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The nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets
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Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #15 on Dec 31, 2011, 6:28pm »
A squeal left Sol as Siorus's arms gripped her about the waist and lifted her off the ground. Her hands automatically went to cover his as her feet kicked and she squirmed, trying to get free—but not really.
“I am not sure Emmaline is up to your games, Sol,” his low voice murmured at her ear. A sharp nip made Sol's breath catch, and as he finally put her down, she almost wished he wouldn't. He didn't let her go completely though, leaving an arm twined around her waist and holding her close.
"Perhaps not," Sol agreed, her voice more breathless than she wished it to be.
“And she does not need to know what a note is.”
Siorus began walking, and a small thrill of victory coursed through Sol as she saw that they were headed back to the castle. My round.
“It is a component of the flavour, yes?”
Sol pushed aside the victory, and the ever-present desire for the man whose arm remained curled around her waist, and focused on the new task at hand: educating Siorus about what made a good wine.
"Yes. It is a subtle undercurrent to the main flavor of the wine." She frowned, realizing it was difficult to explain. "I am no royal sommelier, able to distinguish all the different aromas and flavors a wine might have, but some are easy enough to identify. Wine aged in oak barrels has a slightly different taste than that aged other types of wood, for example. One of the Enchanters in the Tower—Pierre, who was quite fond of his wine and speaking about it—once said that he could taste the fields of Orlais in each cup of his favorite wine, simply because the grapes absorbed the aromas of the sun and the soil and everything around them." She shrugged. "I do not know how true that is, but he drank a lot of that particular wine and denounced the Tranquils' lot as sub-par."
A soft laugh left her. "It was, really. Pierre let me try some of his favorite once, and it was so far beyond what the Tranquil made..." She gestured with one hand, encompassing the sky and the fields in one swoop. "It was sweet, but not too sweet, dry enough to be refreshing, light...just marvelous. Of course, that one glass was all he allowed me and then it was back to the Tranquils' brew. It was not bad, really, but...I do not miss it, not at all."
She smiled up at Siorus and quickened her pace. "I am, however, eager to try out the different vintages of Lostwhithiel! I will bet we will be able to taste the fields in at least one of them. Perhaps the crispness of Lake Calenhad." Her smile quirked slightly. "You will have to let your imagination run free, Siorus. Otherwise, all you will taste is fermented grapes."
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #16 on Dec 31, 2011, 7:14pm »
Notes were an undercurrent. Brows drawing together, Siorus listened attentively as Sol continued her explanation, pointing out the various things, beyond variety of grape, that might influence the flavour of wine. He nodded once, when she mentioned wood, he knew different types were used even in Lostwhithiel, and that some barrels were charred and some were not. He smiled at the idea of being able to taste the sun, it sounded whimsical... but not. He could imagine it, though he would never admit as such. Just as the heat of the sun stirred the scent of the earth and foliage, he could imagine it sweetening a grape.
Sol laughed as she spoke of the wine the Tranquil had made. Siorus had been under the impression the Tranquil led a more mundane existence and was surprised to hear they engaged in winemaking. Idly, he wondered what else they did, but did not ask, knowing they were a sensitive subject for the mage nestled in the circle of his arm.
When did I become so considerate? His smile crooked up on one side.
Smiling up at him, Sol urged him to walk faster. "I am, however, eager to try out the different vintages of Lostwhithiel! I will bet we will be able to taste the fields in at least one of them. Perhaps the crispness of Lake Calenhad." Her lips twisted in an amused manner. "You will have to let your imagination run free, Siorus. Otherwise, all you will taste is fermented grapes."
Siorus laughed. “I will be tasting fermented grapes,” he jested lightly.
Dropping his arm from about her waist, Siorus pulled open the castle door and ushered Sol inside. He turned toward the dining room, through which they could access the pantry. There, they would find glasses, the cheese Sol deemed necessary for wine tasting, and the cellar door. Nia, the new elven maid, appeared while he searched for the glasses.
“Can I help you find something, m’lord?” she asked.
Ducking his head out of a cupboard, Siorus smiled at the maid. “Wine glasses, Nia, so I might attempt to taste Lake Calenhad.”
