, and that is that the fat is too rich. Although the taste is pure and delicious, the fragrance is masked to a certain extent by the fat. Although you can taste it when you chew it, in the end it's still lacking.
I first roast the plate, then put the ham slices in. The heat of the plate will cause the fat to melt, and this fat will soak into the lean meat. All the fragrance will be completely revealed. You see, the white fat has already become transparent. "
Sure enough, on the originally alternating red and white slices of ham, the white fat had already become transparent, looking like a crystal jelly. A faint fragrance floated out from the plate, condensing and not dispersing.
Lan Jue raised her hand and pinched a slice, sending it into her mouth. She was instantly moved. The rich and pure fragrance lingered in her mouth for a long time.
Drinking another mouthful of Romanée-Conti, he was already intoxicated.
The Wine Master also ate a slice, and was almost as moved as Lan Jue. He then smiled bitterly and said, "It looks like the way I ate it before has caused it to be covered in dust."
The Gourmet ate the ham and drank the fine wine in his cup. He smiled and said, "Eating your food, drinking your food, and even being praised by you, it really is a wonderful thing."
Lan Jue leisurely sighed. "God's lost pearl paired with top quality Iberian ham. Wine Master, I'll come often in the future."
The Wine Master didn't look at him, but there was bitterness in his eyes. He knew that the Jewelry Master wasn't a casual person, but if he was casual …
The Coffee Master also had a bitter face. The Iberian ham's mellow fragrance was beyond imagination, but unfortunately, he no longer had a lost pearl to go with it.
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