In the afternoon, Xia Ruofei brought Feng Jing to the Hunter Valley Garden at the foot of Brokeback Mountain.
Xia Ruofei felt like he was revisiting an old place. The last time he brought Lin Qiao here, they met Lin Qiao's high school classmate, Tan Lili, which led to a series of events.
Of course, it was also because of that incident that Xia Ruofei took over the largest winery in the Hunter Valley, Golden Oak Winery.
Now that they were back at the Hunter Valley Garden, the scenery was still beautiful. Each theme park was like a fantasy wonderland. Xia Ruofei couldn't help but sigh.
Times had changed, and the scenery was still the same. However, those people back then might have had their own paths in life.
Tan Lili, who came back to China to repeat her studies, should be preparing for the college entrance examination now?
Tan Lili's boyfriend, Zheng Peng, had already sold his assets and left Australia with his parents.
Robinson and Brody, the father and son of Golden Oak Winery, definitely didn't dare to stay in the Hunter Valley after selling the winery.
Of course, these people had only themselves to blame. Xia Ruofei was just a little emotional, but he didn't sympathize with them because of this.
It was Feng Jing's first time at the Hunter Valley Garden. Like Lin Qiao, she was deeply attracted by the theme park here.
Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Cinderella … Scenes from fairy tales were recreated here. Feng Jing couldn't help but let her girlish heart burst. She asked Xia Ruofei to take a lot of photos for her.
The two of them had fun for half a day and returned home.
The next morning, they met up again and went to West Winery.
The first batch of grape juice that was brewed that day had already settled. Old West organized the workers to pour the upper layer of clear liquid into oak barrels for fermentation.
After Xia Ruofei and Feng Jing asked, they found out that the fermentation of white wine had very strict temperature requirements. It had to be controlled between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the aroma and taste of the wine would be greatly affected.
In addition, the entire fermentation process would take about two to three weeks. In other words, the grape juice stored in oak barrels would have to be stored in a constant temperature storage room for about twenty days before the main fermentation period would be considered complete. After that, it would probably take another week or two for the entire fermentation process to be completed.
By that time, the grape juice would have already turned into wine. When the oak barrel was opened, the rich aroma of wine could be smelled.
Of course, they still had to be nurtured in the oak barrel. At this stage, the dead yeast would settle to the bottom of the barrel. The winemaker would stir regularly to mix the dead yeast with the wine, making the wine taste more mellow.
Finally, after a period of clarification to remove impurities such as dead yeast and grape fragments, the wine could be bottled.
After listening to Old West's introduction, Feng Jing was a little disappointed. "It's going to take so long! Looks like we won't be able to wait for the wine to be bottled … "
It would take at least a month. Feng Jing definitely couldn't ignore the domestic company's matters and stay in Australia for so long.
Xia Ruofei was a possibility.
Xia Ruofei laughed and said, "Why don't you just take a vacation? I'll give you a month's vacation. You can come to Uncle West's place every day to learn how to make wine! "
"No way!" Feng Jing said. "Since it can't be done here in a short period of time, let's hurry back to China!"
"Why don't … I bring you here again in a month?" Xia Ruofei said with a smile.
These few days, Feng Jing had been very seriously involved in the entire process of making wine. Xia Ruofei could see that Feng Jing was quite interested in this. Perhaps this was a way for her to relax!
Feng Jing hesitated for a moment and said, "We'll see when the time comes …"
She was obviously tempted. If it were in the past, Feng Jing would have rejected without even thinking about it.
Xia Ruofei looked at Old West again and asked curiously, "Uncle West, I just heard you say that the Semillon wine will be bottled in about a month's time? Isn't wine preserved in oak barrels? Why is it being bottled so early? "
Old West laughed and said, "Xia, this is the specialty of the Semillon wine from Australia's Hunter Valley. Its ripening process is not completed in oak barrels, but in the bottle! What's amazing is that when the Semillon ripened in the bottle is young, it tastes fresh and lively with a hint of lemon. After a period of ripening, it will develop a classic golden hue, and the taste will also become richer, such as the fragrance of toast, honey, grass, and so on … "
Xia Ruofei nodded repeatedly, feeling that he had gained a lot of knowledge.
There was knowledge everywhere. In the past, he only knew some basic knowledge about Semillon. This time, after experiencing the winemaking process himself, he felt that there were actually many details that were worth paying attention to. These were all precious experiences that had been passed down from generation to generation.
Old West continued, "Of course, oak barrels are still very important. The fermentation and cultivation process of Semillon is completed in oak barrels. During this process, the aroma of wood and grass from the oak barrels will be integrated into the wine, making the wine more fragrant. So, a good oak barrel is also very important for winemaking. "
"Oh?" Xia Ruofei said, "Then how about this batch of oak barrels?"
Old West smiled and said, "Not bad, I think! Above average. Of course, if it were the Semillon grapes from a few years ago, these barrels would be enough. But the quality of this year's grapes is very high. I originally wanted to find a better barrel, but it's not easy to do … "
Xia Ruofei's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Uncle West, can you give me two barrels of the grape juice that is going to be fermented?"