Nia regarded him with an odd look. “As you wish.”
Snickering softly, Siorus stepped deeper into the pantry. “We need cheese too, apparently.”
Armed with glasses and a bundled cloth containing a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese, Siorus led Sol to the cellar stairs. The first part of the cellar served as cool storage for the pantry. A shadowed archway at the end marked a narrow passage. Siorus picked up a lantern from the shelf just through the arch and lit it. Several doors marked one side of the passage, all smaller, auxiliary storerooms. The hall ended at a heavy looking door, dark wood bound with iron bands. It was locked and only Siorus and Beck had keys. Producing his key, Siorus unlocked the door and swung it open.
The lantern lit the antechamber well enough, but soon petered out as the cellar opened before them. Around a long, centre table, row upon row of bottles, shelved like scrolls glinted dimly in the weak light; the deeper recesses of the cellar disappeared entirely. A few barrels lined the closest wall and before them sat another table, the surface marred with candle wax. Siorus set the lantern and bundled food down and pulled out two of the three chairs.
Arching a brow at Sol, he smiled. “Cozy, hm?” He chuckled. “Alright, where do you want to start?” He gestured the literally hundreds of bottles of wine with a sweep of his arm. Though he had not tasted any of them, he was familiar with the organization of the cellar. He knew which wine was stored where and the order of the vintages. But, it would be amusing to watch Sol choose a bottle at random, would it not?
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #17 on Jan 1, 2012, 10:23am »
They retrieved glasses, cheese and bread from the pantry—confusing the new maid in the process—and Siorus led the way into the cellar. Though Sol knew the building in which Siorus lived, in which she now lived, was a castle, she had not anticipated the size of the cellar. It was not merely a large room, as she'd imagined; no, there were multiple rooms, a hall, and at the end of it, a large, iron-banded door that reminded her of any number of dark, secretive cellar rooms she'd been in over the last five years.
Siorus used a key to open it, and, even though Sol knew that she would not see a dungeon, the sheer size of the wine cellar was almost more of a shock than seeing a dungeon would have been. She followed Siorus into the cellar, unable to hide her surprise at seeing the sheer number of bottles surrounding them. It was...it was like the library in the Tower, except the shelves housed wine instead of books.
"Mon Créateur," she murmured as Siorus set the glasses and bread and cheese on a smaller table than the one in the centre of the cellar.
“Cozy, hm?” Siorus said with a chuckle. “Alright, where do you want to start?”
"You must have vintages here dating back to the last age," she said, wandering closer to one of the racks. Tentatively, she pulled a bottle down and blew at the dust covering the glass, searching for a mark to indicate the date. She could not find one, but she set the bottle back anyway.
Focusing again on the task at hand, Sol moved to a different section of the cellar, where the bottles appeared to be newer residents. "We shall start with the most recent vintages," she declared, examining the bottles. "Your clients will want to know how this year's vintage compares with last year's, and the one of the year before. How has the Blight affected Lostwhithiel? Can you taste it in the wine?" She turned a bright smile on Siorus. "Now you will be able to answer."
She saw no indication of the years on the newer bottles, either, but as they seemed less dust-covered, she drew down a selection of five and hoped that they would, indeed, be the more recent vintages.
Her smile turned a bit mischievous. "I would also like to taste this 'unpredictable' blend...but you will have to show me which it is, Siorus, as I have no idea. How do you keep track of the vintages?"
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #18 on Jan 1, 2012, 12:00pm »
Siorus did not remember his first visit to the cellar; it had always just been there, a part of his childhood. He had watched his father and Beck shelve and catalogue stock and, when they had nothing for him to do, he had wandered amongst the seemingly endless rows of bottles until he found the darkest corners.
He did remember, quite clearly, his first visit to the cellar upon his return to Lostwhithiel. He had not forgotten the size of it, nor the quantity of wine. He had been surprised to find the door still sealed, however, and the bulk of his inheritance preserved and intact. The castle and the vineyards might have suffered neglect – both could be repaired. What could never be replaced was this – the wine, the history of Lostwhithiel. The value, when measured in coin, was considerable. When measured in simpler terms, it was beyond calculation.
