For Ryan Carter, among the countless classic texts on wine passed down through thousands of years of Chinese wine culture, many ancient brewing recipes are deeply engraved in his mind. Now, with a single thought, a recipe similar to the Yuhuchun brewing method, recorded in the anonymous late Yuan dynasty work "Lingzi Wine Classic," surfaced in his memory. As he spoke it aloud, he felt a slight twinge of regret.

Chris's expression shifted as he pondered, then suddenly said, "The special quality of Yuhuchun lies in its delicate fragrance, which lingers after entering the mouth. If fermentation lasts too long, the aroma becomes overly strong and vulgar—unacceptable, unacceptable!"

Ryan Carter shook his head with a wry smile. "Mr. Ethan, who says that the more thoroughly fermented, the stronger the aroma? That's a mistake, a grave mistake. From delicate to rich to refined, the fragrance of wine is gradually purified as fermentation proceeds—first light, then rich, and finally clear..."

Upon hearing this, Chris's face gradually flushed. He suddenly grabbed Ryan Carter's hand, gazed at him deeply, then released his hand and bowed respectfully. "I was trapped in the rut of ancient methods. Your words have enlightened me, brother. I am truly taught!"

……

……

If the earlier "wine tasting" could still be dismissed as casual bluffing, Ryan Carter's precise judgment of Yuhuchun, coupled with that exquisite recipe and his theory of aroma purification, convinced Chris that this handsome young man before him was a "kindred spirit." After all, those professional "terms" are not something an outsider could grasp just by reading classic wine texts.

He had no knowledge of Ryan Carter's notorious reputation, and even if he did, he wouldn't care. Having immersed himself in the way of wine for decades and always regarded as an eccentric, he was both surprised and delighted to meet a "fellow traveler." Grabbing Ryan Carter's hand, he "dragged" him to his own desk, where the two reset the wine and dishes, drinking and conversing with great enjoyment. In fact, Ryan Carter felt much the same; having traveled to the Tang Dynasty, meeting an ancient wine enthusiast was a thrill.

As they raised their cups and drank freely, Chris's gaze toward Ryan Carter grew increasingly fervent: a young man not yet twenty, yet so deeply versed in the way of wine, able to discuss various brewing and tasting methods with ease—such knowledge was music to the ears of someone as passionate about wine as himself.

The two became fast friends over wine, even addressing each other as brothers in their drunkenness, leaving the onlooking wine guests dumbfounded. William Harris could hardly believe his eyes; he couldn't understand, nor could he fathom, how Ethan, the aloof and proud celebrity of Luoyang, could become so close to Ryan Carter, the notorious wastrel.

Their conversation grew louder and louder, with Ryan Carter gesticulating wildly and acting boldly, while Chris actually listened intently, astonishing William Harris and the others.

Chapter 004: Savoring the Aroma to Know the Wine (Part 2)

"Old Ethan, when it comes to rice wine, the best are still the glutinous rice and regular rice wines from the Zhenguan era of our dynasty—like Lihua Spring and Wuyun Brew. When the green banners are out and wine is sold as the pear blossoms bloom, pear flowers from Jiangnan are added to the fermenting rice... Once brewed, the delicate fragrance fills the air for miles, and those who smell it feel as if they're in a field of pear blossoms in spring—hence the name Lihua Spring... Brewed for ten days, its flavor rivals Wuyun Brew, and its aroma is as rich as the heavenly clouds. As a poem goes: 'A new reservoir built by the water's edge, the first batch of Shu's Wuyun Brew; in the palace before the hall, the emperor often calls for it, chasing the scent among the flowers.'” Ryan Carter's face was animated, his fair and slender fingers waving in the air.

"Indeed!" Chris clapped his hands in praise, a flush of excitement on his aged face. "To know wine is to know oneself, and you, my young brother, are such a person!"

"Old Ethan, do you know the origins of wine?" Ryan Carter asked, grabbing a piece of braised meat and chewing heartily.

"With deep emotion, hard to forget worries—what can relieve sorrow? Only Dukang." Chris recited slowly, "Dukang presented the Yellow Emperor with water of rich aroma, and the emperor and his ministers all thought it was the essence of grain. Only Cangjie casually remarked, 'This water is fragrant and mellow; drinking it brings inspiration.' And so he created the character for 'wine.' Thus, Dukang is truly the founding ancestor of our wine tradition. His merit to later generations is no less than that of Confucius or the Daoist patriarch!"

In the prosperous Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras, the atmosphere was open and inclusive, with many followers of Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries were found throughout the empire, and among the literati, the Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng families were the most prominent. The coexistence and flourishing of the three schools—Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism—was extremely rare in Chinese history.

Hearing Chris compare Dukang to Confucius and the Daoist patriarch, some of the wine guests listening couldn't help but sneer, and a few troublemakers even wanted to step forward and argue with Chris. But Chris completely ignored their "provocation," so they had no choice but to give up. Ryan Carter also felt it was a bit of an exaggeration. Seeing Chris's fervor, however, he said nothing, simply laughing it off with another drink.

"Old Ethan, in fact, Dukang's greatest skill was not in brewing, but in identifying wine by its aroma," Ryan Carter laughed. "The way of wine is the way of drinking, which is also the way of tasting. Since Dukang, the ability to judge the quality and type of wine by its aroma, to be moved by the scent, to distinguish by the scent—this is the highest realm of wine tasting!"

Chris frowned, making no effort to hide his skepticism. "Brother, you've had too much to drink. To be able to taste and identify wine is already remarkable, but identifying wine by its aroma alone—I've never heard of such a thing in all of history."