Old West was stunned for a moment. "Xia, it's not that I don't want to give it to you. The whole winery is yours. If you want two barrels of grape juice, it's definitely not a problem. But, during the fermentation process, the temperature must be strictly controlled. If I give it to you … the grape juice will definitely become extremely sour in the end. That would be a waste!"
Xia Ruofei laughed and said, "Uncle West, you don't have to worry about that. Anyway, our production this year is so high. At most, we'll waste two barrels. Just treat it as me drinking it …"
Old West was actually unwilling. The quality of this year's grapes was especially good. All the wines were like his favorite. How could he bear to give away two barrels at once? However, Xia Ruofei was the owner of the winery. Even if he objected, it was useless!
Moreover, Xia Ruofei did not use his power to pressure him. Instead, he negotiated with him calmly. Plus, two barrels were indeed not too much. So, in the end, he nodded helplessly.
Old West waved his hand and called for a worker. He was going to bring someone to the temperature-controlled warehouse to bring out two barrels of grape juice that was going to be fermented.
Xia Ruofei quickly waved his hand and said, "Uncle West, don't be in such a hurry! I have a friend in Australia. His oak trees seem to be pretty good. I want to buy two oak trees from him. Can you help me check the quality? If the quality is good, please help me get someone to make a few barrels. When the time comes, I'll put the grape juice in the new barrels. How about that? "
"The oak trees in Australia seem to be very ordinary!" Old West said hesitantly.
Xia Ruofei laughed and said, "Let's wait for the wood to be delivered first! If the quality is not good, then use the barrels from the winery. Anyway, I only need two barrels! No problem, right? "
Old West smiled bitterly and said, "Xia, you're the owner of the winery! Of course, there's no problem with your request! "
"Thank you!" Xia Ruofei said happily. "Uncle West, then we'll take our leave first! When the oak wood is delivered, I'll get someone to send it to the winery as soon as possible! "
Old West was busy processing the grape juice. He hurriedly said goodbye to Xia Ruofei and focused on his work again.
After walking out of the winery, Feng Jing asked curiously, "Ruofei, do you have friends who plant oak trees in Australia?"
"Yes! I have a lot of friends! " Xia Ruofei laughed and said, "I'm going to contact the oak trees in the afternoon. You can either rest at the farm for half a day, or let Brother Liang bring you around for a walk! Is that okay? "
"Of course!" Feng Jing said with a smile. "I'm not a child. I don't need you to accompany me all day! You can go about your business! "
Then, Feng Jing could not help but ask, "Ruofei, according to Uncle West, the fermentation process has very strict requirements for temperature control. Aren't you wasting two barrels of grape juice for nothing?"
"I have my own use for them!" Xia Ruofei said with a mysterious smile. "And I won't leave them at Wonderland Farm. I have to send them to a friend. Anyway, you don't have to worry about it!"
"So mysterious. Don't tell me it's that friend who plants oak trees again?" Feng Jing joked.
"Wow, you got it right!" Xia Ruofei said with a smile. "He also has his own winery. I gave him two barrels for experiment purposes."
Xia Ruofei naturally didn't have any other Australian friends. He didn't want to give the two barrels of grape juice to someone for experiment purposes. He wanted to put them into the space.
As for the oak trees, Xia Ruofei wanted to cut down two of the oak trees planted in the space. At that time, in order to cultivate truffles, Xia Ruofei planted a lot of oak trees in the space. The oak trees multiplied very quickly. Cutting down one or two wouldn't affect the truffle production.
He also wanted to know what the quality of the oak trees that grew in the space was.
However, he couldn't tell Feng Jing about this. Xia Ruofei could only speak without thinking.
Feng Jing didn't suspect anything. After all, this was Xia Ruofei's private matter. She didn't ask any more.
After returning to Wonderland Farm, Xia Ruofei asked Liang Qichao to help arrange a flatbed truck for transporting the wood during lunch.
As for the loading location, Xia Ruofei said that he didn't know where his friend would unload the wood, so he asked Liang Qichao to contact the driver after arranging the truck. When the time came, he would directly contact the driver.
Liang Qichao didn't suspect anything and agreed.
Xia Ruofei directly returned to his room after lunch. After locking the door, he entered the space.
In the space, Xia Qing was still doing his best to manage those precious crops for Xia Ruofei. Under his efforts, the scope of the medicine garden was constantly expanding. In the future, the medicine garden alone would be able to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical factory's raw materials.
After the white world raccoon was disciplined by Xia Ruofei, it was very well-behaved recently. It spent most of its time comprehending the rules of space. This stable space structure that was very close to the outside world was equivalent to a huge treasure house for it. It was very comfortable living here.
Xia Ruofei said with a smile, "You all go busy yourselves! Don't worry about me! "
After Xia Qing and the white world raccoon left, Xia Ruofei took a chainsaw from the Archean Realm. He chose two oak trees and cut them down. Then, he removed the branches and vines and quickly obtained two pieces of wood.