"You must have vintages here dating back to the last age," Sol observed as she wandered toward one of the racks.
“Some date back to before the Occupation,” Siorus replied. “Though I am not sure they are drinkable.” He had discovered that simply owning a sealed bottle from a certain date appealed to some collectors, however.
Sol pulled a bottle from the rack and examined the glass, apparently looking for a hint to its contents. After a moment she returned it and moved to a different rack, one where the bottles rested beneath a finer film of dust. She decided they should start with the most recent vintages; apparently, his clients would want to know how this year differed from the last, and how the Blight might have affected the wine.
“So, I must drink my own wine... so I can tell others how it will taste?” He paused for a dry chuckle. “Taste is subjective, is it not?”
Picking five bottles, Sol set them out and looked up with a familiar smile. "I would also like to taste this 'unpredictable' blend...but you will have to show me which it is, Siorus, as I have no idea. How do you keep track of the vintages?"
Arching a brow at the other five bottles, Siorus murmured, “How long is this going to take?” One corner of his mouth twitched upward. Glancing up again, he nodded toward a set of racks on the opposite side of the door. “The blend is over there. The newer bottles are the closest to us.” His grin widened. “The ones with less dust.” Picking up the bottles on the table, he rubbed his thumb over the series of marks around the base of the neck. “These bottles are from the last ten years.”
Beckoning Sol over, he showed her the letters imprinted on the glass: LWARN. "This is from the north vineyard." He then showed her the date stamp on the cork: D26 "Dragon twenty-six." Nodding to the rack she selected the bottles from, he explained, “The oldest wine is at the back, the brandy in the larger shelves. The deeper into the cellar you go, the older the wine.” He picked up the second bottle and traced his thumb over the raised print, removing a fine layer of dust. LWGRW appeared in relief against the glass. Turning the bottle so they could see the cork, he read, “Dragon twenty-nine. This was bottled just before the Blight. It is the most recent vintage from the southern vineyard.”
Siorus inspected the rest of the bottles and sorted them in order of date, the oldest being a Grawnwyn from Dragon twenty-two. “I think ten years of wine is enough research for one afternoon.” He eyed the bottles. “Though if we drink all of this, I will likely not remember the first.” He snorted softly. Likely as not, Sol and the keep staff would enjoy the remains of each bottle as Siorus intended only to take a sip of each.
I do not like wine, he reminded himself as he pulled the corkscrew from his pocket. He would make this effort to humour Sol, however. Opening the first bottle, he poured a small measure into each of the two glasses and nudged one toward Sol. Raising his own, he said, “To fermented grapes,” and took a sip.
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #19 on Jan 1, 2012, 5:35pm »
“So, I must drink my own wine... so I can tell others how it will taste?” A dry chuckle left him. “Taste is subjective, is it not?”
Sol inclined her head. "It is, but clients will want you to describe it nonetheless. They want more than, 'it is good'." She arched a brow. "Trust me, Rus, I have been around enough nobility the last few years to know. They want to know what makes Lostwhithiel wine special."
After she selected a number of bottles, she asked after the "unpredictable" blend that Siorus had admitted he'd mentally compared her to. Siorus indicated the blend's location, and she retrieved another bottle from that rack.
Siorus picked up the bottles on the table and rubbed his thumb over each one's neck. “These bottles are from the last ten years.”
She hadn't done so bad, then, with her selection. He beckoned her over and showed her how the bottles were identified. Letters imprinted on the glass indicated the variety of the wine, and a date stamp on the cork showed the year.
“The oldest wine is at the back, the brandy in the larger shelves. The deeper into the cellar you go, the older the wine,” Siorus explained. He lifted and inspected another bottle, which turned out to be from just before the Blight.
Arranging the bottles in order of date, Siorus declared that ten years of wine was enough research for the afternoon, and Sol had to agree. They certainly wouldn't drink all six bottles of wine, just a glass or two from each.
“Though if we drink all of this, I will likely not remember the first,” he said with a soft snort.
"A glass or two from each should be sufficient, if that," she assured him with a smile.
