Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Mouth Cannon Mode Activated! (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Lan Yue Wei Yao)
“Ahahaha, I didn’t mean to,” Upon seeing Zhao Zhenhao’s elegance, Wang Hao scratched his head and chuckled, “Sorry about that, I promise not to mention these things again!”
“Thank you.” Zhao Zhenhao smiled and then clapped his hands, saying, “Alright, we’ve talked enough, it’s time for the next item on the agenda.”
Soon, a waiter pushed over an exquisitely presented cart.
The waiter was tall and slender, wearing a white shirt and black vest, his short hair looking very neat, and about forty years old, with a gentle smile on his face.
On the cart were two beautifully packaged bottles of red wine, accompanied by three wine glasses. Zhao Zhenhao introduced them, “For this dinner, I especially asked someone to get two bottles of ’82 Lafite from France for us to taste.”
Wang Hao’s eyes lit up.
’82 Lafite, eh? This stuff seems to be super-fancy! It’s exactly what rich people love to flaunt when they’re showing off!
See the difference in swagger? We pronounce the French ‘fa’ with the third tone, they pronounce it with the fourth tone! See the gap?!
Speaking of which, Wang Hao was quite curious—just how much ’82 Lafite did they make? After drinking it for so many years, how have they not run out?
It was clearly Zhao Zhenhao’s time to shine. He took the red wine from the waiter’s hand and smiled, “Lafite refers to the red wine produced by Lafite Winery, one of the five famous wineries in Bordeaux, France, with a long history. Founded in 1354 in Puyile Village, Lafite wine is known for its floral and fruity aromas, its richness and mellowness, and its elegance, earning it the name ‘Queen of the Wine Kingdom.'”
Zhao Zhenhao continued, “The world-class quality is attributed, of course, first and foremost, to Lafite Vineyard’s soil and unique microclimate. About 70% is Cabernet Sauvignon, about 20% Merlot, and the remainder is Cabernet Franc…”
Zhao Zhenhao was obviously enjoying himself, “The ’82 Bordeaux wines were rated a perfect score of 10, and Lafite Vineyard is located in Bordeaux, so without a doubt, for those who know how to appreciate wine, the ’82 Lafite is an exquisite choice. Its most precious feature is that every bottle you drink, there’s one less in the world. To taste such fine wines is a true symbol of nobility.”
You must’ve spent a good deal of time learning all that stuff, huh? Props to you…
“Indeed,” Bai Yaning nodded, “Lafite is indeed best from ’82.”
See? Bai Yaning agrees with me! All that prep wasn’t in vain!
Zhao Zhenhao secretly reveled in her approval before proceeding with the most elegant tone, “Tonight, let’s savor this legendary fine wine. Mr. Waiter, please open it for us, thank you.”
As the waiter reached for the bottle to open it, Wang Hao asked, “Are we drinking now? These two bottles of wine… they’re pretty expensive, right?”
“Not too bad,” Zhao Zhenhao looked at Bai Yaning gently and smiled, “Two hundred and fifty thousand per bottle. Of course, money is a small matter. The chance to have dinner with Miss Yaning is priceless.”
Nicely done with the show-off, bro—you get an eighty from me!
“Two hundred and fifty thousand a bottle!” Wang Hao exclaimed, “Wow, this is really something else. It makes me a bit afraid to drink it…”
“You’re too kind,” Zhao Zhenhao said gracefully, “Actually, there is a certain way to drink this sort of wine. If Mr. Wang wouldn’t mind, may I explain it to you?”
Wang Hao nodded vigorously, “Sure, sure!”
Look at how I’m giving you face, so cooperative! You’d better explain it well, don’t embarrass yourself, got it?
Zhao Zhenhao subconsciously glanced at Bai Yaning, seeing that she was also looking at him, his heart skipped a beat, saying, “In a moment, I’ll pour a little out first to observe its color and scent. Then I’ll test the wine to confirm its quality. If all is well, then we can enjoy this fine bottle.”
