Chapter 153: Delivering Wine
"Altogether fifty-seven people, let's just count it as sixty," Mikhail said to the merchant, trying to bargain.
"That won't do. You can't 'round off' like that, my friend. Your family is big, with loads of inherited property – why make life hard for a small working stiff like me?" responded Giovanni, an employee of the Moscow Labor Company.
"Kiddo, life hasn't been easy for me either these past few years. Ever since the reforms, I haven't been allotted more land, yet I'm forced to pay higher labor costs. So I thought to buy some machinery to reduce expenses, but those prices were outrageous, and I still haven't recouped my costs," Mikhail lamented.
Hearing this, Giovanni seemed to make a big decision. "Brother, I can't bear seeing you suffer. I know your character—you're famous around Moscow for being an honest man. But business is business. I can't let the company lose money. Let's do it this way: I'll personally treat you to a bottle of 'Romantic Paris' red wine plus two bottles of 'Herdsman' vodka. Meanwhile, we'll stick to the original price on the payroll, meaning I take a small loss, but for the sake of our friendship—money can't measure that. Besides, this isn't a one-off deal. You know we've been in touch for a while. If any benefit comes up, I'm sure to let you know first. Next time, once you've got your 'goods,' just send them over to us. Our company's demand has been huge these past two years. This business, if you ask me, we could keep it going at least ten years. Keep saving, little by little. I won't guarantee riches, but you'll definitely earn enough for smokes and drinks," Giovanni said.
At that, Giovanni pulled a rather fancy-looking box from his wagon, reluctantly offering it to Mikhail, along with two bottles of "Herdsman" vodka tied with rope from who-knows-where.
Mikhail opened the box and saw a tastefully packaged red wine inside. A rough-and-ready sort, he immediately used the corkscrew that came with it to open the bottle and took a swig straight from the mouth.
After swallowing, he licked his lips thoughtfully. "Not bad. But it's too mild for my liking; I still prefer the Herdsman brand."
Giovanni rushed to explain, "Brother, that's only natural. This is grape wine, not vodka. In the city, it's all about 'style' when it comes to drinking. Next time you host friends, serving this wine will definitely impress them. Look at the name—'Romantic Paris.' You can tell it's imported from France. Check out the text on the label. It's all in French. Here's the story I've heard: they say that back in ancient Rome, Caesar once marched west into Gaul and, near Paris, got thirsty by a place called 'Lovers' Spring.' He drank from it and found it exceptionally sweet and clear. Then a Roman brewer, upon hearing the tale, traveled a thousand miles from Rome to brew wine with the spring's water, discovering that if you open a bottle, the aroma lingers for days. Because it was made near Paris using water from Lovers' Spring, people called it 'Romantic Paris.'"
Mikhail was puzzled: "If it's such a big-deal wine, why haven't I heard of it before?"
Giovanni answered, "It may be old and storied, but wars and other calamities caused it to vanish. The spring dried up and disappeared along with Rome. Then around ten years ago, an Italian merchant rediscovered the formula while sorting through his ancestor's manuscripts. A French vintner bought the recipe and recreated it in Paris."
"But if that spring is gone, wouldn't the taste differ now?" Mikhail asked.
Giovanni had been expecting that. "Brother, that's something you're misunderstanding. Even if you lose Lovers' Spring, the water in Paris is basically the same. The wine has been verified by recognized experts, even winning a gold medal at the Second European Winemaking Conference. See, it's engraved on the box lid: 'This wine received the gold prize at the 1867 European Winemaking Conference.' The event was hosted in the German state of Hechingen. I heard this wine beat out many old brands to take the gold. All twenty-four wine tasters gave it top marks—how could it taste bad?"
By now, the truth was obvious: "Romantic Paris" was nothing more than a brand created for marketing, presumably with Ernst behind it. The entire story about "Lovers' Spring," the Italian merchant, and the French vintner was fabricated. It wasn't even produced in Paris—the raw materials and factory were all in Austria-Hungary. They'd simply slapped on a new label and sold it everywhere.
They created over thirty brand names for their wines, each with a romantic "history" no one could verify, supposedly gleaned from some "merchant" or "unknown historical record." The so-called "European Winemaking Conference" was set up by the Hechingen consortium itself, awarding medals to practically every in-house product. Other invited wineries got the same courtesy, just for participation.
In these times of limited information, nobody could distinguish real from fake. A marketing barrage like that easily confused Mikhail. He believed it all and began fishing for details. "Where can I buy this wine, little brother? And what about the price?"
Giovanni answered, "In Moscow and other cities, you can find it at shops, but to avoid fakes, go to a Gorligen store with official certification. What I gave you is a mid-tier bottle worth six rubles. The higher-quality version goes for twelve, and there's even a collector's edition. Ordinary folks never see that, and apparently only two thousand bottles exist in all Russia."
"So expensive!" Mikhail exclaimed.
"My friend, it's cheap enough. Compared to other famous wines, 'Romantic Paris' isn't too pricey. It's got history, flavor, and cultural flair. If you serve it to guests, you'll make a good impression," Giovanni said.
"No need. Usually nobody important visits my house—they aren't cultured anyway. Vodka from the Herdsman brand is enough for them. 'Romantic Paris' I'll just buy for myself," Mikhail said grudgingly.
"True, 'Herdsman' isn't bad. One of the best among vodkas," Giovanni chimed in.
"Of course, vodka is Russia's real symbol. Offering them the Herdsman brand is respect enough," Mikhail claimed.
In fact, Herdsman Vodka was another Hechingen product designed specifically for the Russian market, pitched as strong, pure, and cheap, earning positive word of mouth in Russia. And the name "Herdsman Vodka" made many Russians assume it was a local brand. Herdsmen evoke images of Cossacks—the Tsar's cavalry. Its fiery character fits the vodka's punch.
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