Settling into one of the chairs, Sol watched Siorus pop the cork on the oldest bottle of wine, the Dragon 22 vintage from the southern vineyard. He poured a measure into each of the two wine glasses and nudged one in Sol's direction. Then, before she could offer any suggestions, he toasted fermented grapes and took a sip.
"No, no." Rising from her chair, she pulled Siorus's glass away from his mouth. "That is not how one tastes wine. That is how one drinks it. There is a difference."
Sighing, she sat back and lifted her own glass, eyeing the color of the Grawnwyn. It was a lovely, rich red. "Pierre showed me how to do this. He was quite adamant. First, you swirl the wine gently, like this." She demonstrated, turning the glass in her hand to make the liquid rise. "He said something about watching the wine drip down the glass, but I can't remember why. The important part is the sniff."
She smiled at Siorus, knowing he probably thought she had lost her mind. "You sniff the wine, then you sip, and you let the wine rest on your tongue before you swallow it. Watch."
She swirled the wine again and took a sniff, then inhaled more deeply, closing her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd done this, but the scents she detected were familiar: wood, berry, something else she couldn't quite identify. Then she tipped the glass back and let some wine trickle onto her tongue.
The taste of the Granwyn filled her mouth, but somehow managed to remain light. The aromas she'd detected were reflected in the liquid, and she could taste the oak, and the berry, and that other indefinable something.
She opened her eyes. "Lovely," she declared with a smile.
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #20 on Jan 1, 2012, 7:00pm »
"No, no." Standing up, Sol reached for his glass and pulled it from his lips.
Siorus frowned at the redhead. “What...”
"That is not how one tastes wine. That is how one drinks it. There is a difference."
Of course there is.
Huffing out a breath, Siorus lowered his glass and leveled his gaze at Sol, sure she prepared to toy with him, willing to play along for the first round. Lifting her own glass, Sol peered into it. Mimicking her, Siorus peered over the rim of his, wondering what she looked for. Dust, perhaps? Pieces of cork?
"Pierre showed me how to do this,” she explained. “He was quite adamant.” About staring into a glass? “First, you swirl the wine gently, like this." Sol dipped and turned her glass so that the wine swirled. Siorus waited to see if the invisible pieces of cork would surface. They did not. Apparently she had not expected them to; instead, she wanted to watch the wine... drip down the glass, though she could not remember why. But, “The important part is the sniff."
“The what?” Surely, she meant the smell.
Smiling, Sol answered, "You sniff the wine, then you sip, and you let the wine rest on your tongue before you swallow it. Watch."
Bemused, Siorus did just that. Sol swirled her wine again, sniffed it, sniffed it again, eyes closed, then took a sip so small Siorus wondered what she hoped to taste other than air and a wisp of alcohol. After a moment, she opened her eyes and pronounced the wine ‘lovely’.
Siorus grunted, half in exasperation, half in amusement, and took his turn. Peering over the rim of the glass, he arched a brow and said, “It looks like... wine.” One corner of his mouth twitched as he tilted the glass and attempted to swirl the liquid within. “Now it is circling the glass.” When the wine settled again, he stuck his nose in the glass and sniffed. The astringent odor or fermented grapes caused him to wince slightly, which he attempted to cover with a frown and a grumble-mutter. Pulling his nose out of the glass, he crooked a half grin at Sol. “It smells like... wine!”
Then he took his taste, deliberately allowing more than a drop to pass his lips. With his mouth quite full, the wine could not help but pass his tongue, yes? He swallowed, grinned and said, “And, it tastes like...” A chuckle completed the sentence.
Through he teased, Siorus thought he grasped what Sol had tried to impart. He had noted the colour of the wine and supposed that it might differ with each variety, or perhaps within in a vintage. He had also read about oxidization and suspected that if air had got into one of the bottles, the colour of the wine might reflect it, as might the aroma. As for the taste, he had not detected much beyond ‘wine’. The mouthful he had just swallowed might be the fourth he had ever sipped in his life, therefore he had little to compare it with.
Putting his glass down, he stowed his amusement and started there, with his lack of experience. “If I have nothing to compare it to, how will I know if this is swill or something worth the price I have set for it?” Which, according to the deals he had brokered in Denerim, was quite high. “When I say I do not drink wine, I mean... I do not drink it. I have tasted it maybe...” he frowned into a pause, “twice before.”
