Chapter 576: The King of Wines and Yuko's Mining Expedition
It was only halfway through their lavish meal that Legolas and his companions finally remembered the masterpiece they had temporarily sidelined: the Burgundy wine-stewed beef. In their war-torn world of Middle-earth, such a decadent luxury was practically a myth. Cattle were scarce in many regions, and even where they roamed, prime beef was not something one could simply demand on a whim. More often than not, their travel rations consisted of tough, cured horse meat or whatever wild game they could hunt along the trail.
Aragorn took the initiative, ladling generous portions into large, rustic bowls. Thick, succulent chunks of beef tumbled into the rich, dark sauce. Gimli's eyes sparkled, grinning like an overgrown, bearded child weighing several hundred pounds as he eagerly accepted his bowl. Surprisingly, the fellowship had taken quite well to chopsticks. Treating the slender wooden utensils as an extension of their own martial prowess, they wielded them with the precision of seasoned weapon masters, using them for everything short of drinking the broth. Yakumo Yukari and the other regulars barely batted an eye at the sight; in a restaurant that bridged dimensions, being shocked over someone mastering chopsticks was a deep waste of energy.
Across the room, Boa Hancock maintained her usual elegant, light diet—or rather, a custom menu carefully curated by Ren. Having visited her world, Ren was intimately familiar with the heavy, rich banquets of Amazon Lily. To offer her a refreshing contrast, and mindful of the late hour, he deliberately avoided anything overly greasy. A heavy midnight snack would only ruin her delicate constitution, and Ren was nothing if not attentive to the subtle needs of his patrons.
The dish before the fellowship—Burgundy wine-stewed beef—was, at its core, as straightforward as its name implied. Yet, it was a culinary canvas with infinite room for elevation. The addition of smoky bacon, earthy potatoes, or tender pearl onions could shift the dish into entirely new dimensions of flavor.
When casual drinkers heard the word wine, their minds often drifted to Bordeaux, specifically the legendary Château Lafite. Lafite, with its intoxicating floral and fruity aromas, its velvety richness, and its peerless elegance, had rightfully earned the title of the Queen of the Wine Kingdom. Its estate spanned ninety carefully curated hectares, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with vines averaging over forty years of age. The yield was so strictly controlled that it took the grapes of two to three entire vines to produce a single bottle. It was a liquid masterpiece, bursting with fruit and leaving an endless, haunting aftertaste.
Because of Lafite's towering reputation, many mistakenly assumed that Burgundy—often used as a cooking wine—was a cheaper, weaker, or inferior alternative.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
While Lafite boasted fairy-tale grapes, the crown jewel of the viticulture world belonged to a different varietal entirely: the temperamental, sublime Pinot Noir. While a wealthy patron in a high-end drama might demand a vintage Lafite, the true connoisseurs whispered a different name with absolute reverence: Romanée-Conti.
Conti, the most precious and dreamlike wine on Earth, was crafted exclusively from Pinot Noir. And Pinot Noir was the beating heart of the Burgundy region.
Burgundy was no ordinary brand. It was a sprawling empire of terroir, boasting 101 AOC appellations, 562 Premier Cru vineyards, and 33 Grand Cru vineyards. In the culinary world, there was a famous saying: Burgundy has no low-grade wines. Though it accounted for a quarter of France's AOC regions, its annual production was a mere six percent of the country's total. Every drop was liquid gold.
If Bordeaux was the elegant Queen, then Burgundy—with its powerful, bold, and complex character—was undeniably the King of Wines.
It was this regal, high-quality wine that formed the soul of Ren's stew. The beef itself was already prime cut, but after being seared to a perfect, slightly charred brown, it had been left to simmer in the beautiful, ruby-red depths of the Burgundy. Just the sight of the steam rising from the bowl, carrying that intoxicating, savory aroma, was enough to make a grown man's mouth water.
With the very first bite, the fellowship was transported. The fruit notes of the Burgundy had broken down the meat's fibers, infusing it with a miraculous depth of flavor. Ren had added a touch of honey, which not only accelerated the tenderizing process but also rounded out the savory profile with a smooth, mellow sweetness.
A delicate dance of sweet and sour wine, a whisper of aged oak, a subtle kick of black pepper, and the velvety embrace of honey—all perfectly harmonized within the rich meat juices.
The beef was so tender it practically melted on the tongue, yielding like a delicate soufflé. It felt as though the meat was merely a vessel, a sponge designed to deliver the true essence of the dish: the stunning, wine-infused broth. To pair such a bite with a chilled glass of fine wine, swirling the crimson liquid under the soft tavern lights while savoring the steaming beef, was the absolute pinnacle of epicurean indulgence.
Aragorn and his companions sat in stunned silence. They had never tasted anything so deeply fragrant. Compared to the simple roasted meats of their travels, this was on an entirely different plane of existence.
"This is..." Aragorn murmured, his eyes wide with surprise. "I taste honey... and is this wine?"
Legolas nodded slowly, savoring the lingering finish. "Indeed. I never imagined wine could be used in a stew to such effect. It is a brilliant concept. I shall have to try this when we return to the woodland realm. I can experiment with the spices little by little."
Aragorn nodded in agreement, while beside them, Gandalf and Gimli did not even bother joining the conversation. Their heads were bowed, entirely consumed by the act of shoveling the heavenly stew into their mouths.
Across the counter, Lucifer casually swirled his drink, looking over at Ren. "Hey, Yuko hasn't said a word in the chat for ages. She's completely ignoring my messages. She just told me she was busy washing her face and demanded not to be disturbed. What the hell does that even mean?"
Ren did not even look up from his prep station, a dry, knowing smile touching his lips. "I don't know. She's probably busy mining."
"Pfft—!" Lucifer choked, violently sputtering his drink across the counter as he burst into laughter.
[Akarin's Note: In Chinese internet slang, particularly within gacha gaming communities, "washing one's face" (洗脸) refers to trying to wash away bad luck before doing gacha pulls—transitioning from a "black/African" face of bad luck to a "white/European" face of good luck. "Mining" (挖矿) refers to the tedious grinding of in-game content to farm premium currency for those pulls. Yuko is ignoring Lucifer because she is sweating over her gacha rolls!]
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