Chapter 408 Experience Everything About the Castle

Walking on the country road, what you see is low yellowish country farmhouses, messy North African style, and abandoned infrastructure. As far as these hardware are concerned, they are not very good at all.

The news said that the French economy was stagnant. When he came here and saw the scene in this countryside, Chen Chuan believed it.

But even so, France still leads fashion. Why? Because starting from the 15th century, it took over the inheritance of literature and art from Italy, and it still did not lose this baton until the 20th century.

Baroque Rococo art led three important literary and artistic movements: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism. It gave rise to Impressionism, the origin of film, the construction of luxury goods and fashion concepts, and made perfume, fashion, and French cuisine popular all over the world. Popularity.

Therefore, they are really confident inside.

However, in front of Chen Chuan, Miss Marion, an accountant from downtown Bordeaux, restrained her overconfidence and maintained a warm and polite smile. She was afraid of being left alone, so she kept looking for topics.

The two walked side by side on the country road, and she wore high heels. She must have known that she had to walk for a while, but she still chose high heels instead of sneakers. This shows that...between delicacy and comfort, she chose the former.

Marion told Chen Chuan that she likes to watch American TV series, Game of Thrones, Japanese comics, food and travel. Her income is nearly 6,000 euros, which is enough to support her doing something she loves.

You know, only 5% of people in France have a monthly income of more than 4,500 euros.

"My sister is a police officer, checking for pickpockets and thieves on the streets, and often patrols near the LV store in the city center. Her salary is 2,300 euros before tax and 1,700 euros after tax. My brother is an accident insurance claims adjuster, and his salary is also 2,300 euros. "My sister-in-law is a worker in a yogurt factory, and her salary is 1,500 euros... Speaking of which, I am the most promising one in our family, and my studies at the University of Paris VI were not in vain," Marion said.

"Paris VI University sounds familiar." Chen Chuan said.

"Madame Curie studied there." Marion said, "Ha, it has been raining the past few days, and it is rare that there is sunshine today..."

Her topic turned to the weather again, but Chen Chuan was more concerned about this stretch of road.

It feels good to walk. There are vineyards on the roadside as far as the eye can see. It's just winter and they haven't sprouted yet, so the scenery looks a little worse. But it would be better if you can see the direct bus.

Marion saw that Chen Chuan was a little impatient and pointed to a tall forest in front of him and said, "Sir,

Your estate is just ahead. "

"Is there a road leading outside the wine cellar?" Chen Chuan asked.

"Yes, the wine cellar is 6 kilometers away from the manor. You can reach the wine cellar by crossing a large area of ​​vineyards. I followed your instructions and did not inform Louis that you were the new owner." Marion said.

The two of them walked and chatted as they walked into the large forest ahead.

As soon as I entered, I had a dreamy feeling. Just now I thought the scenery was mediocre, but I didn't know there was a cave in the forest.

Tall trees, castles, sculptures, neatly manicured gardens, lawns, swimming pools, and the morning sun shining on the castle make it like a world in a fairy tale.

"In the 15th century, this place used to be a monastery, and the building with the tall spire over there was a church. It was later acquired by Baron Joseph, and it became a noble residence for a time. In 1795, the Bergeron family took over the manor and began to plant grapes on a large area and develop the manor. It is a mid-level winery with 70 hectares of vineyards. Later, it changed hands several times. The annual output of the manor is 12,000 cases, and a single bottle is sold for 20 euros. It is considered a good quality AOC wine, and it is also sold in your country." Marion said the introduction.

Chen Chuan knows that in Bordeaux, wine is sold in a box of 12 bottles, and this box costs 240 euros, so the annual output value is 2.88 million euros.

"Excluding costs, what's the profit?" Chen Chuan asked.

"Based on previous years, the cost is about 30%, and the net profit is 2 million euros." Marion said.

Chen Chuan calculated that it cost 10 million euros to purchase the system, and it would take five years to pay it back. Fortunately, it has zero cost and everything is paid for by the system.

Not far ahead, in front of the castle courtyard, there was a white female receptionist.

Marion stepped forward to greet her, and the receptionist opened the iron gate of the manor and gestured to come in.