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #21 on Jan 1, 2012, 7:19pm »
Siorus proved, once again, that he was, indeed, a bastard.
Sol couldn't help giggling as he mimicked her, though, declaring that the wine looked like wine, smelled like wine, and...tasted like wine! Who would have thought.
"Fils de pute," she muttered with a smile. "Do I need to jolt you again?"
Siorus put his glass down, his expression sobering somewhat. “If I have nothing to compare it to, how will I know if this is swill or something worth the price I have set for it?” he asked. “When I say I do not drink wine, I mean... I do not drink it. I have tasted it maybe... twice before,” he admitted with a frown.
And yet, he had embraced Lostwhithiel and the bannorn's business, regardless of his lack of experience with wine and apparently no fondness for the product. Sol's smile grew; it was such a Siorus thing to do.
"You have tasted berries before, yes? Vanilla? Apples?" She tilted her head. "You've smelled a farmer's fields in high summer, when the soil is warmed by the sun. You've smelled the crispness of a winter's morning, you've felt the fog drifting from the basin. Wine is more than the sum of its parts. You do not need to know other wines in order to know your own." She took another sip from her glass, one more generous than the last, and continued. "Remember what I said about Pierre's favorite vintage, that he swore he could taste the fields of Orlais. Of course he could not actually taste the fields. Grapes are grapes, and they taste like grapes...unless you look for something more."
She poured more wine into Siorus's glass to replenish the mouthful he'd taken. "Try again," she said. "This time, do not rush. Let your imagination be free to name what you taste, no matter how silly it might seem."
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #22 on Jan 2, 2012, 12:24pm »
"Fils de pute," Sol murmured, though she looked amused. "Do I need to jolt you again?"
Grinning, Siorus answered with a look, one that invited her to do so, but warned her of the consequences. The wine would taste better upon her lips, would it not? Letting out a tight breath, Siorus tamped down the heat within once more and returned his thoughts to the lesson. He asked how he might overcome his lack of experience regarding wine.
"You have tasted berries before, yes?” Sol asked. Maybe. “Vanilla?” I do not know. “Apples?" Siorus nodded, happy to let the simple answer encompass all three if it must. Tilting her head, Sol continued, naming examples of sensory experiences, the scent of sun warned earth, crisp mornings, the feel of fog. “Wine is more than the sum of its parts. You do not need to know other wines in order to know your own.” She sipped from her glass again. "Remember what I said about Pierre's favorite vintage, that he swore he could taste the fields of Orlais. Of course he could not actually taste the fields. Grapes are grapes, and they taste like grapes...unless you look for something more."
Though tempted to wave a hand, dismissively, Siorus understood. He could not picture himself as a man who tasted fields of grass in a glass of wine, however, not publically. He was not used to expressing his opinion on whimsical matters, not out loud.
Topping up his glass, Sol urged him to try again. "This time, do not rush. Let your imagination be free to name what you taste, no matter how silly it might seem."
Lips pressing together, Siorus tried to cast himself in this new role, the man who talked of taste, and scowled lightly. He glanced briefly at Sol, then let his gaze drift toward the racks of wine. He did not have to ask himself if his father had known how the wine tasted. Even when in the grip of madness, Eadwig Cadigan had kept meticulous notes regarding his business; whether he enjoyed the product of his vineyards or not, he knew it. A moment of melancholy gripped the former mercenary, that he had not been here, by choice or design, that he had not learned this from the man who should have taught him.
Looking back at his glass, Siorus nudged aside deeper thought and contemplated the task at hand. He neglected the sniff, it smelt like wine and he did not think any amount of sniffing would change that for him, not at the moment. Tipping the glass against his lips, he took a smaller mouthful and let it rest on his tongue. He tried to think about the sun and dirt and the lake. He tasted... not dirt, but something not grape.
Swallowing, he murmured, “Wood?” The barrels, the oak barrels. Glancing over his shoulder, he indicated the barrels. “I taste the oak and...” His shoulders lifted in what could be described as a self conscious shrug. “I do not know. Sweet, fruit. I do not eat much fruit... I am not familiar with the flavours.”
