Tasting the Fruits of Their Labor

Writers: Suzee, Eimi
Date Posted: 30th March 2013

Characters: Fayazel, Clovente
Description: Wine tasting in preparation for Turnover.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 13, day 3 of Turn 6

Master Clovente assembled his notes on each of the vintages he had
selected to release for the upcoming Turnover celebrations. This Turns
End would be one of the finest he'd seen this many turns. The Vineyard
at Amber Hills had turned out some very fine crops over the last few
and he was hopeful their product would be well received.

Personal spittoons and sampling cups had been laid out and now there
was only the wait for the Hall Second to appear and choose the perfect
finalists and grades for pricing. In his opinion their Master Fayazel
had one of the finest 'noses' in the craft.

"Right," the Master said as he walked into the tasting room, clapping
his hands together in anticipation. "Where shall we begin, Master
Clovente?" Tasting the fruits of their labor was one of his favorite
duties and he had been looking forward to this for days. It sure beat
staring at hides all day!

Knowing the palate could only take so much without becoming confused
he had some bread and cheeses on the nearby table to help clear the
palate between tastings. "I have three phases set up for you today.
First the whites," he stepped back and spread his arm toward where
several glasses of white wines stood in front of their bottles. "They
will be followed by the reds," he said indicating another area of the
vault. "And then three nice dessert wines, and a pair of ports."

"Excellent," Fayazel grinned, making his way towards the table of
whites. He preferred red himself, but hopefully he would be pleasantly
surprised by what the table had to offer. "What are we looking at
here?"

"The first is a light wine that has been blended from two varietals.
One major and one minor. It has not been oaked and is still quite
young, and has almost a red fruit fragrance as you will see." Clovente
presented this one first because it had been a project of his Senior
Journeymen and while it wasn't perfection it had a very interesting
quality.

"Hmmm," the Hallsecond hummed after swirling the glass and holding it up
to his nose. "And citrus, as well. A hint of pepper..." He held the
glass to the white table cloth, noting the pale color. "Who made this
one?"

"My Senior Journeymen Melor and Krawten," he said with a smile
indicating the two men standing nearby.

"Ah." He gave them both a nod of acknowledgement before swirling it
once more and taking a loud sip, mixing the wine with air in his mouth.
Swishing it around his tongue, he put his tastebuds to maximum use,
allowing each to do their particular job. After spitting the liquid
into the bucket with practiced aim, he then analyzed the after taste
before rendering a final verdict. "A little tart for my tastes. But,"
he said, holding up a finger before any hopes could be quashed, "I am
not the greatest fan of white. And I have come to learn that what I
prefer in a wine is not always what will be popular among the masses."
Especially those with less refined pallets and fewer marks to spend.
Being made by journeyman rather than masters, the price would be
reduced, and would therefore be more affordable. "I think this could be
quite successful."

Clovente smiled and nodded at his Journeymen. It wasn't the highest
praise but it was adequate under the circumstances. Then he directed
Master Fayazel to the next sampling. "This one is fruity yet dry. It
has been oaked."

"Hmmm... Smokey," Fayazel said after taking a long whiff. It carried
over into the taste he found, to his satisfaction. "I like this one.
This one should go on the main table, for sure." Mentally scanning the
menu, he was sure it would pair well with what was being served.
"Definitely. This will do well."

Clovente nodded and handed the Master another glass and this time
refrained from saying anything about it in advance. Then he took a
moment to write down Fayazel's comments from the last two offerings.

Fayazel cleared his pallet and then picked the next glass. "Hmmmmm..."
he hummed as he breathed in the aroma. It was certainly had a pleasant
spicy smell. The taste did not disappoint. "Oh, that's smooth," he
said with a rather impressed lift of his eyebrows. "Buttery, almost.
Whose submission is this one?"

"That is mine," said Clovente with no little pride. He'd spent much of
his time two Turns ago on this very vintage. He was very gratified by
Fayazel's reaction to it. "Some cheese and crackers to clear the
palate and we'll start on the reds if you like."

Fayazel reached out to take the vintner's hand and give it a hearty
shake. "That's one to be proud of, Clovente. Send a bottle of it up to
the Hallmaster. He really should try it." One of the few whites he
could not only stomach, but enjoy!

Last updated on the July 1st 2013

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Tasting the Fruits of Their Labor