After finishing, Xia Ruofei hurriedly left the space.
He asked Liang Qichao for the keys to the farm's pickup truck and drove away from the farm alone.
Australia was vast and sparsely populated. Some desolate places were often uninhabited for hundreds of kilometers. Xia Ruofei easily found a remote road. He observed for a while and found that there was no one within a few kilometers. Moreover, only one or two cars passed by for a long time. It could be said to be very desolate.
After Xia Ruofei got out of the car, he took the two pieces of wood out of the space and put them on the side of the road. Then, he took out his mobile phone to contact the driver.
He had already determined his location through the satellite positioning system. After reporting his location to the driver, the driver told him that it might take two to three hours to get here. There was no other way. Australia was very big and this place was relatively far from the populated area.
After Xia Ruofei hung up the phone, he simply took out a recliner and a parasol from the space and lay under the parasol to kill time.
When the sky was slightly dark, the flatbed truck finally arrived.
While waiting, not a single car passed by on the road. It could be seen how remote it was.
The driver also knew in advance that he had to transfer two pieces of wood, so he brought hinges and other tools. There were also a few workers in the car.
The driver was also very curious about this desolate loading location. Xia Ruofei explained that it was sent by a foreign driver who was not familiar with the road. He unloaded the things and returned. He could only call another car to transfer them.
Xia Ruofei pretended to be indignant and complained a few words.
The driver did not ask any more questions. After all, he would not be short of money. He immediately organized the workers to start loading the truck.
Everyone skillfully tied the wood, hoisted it into the truck, and fastened it with wire rope. Then Xia Ruofei drove the pickup truck in front to lead the way. The two cars, one in front and one behind, drove to West Winery.
When they arrived at the winery, the sky was completely dark. After a busy day, the workers had all gone home. The winery was quiet.
Xia Ruofei pressed the doorbell at the winery door and shouted, "Uncle West, come and open the door! My oak wood is here! "
After a while, there was a sound of footsteps. Old West came out in his pajamas. Because they had to get up early to pick grapes, during this period of time, the two usually went to rest after dinner.
Xia Ruofei said with a trace of apology, "Uncle West, sorry to disturb your rest! The oak wood I mentioned this morning has been delivered. Open the door and let the truck in to unload the wood. Then you can continue to rest... "
Old West chuckled and said, "It's fine, it's fine. We just laid down too... Xia, your friend is quite efficient!"
Xia Ruofei said, "The driver sent it to the wrong place. I also found a flatbed truck to transport it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been delivered so late..."
"Come in!" Old West opened the gate of the winery and let the two trucks in.
There were only two pieces of wood, so the workers quickly unloaded them into the open space of the winery.
Then the truck driver drove away with the workers. Of course, the freight was settled with Wonderland Farm.
"Uncle West, I'm sorry! You should go and rest! " Xia Ruofei said. "Tomorrow, remember to find a barrel maker for me. If it's useful, help me get a few oak barrels."
Old West laughed and said, "There's no hurry! There's no hurry. Let me see how your wood is... "
After that, Old West walked to the corridor and turned on the lights. Then, he walked to the side of the wood and squatted down to observe.
As a matter of fact, Old West did not have much hope for the wood. Good oak was in high demand for wineries, and the quality of oak in Australia was only average. If the wood could be transported here so quickly, the plantation must not be too far from the Hunter Valley. He had not heard of any place in the area that produced good oak!
In fact, most of the oak barrels used by wineries came from the United States, France, and Hungary.
However, after a few glances, he could not help but rub his eyes. Then, he could not wait to take a closer look. His whole body was almost lying on the wood.
Xia Ruofei looked at Old West and knew that his oak was not bad. In fact, he was not worried at all. The Spirit Map's space was filled with spiritual energy all day long. How bad could the quality of an oak that grew up in such an environment be?
"How is it, Uncle West?" Xia Ruofei asked with a smile. "Can this oak be used?"
Old West suddenly stood up and looked at Xia Ruofei with enthusiasm. He asked, "Xia, where did you get this oak?"
"Didn't I tell you? A friend gave it to me! "Xia Ruofei said with a smile.
Old West patted his head and said, "Look at my memory! Xia, does your friend have more of this kind of oak? I want as many as you have! "
Xia Ruofei asked with a smile, "So, these two oak barrels can be used?"
"Not only can they be used! It's the king of oak! "Old West exclaimed excitedly." Look at the fine texture of the grain! Even the nouveau riche oak, the best Hungarian oak, couldn't compare to it! Do you know? The tighter the texture, the less tannins will be released, which can make the wine more delicate! This is the best oak that can only be found by chance! "
Old West was very excited. He pointed at the two oak barrels and said, "Also, I smelled it carefully just now. The fragrance of this oak is very unique and very charming. It makes people feel like they are floating in the air! I can't imagine how charming the wine will be if we ferment our Semillon with it! "
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
