I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

Chapter 443: The Aroma of Wine

After the bean industry of the manor flourished and brought rich profits to the manor and the farmhands, Chen Jia and Chen Jue did not stop exploring the business territory. By chance, they tasted the mellow rice wine and yellow wine, and were immediately attracted by the unique flavors of these two fine wines. So, they decided to study the production methods of rice wine and yellow wine in depth, including not only the common glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees, but also the southern yellow wines with regional characteristics such as Shaoxing flower wine and Jiaxing yellow wine, hoping to open up new sources of income for the manor by developing the wine industry.

That evening, as the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the courtyard of the manor, Chen Jia and Chen Jue sat in the pavilion, tasting the rice wine sent by their friends. Chen Jia took a sip, with an intoxicated look on her face, and said to Chen Jue: "My husband, this rice wine tastes really mellow and sweet, smooth in the mouth, and makes people have endless aftertaste. Our manor has high-quality grain resources and so many hardworking and capable farmhands, why don't we try to make rice wine and yellow wine ourselves? This may be another good business opportunity."

Chen Jue nodded slightly, put down the wine glass, and said with deep eyes: "My wife, your idea is exactly what I want. Rice wine and yellow wine not only taste good, but also have broad market prospects. Especially the yellow wine in the south, such as Shaoxing Huajiu and Jiaxing Yellow Wine, have a long history and are well-known. If we can master its production process and bring these fine wines to the market, we will definitely get considerable profits. However, this production process is complicated, and we need to work hard to study and learn it."

Chen Jia bit her lip lightly and said thoughtfully, "Husband, we can start with the basic production of glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees, consult some experienced winemakers, and learn the traditional production methods. For special rice wines such as Shaoxing Huajiu and Jiaxing Huangjiu, we can send people to investigate locally, visit local winemaking families, and learn their unique skills. At the same time, we must also strictly control the selection of raw materials to ensure the quality of the wine."

Chen Jue shook Chen Jia's hand in agreement and said, "Madam, let's do this. I will go and find an experienced winemaker, and you will be responsible for arranging personnel to go to the south for inspection and study. We must act as soon as possible and let the wine of the manor spread its fragrance as soon as possible."

In the following days, Chen Jue asked around and finally found an experienced rice wine brewer. When the brewer arrived at the manor, Chen Jia and Chen Jue warmly greeted him and took him to visit the wine brewing site of the manor.

Chen Jia said to the master: "Master, we want to learn how to make glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees. We hope you can pass on your experience and skills to our long-term workers so that they can master this craft."

The master smiled and nodded: "Mrs. Chen, Mr. Chen, don't worry. Although the winemaking process is complicated, you will be able to master it as long as you study hard. To make glutinous rice wine, you must first select high-quality glutinous rice and soak it for several hours until it can be easily crushed. Then steam it. The steamed glutinous rice should be cooled to a suitable temperature, and then add koji and stir evenly, and then put it into a container and seal it for fermentation. Sweet wine lees are produced during the fermentation process of rice wine. By controlling the fermentation time and conditions, you can get sweet wine lees with different tastes."

Chen Jue listened carefully, nodded and said, "Master, how do we control the temperature and time of fermentation?"

The master thought for a moment and said, "The fermentation temperature is generally controlled between 25°C and 30°C. This temperature is conducive to the growth and reproduction of microorganisms in the koji. The fermentation time depends on the type of wine and the taste requirements. Glutinous rice wine generally takes 3 to 7 days, and the production time of sweet wine lees is relatively short. During the fermentation process, regular observation should be made and the temperature and time should be adjusted according to the actual situation."

Under the guidance of the master, the farmhands began to learn and practice the production of glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees. Chen Jia and Chen Jue also often visited the site to check the progress and help everyone solve the problems they encountered.

Chen Jia watched a farmhand soaking glutinous rice, walked up to him and said, "Brother, you have to grasp the time of soaking glutinous rice. If you don't soak the glutinous rice for enough time, it won't be cooked through, and if you soak it for too long, it will affect the taste."

Chen Jue was concerned about the amount of yeast added and said to another farmhand: "Brother, the amount of yeast added must be accurate. Too much or too little will affect the fermentation effect and thus the quality of the wine."