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #23 on Jan 2, 2012, 12:50pm »
Siorus's expression seemed to indicate he understood what she was getting at, albeit reluctantly. She understood that; a man who dealt in the practicalities of mercenary contracts would have a difficult time shifting to a different way of thinking.
She topped up his glass and instructed him to try again, more slowly. Her words were greeted with a faint scowl, then he looked over at the racks of wine, as if asking them for their opinion on the matter. Perhaps they offered it; after a moment, Siorus looked back at his glass, and took a sip.
Sol didn't admonish him for not indulging in the sniff. It was important, but they'd do it this way, first. She watched as he analyzed the taste in his mouth.
“Wood?” he murmured. Sol smiled and nodded. “I taste the oak and... I do not know. Sweet, fruit. I do not eat much fruit... I am not familiar with the flavours.”
"Excellent!" Sol beamed with Siorus's success. "Yes, the oak, definitely. And fruit! It tastes like berries to me, but I don't know exactly which." She shook her head, still smiling. "I'm no expert, as I said."
She waved her hands, gesturing for him to finish that glass. "Come, let's try another, and you can see how they differ!"
Rising from her seat, she selected the next oldest vintage. She picked up the corkscrew and set to removing the cork.
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #24 on Jan 2, 2012, 2:00pm »
"Excellent!" Sol exclaimed with a wide smile. "Yes, the oak, definitely. And fruit! It tastes like berries to me, but I don't know exactly which." She shook her head. "I'm no expert, as I said."
Siorus found himself smiling at her enthusiastic response. Dipping his nose toward the glass again, he took an experimental sniff. Could he smell the wood as well? Sol waved at the glass and Siorus swallowed the last mouthful. He tried to determine the fruit, but did not have a clear enough memory of berries to actually taste them. Tart, but sweet. He thought he could taste something between the wood and the berries, but worried he might sound fanciful if he mentioned it.
Sol had the cork out of another bottle; Siorus grumbled beneath a smile and held out his glass. While she poured a measure into her glass, he sniffed his and noted, to his surprise, that it smelt different to the last. Reaching for the bottle, he moved his thumb over the embossed glass and peered at the mark. LWARN. Siorus knew, from his father’s notes, that the harvest from the northern and eastern vineyards was combined to make this wine, and he wondered why the bottles were marked with an ‘N’. Perhaps they were not always bottled together. He would have to ask Beck.
Putting aside the bottle, he raised his glass for a taste. Again, he detected the oak of the barrel, though the flavour differed from the first. The Arbor Red was aged in barrels of Fereldan oak, which would count for some of the variation, he supposed. Thinking of the wine, Siorus frowned, then said the first thing that came to mind. “It tastes more bold.” He lacked the words to describe the richer flavour of the wine. A wry smile crooked his lips. “I sound stupid,” he said quietly.
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #25 on Jan 2, 2012, 2:38pm »
Sol pulled the cork out of the second bottle, and Siorus thoughtfully emptied his glass and held it out for another round. She poured herself a measure as well and set the bottle aside. With no little amusement, she noted that Siorus had sniffed the wine without any goading from her. Progress.
She settled into her chair again as Siorus examined the bottle to determine the vintage and inhaled the aroma of the wine. Her first thought was that it had more presence than the first; richer, perhaps, or stronger.
Siorus thought as much too, apparently. “It tastes more bold,” he said. Then, with a wry smile, “I sound stupid.”
"You do not. Stop that." Sol frowned and took a sip of her own, letting it sit on her tongue for a moment.
Definitely bolder. Where the Granwyn had been light-tasting, with a definite berry note, this vintage had richer undertones. Oak, yes, but something warmer as well. Vanilla? And another sort of spice, one she couldn't identify.
"Oh, I like this one as well," she declared with a smile. "It is bolder, you're right. And warmer, too, did you taste that? I think it's the notes of vanilla, and...something else. I can't quite pinpoint it." She took another sip, trying to identify that other spice. "Cinnamon? No, that's not it." It was definitely something that put her in the mind of warm winter nights before a fire, though. Another sip, and she closed her eyes, shutting out everything.