In Bordeaux, there are 8,000 wineries, large and small, and many are open to the public. They can earn extra money by hosting tourist groups, but some of them are private residences and are not open to the public. If you want to visit these manors, you need to send an email in advance to make a reservation.

Apparently Marion had made an appointment.

Chen Chuan and Marion walked into the fence gate.

Marion whispered: "Dear Mr. Chen, welcome to your castle, Tuwell Castle. You will be the new owner here. I am willing to serve you."

"What should I say?" Chen Chuan looked at this magnificent castle. What was refreshing to him was that the buildings here were all-encompassing. In addition to the rococo-style church, there were also oriental bell towers and Indian elephant sculptures. , Sudan wood carved doors and many other oriental style elements.

Marion smiled and said: "As the owner of the castle and the owner of the manor, you only need to patrol your territory, and everything here is yours. Including the 2017 and 2018 new wines in the cellar."

"Including you?" Chen Chuan asked.

"As long as you are willing," Marion said.

"So happy? How about being reserved?"

"There is no room for restraint in front of you," she said.

Chen Chuan clapped his hands and looked at the huge castle complex covering an area of ​​6.5 hectares. Firstly, he clapped his hands because he was shocked by the magnificent buildings. Secondly, he clapped his hands because of the sweet mouth of this French lady. Although she looks like a noble queen, she behaves like a humble and loyal female knight.

"The architecture here is special enough, and it is not a pure Baroque style." Chen Chuan said.

Marion followed Chen Chuan's gaze and looked around. She replied: "As far as I know, this is a unique manor in the Medoc production area. The previous owner expanded it to " Inspired by "One Thousand and One Nights", we redesigned the castle. I came here after talking to you on the phone. The interior of the castle is luxuriously decorated, I think you will like it."

Chen Chuan and Marion walked into the castle and found that there were not many people.

After inquiry, I learned that after Chen Chuan bought this place, he did not take over the original team of servants and housekeepers, and only retained some necessary positions such as brewing room and wine cellar workers.

In other words, there is a real need to re-recruit people.

But if Chen Chuan does not live in this castle permanently, there is no need to hire many servants, just a few who can clean and repair the manor.

There was no one in Nuoda's castle, but it was kept very clean.

The 28 bedrooms, including 4 suites, are decorated with oriental elements such as tapestries, silk fabrics, and precious woods, making them look grand yet unassuming.

Opening the window reveals a private garden and endless vineyards.

Marion stood behind Chen Chuan and said, "Mr. Chen, this large vineyard belongs to you. It is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Merlot."

In the living room, there is a handmade Persian carpet under your feet, which is soft and comfortable to step on.

Chen Chuan stood by the window of the living room, very satisfied with the place. The decorations on the walls were from the Qing Dynasty. It seemed that the nobleman who decorated the place was very fond of Eastern culture.

On the terrace on the second floor, under the bright sunshine, the two of them stood on the terrace to take a rest and tasted the red wine brought by the reception. Everything seemed like a dream that had escaped the track of time.

"Mr. Chen, the wine produced in the manor is a typical Saint-Estephe style, known for its abundant and delicate tannins, clear structure, concentrated and elegant flavor, and rich layering. Are you used to drinking it?" Marion asked.

Chen Chuan smacked his mouth. He really couldn't bear to drink it, it was too sour. After all, the wine produced in this manor is the genuine [Tuwell] brand, which is also sold in China, and is only 298 yuan a bottle. Although he doesn't know much about wine tasting, he is used to drinking first-class wines that cost tens of thousands, so he naturally has no interest in wines from such mid-level wineries.

Chen Chuan did not answer the question of whether he was used to drinking, but asked: "How to solve the problem of lunch?"

After all, I looked around when I came here and found that this place is full of villages, with country farmhouses everywhere and no restaurants.

Moreover, it was approaching noon.

"The castle's private chef team has been retained and has purchased ingredients that are suitable for the day and is ready to cook for you at any time. This is your property. You can dine here or go to the village to eat. There is a simple restaurant." Marion said.

"Where do you want to eat?" Chen Chuan asked.

"Me? I definitely want to try everything in this castle." Marion smiled, with a more charming look in her smile.

So, Chen Chuan decided to have a French meal in the castle at noon. I heard that French food is very particular. What are the appetizers and back dishes? Today I will taste it here to see how the taste is different from that in China. .