Wang Hao’s eyes widened, “That’s it? For a bottle worth two hundred and fifty thousand, that’s all it takes to drink it?”
Zhenhao was befuddled now, “Yeah, otherwise, how else would you drink?”
Actually, Zhenhao had indeed prepared quite comprehensively. He didn’t just bring wine, but also included information such as its origin, grape cultivation, and even the most elegant way to drink that could easily capture a woman’s heart—he’d diligently practiced that.
But the problem was that he had prepared all this just for the occasion, and while in general there wasn’t much to criticize, he still overlooked one thing—Wang Hao was a man who had crossed over…
“That…” Wang Hao glanced at Zhenhao, then at Bai Yaning, and decided not to show off—after all, isn’t it a bit much to perform too well while the young master is courting a beauty? So he decided to leave the opportunity to Zhenhao: “Actually, it’s nothing much, you just missed a step about aerating the wine.”
“Oh no, I am so sorry,” Zhenhao smacked his forehead hard, “Getting too excited upon seeing Miss Yaning, I actually forgot the most crucial step. My apologies.” He had been about to call the waiter to aerate the wine, but then, Bai Yaning, suddenly whimsical, looked at Wang Hao with a hooked corner of her mouth and said, “Wang Hao, you must have some other opinion, right? Then why not speak up? Could it be that you want to please him?”
Damn it! Do I need to suck up to this guy?
I just think it’s unnecessary to upstage him in this kind of situation, okay? This is a matter among you rich folks, and I honestly don’t want to meddle as just an ordinary person, alright?
Actually, Bai Yaning just enjoyed watching Wang Hao talk endlessly and effortlessly, but Zhenhao thought otherwise. He took another careful look at Wang Hao and said, “It seems Mr. Wang Hao definitely has some unique insights, why not share them with us and enlighten me as well?”
He was sure Wang Hao couldn’t come up with anything sensible and was just ready to see what kind of mess Wang Hao would spout this time!
“Do I really have to say it?” Wang Hao was somewhat at a loss, “You see, once I start talking, there’s no end to it, maybe I better not…”
“Speak!” Zhenhao said through gritted teeth, “You must speak!”
“Come on then, talk,” Bai Yaning said with a smile, “I find it quite interesting when you talk about these things. I want to listen.”
Alright then, since you all insist, I guess I’ll have to oblige you today…
Let’s make this clear, it’s not me volunteering here—I’m being forced!
Wang Hao took a deep breath—time to activate blabber mode!
“Actually, this Lafite, it’s quite sophisticated!” Wang Hao switched on his gift of the gab, “Not to mention other things, just talking about how to preserve it properly is a story in itself!”
Upon hearing this, Zhenhao was ready to fold—dammit, this guy’s surely going to ramble on about a whole bunch of stuff…
“Oh?” Bai Yaning asked curiously, “Then tell us, how should it be preserved?”
“Preservation involves six factors,” Wang Hao cheerfully explained, “They are temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, vibration, and placement. For temperature, the ideal condition for storing Lafite in a cellar is around eleven degrees Celsius, because the expansion and contraction from temperature fluctuations can easily cause the wine to seep out of the cork, leading to oxidation. Too low a temperature, and the wine matures slowly. Too high, and it matures too fast, affecting the taste.”
“Second, humidity,” Wang Hao continued, “70% humidity is the best for storing wine. Too humid, and the cork and label can rot; too dry, and the cork can lose its elasticity.”
Wang Hao: “As for light, it’s best to keep any source of light out of the wine cellar, as light can cause the wine to spoil, especially fluorescence which can induce changes in the wine.”
Wang Hao: “It’s ideal for a wine cellar to have good ventilation to prevent the wine from absorbing other smells and affecting its taste.”
Wang Hao: “Excessive vibration can affect the quality of the wine, so it’s best to minimize moving the bottles around, especially aged wines.”
Wang Hao: “And regarding placement, the bottles should ideally be laid flat to keep the wine in contact with the cork and maintain its moisture.”