She swallowed, then opened her eyes and smiled widely at Siorus. "A-ha! Nutmeg! Oh, that is brilliant." She finished the remainder of her glass, arching her brows at Siorus as she did so. "See if you can taste the spiciness. Go on. This is definitely a wine I can see myself favoring when the weather gets cold."
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #26 on Jan 2, 2012, 4:13pm »
"You do not. Stop that." Sipping her own glass, Sol adopted a pensive look.
Rather than grumble at her mild admonishment, Siorus smiled. Then he watched Sol ‘taste’ the wine and wondered at her thoughts. Did she imagine the sun on the fields? He had forgotten to, he’d been considering the fruit and the barrels. Idly, he wondered if aging the Arbor red in the Orlesian oak barrels would produce a different flavour.
"Oh, I like this one as well," Sol declared with a smile. "It is bolder, you're right.” Siorus’ brows rose. “And warmer, too, did you taste that?” Warmer? Is she tasting sunshine? Siorus peered into his glass while Sol continued to name tastes... or notes.
After another sip, Sol suggested cinnamon and Siorus made a face. He did not like the smell of cinnamon. “No, that's not it." Another sip was required, eyes closed, then Sol opened her eyes and beamed. "A-ha! Nutmeg! Oh, that is brilliant." She finished her glass before encouraging him to taste the ‘spiciness’. Siorus rolled his eyes gently. “This is definitely a wine I can see myself favoring when the weather gets cold,” she added, and he found another smile as he imagined something else to savour when the weather got cold.
Resting his hip against the table, Siorus raised his glass, studied the colour and took a mouthful. As the liquid rolled over his tongue, he tried to dissect the flavour. Again, he tasted oak and the warmth Sol had described. He thought he could imagine the taste of sun warmed earth. Was that nutmeg? What does nutmeg taste like? Perhaps it tasted like warm dirt.
Swallowing his mouthful, Siorus make a pleasant discovery. Despite the fact he could not adequately articulate the flavour... he liked it. “I like this,” he stated. A lazy smile creeping across his mouth, he arched a brow at Sol. “I will savour it with you when the weather gets cold.” 'With' meaning alongside, in addition to.
Chuckling, he put his glass down and reached for the bundled bread and cheese. “Why do we have cheese?” he asked. “Should we not have berries and apples...” He paused and picked up his glass again, took another sip. “Apples,” he said when he swallowed, then shot Sol a questioning look.
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #27 on Jan 2, 2012, 4:40pm »
As bubbly as Sol could be, she was not oblivious to how others felt—especially Siorus, now. She caught the slight eye-rolls, and the dubious looks at his glass. As much as Sol was enjoying this, it was obvious that Siorus was not quite so invested. But, he was humoring her, so she said nothing.
So, it was a surprise when Siorus stated unequivocally that he liked the wine. A lazy smile stretched his lips and he arched a brow at Sol. “I will savour it with you when the weather gets cold.”
She smiled back, not missing the meaning of his words. "A sip of wine, a sip of me?" she teased. "I could be amenable."
Chuckling, Siorus reached for the bread and cheese. “Why do we have cheese?” he asked. “Should we not have berries and apples...”
Sol shrugged as Siorus's voice trailed away. "Pierre seemed to favor cheese for his wine tasting, that's all—"
“Apples,” he said, after another sip. His gaze made it clear it was a question.
"Apples?" Sol frowned, then lifted her glass to her lips again. She took the last of the wine in it upon her tongue and let it sit. Vanilla, oak, nutmeg...and a crispness, a sweetness... "Yes!" she said, swallowing. "Apples! I missed that."
Beaming, she reached for the next bottle. Her fingers brushed over the glass, revealing the Arbor Red designation, which she assumed was what they'd just had, since it was so different than the Grawnwyn. A quick look at the cork they'd taken from the second bottle revealed it was from Dragon 24. She turned back to the new bottle and saw it was stamped with a D26.
"Perfect," she said. Carefully, she used the corkscrew to pop the cork. "The last one we tried was an Arbor Red, no? As is this one, from two years later. We shall see what differences there are between the years. Ready?" She looked at him with a challenge in her eyes, the bottle set to be poured.