I hope it can bring him some refreshing feelings and experiences.

…

Gaston Louis-Antoine is the general manager and winemaker of [Château Tourville]. He is 51 years old. In the past ten years, he has fully presided over the operation of the winery and assisted the owner in updating the winery. Winemaking equipment, expanding vineyard area and actively expanding overseas markets are the most powerful subordinates of the old farm owner.

However, he received a call from the old owner four days ago and learned that the manor had been sold and the new owner was about to visit.

According to the past, Louis is not worried about his position. He has worked at [Tourville Winery] for ten years and is familiar with everything here. He has strong interpersonal relationships and business capabilities. But...a major event happened recently, which made him worried.

In the cellar of the manor, two new wines from the 2017 and 2018 vintages are stored, which are packaged together with the manor and sold to the new owner. Normally, these wines are already the property of the new owner.

Here comes the problem. When these two batches of wine were first bottled, it was discovered that the quality of the wine was slightly affected by an American pesticide used in grape growing... However, it was only a slight effect and not harmful to the human body.

He is now standing in the underground wine cellar, facing 22,000 oak barrels. Looking around, the densely packed oak barrels are filled with wine from these two vintages.

In 2017 and 2018, it was rainy, wet and cold from the time the grapes sprouted. Mold begins to grow on the grape leaves and spreads in large areas.

He remembers calling the original owner to report, "If this continues, if we don't use pesticides, there will be no harvest this year! Even the vineyards will not be saved!"

The old winery owner accepted his advice and sprayed pesticides from a helicopter. Now after two years of fermentation, the new wine is brewed, and it turns out that it is still slightly affected by the pesticides.

If this matter is known to the new owner, it is up to him whether he can continue to do it. If the other party is more harsh, it is possible to hold him accountable.

"Mr. Louis, we have investigated and found that the 2016 vintage wine that has been sold has also been slightly affected." The assistant came to report.

The corner of Louis' mouth twitched, and he asked: "When will the new owner come?"

"I haven't received any news, but I heard from the castle that they received two clients today. They are Miss Marion from VAT accounting firm in the city center, and a young man with an oriental face." The assistant said.

At this moment, beads of sweat broke out on Louis' forehead, even in the temperature-controlled underground wine cellar.

He took out his handkerchief and wiped his sweat, and asked: "If you were the new owner of these three years of wine, what would you do with it?"

The assistant thought for a while and said: "It's just that the quality of the wine has been slightly affected by pesticides. It's not harmful to the human body. The taste is just a little worse. I will choose to sell it normally. At most, the price will be lower... It's impossible. Destroy them all, right? That’s over four million euros worth of goods.”

Louis fell into deep thought, this matter was big or small. France is a big country in pesticides. In the Bordeaux vineyards, every plantation will use pesticides in wet years. The difference lies in the dosage and brand of pesticides.

Pesticides slightly affect the quality of wine. If the Wine Tasting Association does not investigate, or competitors do not cause trouble, it will not matter.

But if someone wants to make a fuss out of it, it will at least have a great impact on the manor's reputation.

This matter was his dereliction of duty. He could choose to hide it and gamble on his luck. If no one knew about it and no one pursued it, the past would be over.

You can also choose to confess to the new owner.

As for the outcome, he didn't know who the new village owner was or what he would do.

After thinking for a long time, he left the wine cellar and drove towards the castle.

On the way, he received a call from the castle and the kitchen was up and running and lunch was being prepared.

This confirmed that the young man from the East who was traveling with Marion was the new owner of the village.

There is a road open to traffic between the wine cellar and the castle. He drove all the way back and parked the car in the parking area of ​​the castle. He vaguely heard a woman's gentle voice coming from a bedroom on the third floor of the castle, or to be precise, the suite at the east end. the sound of.

He listened for a while, then hurriedly reversed the car and left. He would go back to the wine cellar and wait.

On the way back to the wine cellar, he received another call from his daughter, who was in her second year at the University of Paris 11 and spent a lot of money in a year. His daughter laughed and chatted with him, but he was not interested and could only hum a few words.

He has three daughters, two in college and one in high school. Although his salary is not low, his wife does not have a job, so if she loses her job, the family will be in difficulty.