Chapter 708 - 328: Money Blowing in on the Wind (Part 2)

You know, France was once the largest wine-producing region in Europe. The fact that Spanish wine could occupy one-third of the French wine market is enough to prove how rapidly Spain’s wine industry has developed over this period.

Of course, apart from Spain, other countries’ wine industries have also seen significant growth during this time.

The most notable among them are the wine industries of Italy and Portugal; these three countries in Southern Europe are among the few wine-exporting countries not affected by phylloxera.

However, unlike Spain, whose wine is sold to France, Portuguese wine is mostly exported to the British mainland, while Italian wine goes to Austria and Germany.

While wine exports exceeded one million tons, domestic wine sales in Spain also reached an astonishing 276,000 tons, which is 368 million bottles of wine.

Even though 368 million bottles of wine seems like a lot, spread out over every Spaniard, the actual wine consumption per person per year is just under 16 bottles, averaging a little over one bottle a month.

This consumption rate is still quite reasonable; after all, not everyone likes to drink wine, and not everyone can afford the expense of a bottle every month.

Even the cheapest wine, calculated at one bottle a month, would cost over 10 Pesseta per year, roughly one-twentieth of a Spaniard’s annual income.

Obviously, not everyone is willing to spend this amount. Furthermore, many children do not drink, so the wine consumption for those who really enjoy wine is actually even higher.

For Carlo, wine has already become a dining table necessity. A glass of the top-notch wine from the Royal Winery after a meal truly makes one feel refreshed and delighted.

Currently, the most expensive wines in the Royal Winery are the limited edition wines produced when Carlo became the King of Spain, and the commemorative wines for the 10th anniversary of his coronation.

The price of these two types of wine easily exceeds a thousand Pesseta each, and they’re not something you can buy just with money.

Usually, these precious wines are only seen when rewarding ministers of merit or at banquets hosted by the Royal Family. Ordinary nobility and businessmen can only hope to enjoy such limited-edition wine through the annual limited sales by the Royal Winery.

While the official price of a bottle of wine is less than a thousand Pesseta, in reality, without spending more than a thousand, sometimes even two thousand Pesseta, it’s impossible to purchase one.

Even so, many aristocrats and businessmen are eager to obtain them, priding themselves on acquiring a bottle of limited-edition wine and using it to entertain their most distinguished guests.

In reality, such wine is indeed precious.

The Royal Winery during the year of Carlo’s coronation, due to not being large in scale, had a total wine production of only a few hundred tons.

Most of it was sold as regular versions, only those with exceptionally good quality, rich taste, and unique flavor were retained as commemorative wines for Carlo’s coronation.

There were less than 100,000 bottles of this commemorative wine in total, and over the past ten years, almost one-tenth has already been consumed.

Moreover, as the years pass, the price of such wine becomes increasingly expensive. Currently, the auction price for the most expensive bottle of the coronation commemorative wine exceeds 2,000 Pesseta, which is already a Spaniard’s income for ten years.

As for the limited wine for the 10th anniversary of the coronation, because it’s not that long ago and due to the increased production of the Royal Winery, the price is not as steep.

The current price for a bottle of the 10th-anniversary limited wine is a bit over 1,000 Pesseta, and it’s the main wine used by Spanish nobility to entertain distinguished guests.

Of course, the Spanish nobility also have their own wineries. As for why they choose to use the limited wine from the Royal Winery to entertain guests, it’s primarily to showcase the wine’s preciousness and rarity, and secondly, as a way to curry favor with Carlo.

Moreover, unlike the minor efforts in noble wineries, Carlo’s investment in his own wine industry has been substantial.

Since the establishment of the Royal Winery by Carlo, they have not only imported advanced wine-making techniques from France but also learned about wine storage and grape selection.

It can be said that aside from taste differences caused by origin, the wine produced by Carlo’s Royal Winery is practically indistinguishable from the high-end wines produced in France’s Bordeaux region.

This is also why Spanish wine has been well-received by the French public after entering the French market. On one hand, they have no other choice; the production of French domestic wine has plummeted due to phylloxera, and the main imports are Spanish wines, leaving only Spanish wines and domestic French wines as good options in the market.

On the other hand, it’s also because the quality of Spanish wine is quite high, and in the current wine market, they are among the better options, making the French willing to drink Spanish wine.

Upon hearing the report from Steward Loren, Carlo nodded with a smile, naturally delighted to accept this unexpected fortune.