Joined: Sept 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,334 Location: The Arse-End of Ferelden Karma: 22
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #28 on Jan 2, 2012, 5:34pm »
"Apples?" Sol managed to wring another drop of wine from her glass which she appeared to savour for a moment. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Apples! I missed that."
Siorus chuckled and dropped his gaze, caught between a feeling of success and ridiculousness. This might count as the oddest way to spend an afternoon, except... it should not be. Sol was right, he needed to do this. He needed to taste the wine, learn to describe it and choose one he liked. Perhaps more than one. Just as he liked to have a shield in his off hand, he did not mind using a dagger. Different situations called for different tactics, yes?
Am I really comparing wine to sword play?
Sol had reached for another bottle. Tugging at the collar of his tunic, Siorus eased his hip off the table and sat in the chair beside him. Sitting made him feel no less warm. He suspected it was the wine and made a mental note to only sip at the next bottle, and the next and the next... how many more did they have to open? He did not want to spoil Sol’s fun, he could see she enjoyed instructing him as well as tasting the wine. But, Siorus did not drink much as a rule; a man under the influence of too much alcohol did stupid things, he had witnessed it often enough. He had taken advantage of such men, many times.
"The last one we tried was an Arbor Red, no?” Siorus nodded to the question. “As is this one,” Sol continued, “from two years later. We shall see what differences there are between the years. Ready?" Green eyes glinted in challenge as she held the bottle over his glass.
Looking down at his glass, Siorus noted he still had wine in it. Brow arched, he considered his options. Pouring it out would invite Sol to tease him, swallowing it would add to the warmth spreading across his shoulders. He swallowed it and pushed his glass toward Sol.
The Dragon twenty-six vintage looked and smelled much like the Dragon twenty-four. A cautious sip proved it also tasted much like its older cousin... but not quite. Letting out a resigned breath, Siorus took another small mouthful, swallowed, then looked over at Sol. “What do you think?” he asked. “I am not sure if I taste a difference, or if I am simply imagining it.”
Re: Viniculture [Closed] « Reply #29 on Jan 2, 2012, 7:08pm »
Siorus downed the last of his wine, from his now seated position, and pushed his glass toward her. Sol obliged and poured a measure...probably more than she should have, but the bottle got away from her.
"Oops," she said, still smiling. She moved the bottle over to her own glass and poured a more careful cupful.
Had her smile dimmed in the last half an hour? She thought not. She was content, more than happy to be helping Siorus, even if he accepted her guidance with his usual resistance. She felt useful, something that she had not felt in some time. Needed, which save for Richaud's lies, she'd never felt.
She shoved thoughts of her mentor aside and watched as Siorus tasted the 26 Arbor Red, waiting for his declaration. The bann appeared stymied, though, uncertain of what his tongue was telling him.
“What do you think?” he asked. “I am not sure if I taste a difference, or if I am simply imagining it.”
"Let's see!" She took a sip, then remembered she was supposed to sniff the wine first. A giggle escaped her, a quick, soft one, before she did the proper ritual of inhalation, then tasting.
The wine was good. Very, very good. If she'd had some of Lostwhithiel's vintages in the Fereldan taverns and inns she'd frequented over the last year, she might have had a better impression of the country overall. This was wine, not that fermented fruit juice that usually passed for it. She swallowed her mouthful—then realized she'd completely forgotten to analyze it.
She blinked, recognizing the first signs of inebriation. Distraction, giggling, and so on. She hadn't drunk that much, surely. Two glasses? This was her third. Or fourth? Oh, franchement, did it matter? She was not in a crowded dining room, or in a business meeting with a potential client, or entertaining a potential lover; she was...she was home. She was safe.
She was rather warm.
Sol loosened the buttons at her throat, then absently patted her free hand against her cheek. "C'est chaud, n'est-ce pas?" Giving her head a little shake, she sipped the wine again, this time making sure she did what she was supposed to do and paid attention to the notes.
"There is a difference, yes, but it's subtle," she declared after a moment. "I think it is spicier. A little heavier than the earlier one." She finished off the glass, then turned a bright smile on Siorus and reached for the earlier Arbor Red. "Let's compare!"
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