After a period of study and practice, the farmhands gradually mastered the production process of glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees. After the first batch of glutinous rice wine and sweet wine lees were produced, Chen Jia and Chen Jue tasted these fine wines with great expectations.

Chen Jia said to Chen Jue, "My husband, try this glutinous rice wine. It is sweet and mellow, and the sweet wine lees are also delicious. We can ask the people in the farm to taste it first, listen to their opinions, and then make improvements."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Madam, let's do this. We can also start contacting the surrounding shops and taverns to see if there are any merchants willing to cooperate in selling our products."

At the same time, the personnel sent by Chen Jia to the south for inspection and study also brought back valuable experience and production methods about Shaoxing Flower Wine and Jiaxing Yellow Wine. The inspectors reported in detail to Chen Jia and Chen Jue: "Mrs. Chen, Mr. Chen, Shaoxing Flower Wine uses glutinous rice and wheat as the main raw materials, and adopts a unique complex fermentation process. After soaking rice, steaming rice, drying rice, fermenting in a vat, raking, fermenting in a jar, frying wine, and sealing jars, the wine is orange-yellow and clear, with a strong aroma. Jiaxing Yellow Wine focuses on the quality of raw materials and the brewing environment. It has a unique flavor and a mellow taste."

Chen Jia and Chen Jue listened to the report carefully. Chen Jia said: "These production methods are indeed complicated, but they also reflect the unique charm of southern yellow wine. We must organize the farmhands to study hard and strive to master these techniques as soon as possible."

Therefore, Chen Jia and Chen Jue once again invited the winemaking master to guide the farmhands to learn how to make Shaoxing Huajiu and Jiaxing Huangjiu based on the experience brought back by the inspectors.

The master explained: "When making Shaoxing flower wine and Jiaxing yellow wine, the soaking time and water quality of rice are very important, which will affect the subsequent fermentation and the taste of the wine. The steamed rice should be cooked but not mushy, and the drying temperature should be appropriate. When fermenting in the vat, the amount of yeast, fermentation time and temperature should be controlled. Raking is an important step in regulating the fermentation temperature and oxygen content, which requires rich experience."

A farmhand asked in confusion: "Master, what is the purpose of fermenting and boiling wine?"

The master patiently answered: "Altar fermentation is to further mature the wine and improve its quality and flavor. Fermenting the wine is to sterilize and disinfect it, extend the shelf life of the wine, and also make the taste of the wine more mellow."

Under the careful guidance of the master, the farmhands began to try to make Shaoxing flower wine and Jiaxing rice wine. Chen Jia and Chen Jue closely followed the progress and encouraged everyone not to be discouraged and to solve problems in time.

Chen Jia looked at a long-term worker who was controlling the fermentation temperature and said, "Sister, the fermentation temperature must be stable. Too high or too low will affect the quality of the wine. If you have any questions, please communicate with the master in time."

Chen Jue said to another long-term worker in charge of raking: "Brother, when raking, you must pay attention to the state of the fermentation liquid and grasp the timing. This is very important for the formation of the flavor of the wine."

After many attempts and adjustments, the first batch of Shaoxing Flower Wine and Jiaxing Yellow Wine was finally produced successfully. Chen Jia and Chen Jue tasted these fine wines with satisfied smiles on their faces.

Chen Jia said: "My husband, the taste of Shaoxing Flower Wine and Jiaxing Yellow Wine is really unique, with rich aroma and mellow taste, which is not inferior to the local famous wines at all. We can start to vigorously promote our products."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Madam, I have contacted some merchants and taverns, and they are very interested in our products. We must do a good job of brand promotion so that more people can understand and taste the fine wines of our estate."

With the launch and sales of rice wine and yellow wine products, the estate's income increased significantly and the lives of the farmhands were further improved.

A farmhand happily said to Chen Jia and Chen Jue: "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, thank you for leading us to develop the winemaking industry. Now our income is much higher than before, and our lives are getting better and better."

Chen Jia smiled and said: "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. We will continue to work hard to continuously improve technology, enhance the quality of wine, launch more types of fine wine, and take our winemaking industry to a higher level."

Chen Jue also said: "That's right, we want to promote the wines of the estate to a wider market, so that more people can appreciate the charm of our wines. In the future, our winemaking industry will definitely become one of the pillar industries of the estate."