William Harris paused in his steps, not yet having turned around, when a cold and deep voice came from the corner: “Boy, you sure talk big!”

Chapter 003: Recognizing Wine by Its Fragrance (Part 2)

Ryan Carter put down the wine cup in his hand, turned his head for a glance, and took the opportunity to stretch his slightly stiff body. In the northwest corner of the tavern hall, an elderly man with a headscarf, dressed in a blue round-collared robe, and with a clear and bright complexion, was sitting cross-legged, holding a cup of wine and looking over with a hostile expression.

Ryan Carter sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm; after a quick glance, he withdrew his gaze and continued drinking his wine. Unexpectedly, the old man stood up and walked toward him step by step, cupped his hands slightly, his eyes sharp, “I am Chris. I’d like to ask, young man, in what way is the timing of this Jade Pot Spring lacking?”

“Chris?!”

“Ethan?”

The surrounding patrons exclaimed in surprise, and William Harris also turned around in shock to size up the old man.

Chris was the owner of the Luoyang Jade Pot Spring distillery, and it was said that the Jade Pot Spring was brewed by him. Although he was famous, his behavior was extremely eccentric; he usually kept to himself, hiding in the distillery to brew wine, never interacting with outsiders. The wine he brewed was managed by his cousin Andrew, so no one knew how he ended up as a silent patron in William Harris’s tavern.

If he hadn’t revealed his identity himself, no one would have connected this slightly aloof, scholar-like old man with the renowned name “Ethan.”

Hearing the crowd’s astonishment and whispers, Ryan Carter naturally realized that this was the brewer of Luoyang’s Jade Pot Spring. He curiously sized up Chris, thinking to himself how a brewer could dress like this—he looked less like a wine worker and more like an aging scholar who had failed the imperial exams for years.

William Harris hurried over and bowed deeply, “Mr. Ethan, your presence graces my humble shop—please forgive the nonsense of this fool, sir, and do not take it to heart.”

“Yes, yes.” Several patrons echoed.

In terms of status, William Harris’s father Samuel Harris had once been an official, and William Harris himself was a government scholar, while Chris was merely a common brewer. By rights, he shouldn’t have shown such deference. But Chris was eccentric, and his Jade Pot Spring was produced in very limited quantities, supplied only to a few taverns and businesses. The Harris Family’s tavern relied on the exclusive sale of Jade Pot Spring for its substantial profits, making Chris essentially the The Harris Family’s god of wealth—he could not be offended. Seeing Chris dressed as a scholar, William Harris naturally addressed him as “sir.”

But Chris truly was an odd one; he was unmoved by William Harris’s bow, not even sparing him a glance, instead coldly fixing his gaze on Ryan Carter: “Young man, I have spent ten years of effort, gathering the essence of dozens of wine recipes, to create this Jade Pot Spring… All who drink it praise it without exception. I have never heard of anyone sneering at it as you do.”

Chris’s confidence and pride were written all over his face, and Ryan Carter couldn’t help but curl his lips in a faint smile. He slowly stood up with his wine cup and said calmly, “Mr. Ethan, this wine is pale green but cloudy, with floating filaments, and its aroma is dispersed rather than concentrated. This indicates that the fermentation time was too short. If fully fermented, the wine would be a pure, unblemished green, and the aroma would be rich and silky. That’s why I said the timing was a bit lacking.”

Chris’s expression changed in surprise as he studied the handsome young man before him, slowly saying, “From your words, young man, it seems you have some knowledge of brewing…”

Wine tasting was a profession, and Ryan Carter at this moment completely forgot he was now in the Tang Dynasty after transmigrating. His gaze was fixed deeply on the wine swirling in his cup as he continued, “Strictly speaking, Jade Pot Spring is only a mid-grade wine. If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Ethan’s Jade Pot Spring is made from wheat rather than the usual millet, and the yeast used must be roasted white yeast. The fermentation time is about eight days in spring and summer, and twelve days in autumn and winter, which is slightly shorter than the usual brewing process.”

The hands Chris had clasped behind his back suddenly trembled, his eyes flashing with a sharp light as he exclaimed, “Who exactly are you? How do you know my exclusive secret recipe?!”

Just from a brief tasting, he could determine the ingredients and yeast used, and even deduce the fermentation time—how could Chris not be shocked? He regarded his unique Jade Pot Spring recipe as a treasure. Brewing was a personal hobby, not a commercial venture, so his distillery had very few workers, and he did most things himself, resulting in very limited production. If not for the need to support his large family, he would never have sold Jade Pot Spring. There was absolutely no way the recipe could have leaked, so how did this young man know—could it be?

Chris’s gaze grew more and more fervent, more and more astonished. He was a natural wine lover and researcher, full of talent but uninterested in fame, devoting his entire life to making and tasting wine. He could judge the quality of wine, but he could never identify the ingredients and recipe just by tasting.

From Chris’s eyes, Ryan Carter sensed a kindred spirit, and couldn’t help but feel some affection for him. On a sudden impulse, he stepped forward slightly, leaned in to whisper in Chris’s ear, “Mr. Ethan, if you make a slight adjustment to the recipe, the wine will be closer to top grade. Divide the wheat into three portions: first, cook the first portion into porridge, add dry yeast, then seal it in a jar to ferment. After ten days, open the jar and add the second portion of cooked wheat porridge… Repeat this process with all three portions, fermenting thoroughly for about a month, and the timing should be just right.”