Tastes Like Wood

Writers: Eimi, Elaine
Date Posted: 19th October 2005

Characters: Jio, Ariavin
Description: Jio interrupts Arivian sampling wood to place an order for barrels
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 17 of Turn 3

Ariavin returned again to the fire in his workshop, taking away a small wood chip. He sniffed, sniffed again. After licking his index finger to keep it cool he carefully brushed the wood, then brought it to his mouth, to see if there was a hint of taste. Sighing, he jotted down a few notes before returning to the fire to retrieve another bit.

Jio had been politely waiting to be noticed, but it seemed the cooper was too engrossed in his work to notice. Finally the vintner coughed to get the man's attention.

"Oh!" Ariavin coughed in suprise. "didn't see you there lad, come in, come in." he carefully set aside the hide he'd been altering and found another chair for Jio. "Now sit down, Jio, now, how can I be of service today."

"Well," he began as he settled into his seat, "now that we have our own healer in the Hall, I can start producing my wines on a larger scale, which means I'm going to need some barrels."

"Ahhh, those medicinal wines you've been talking about," he twirled his finger in the air while thinking. "You've finally convinced a Healer to come here," Arivian made a scoffing sound. "Bout time, yes of course, barrels... well?" He swept his hand around the office where there were several examples. "Anything specific?"

Jio stood and walked over to a barrel no longer than his forearm. "This will do. Demand is not yet high enough for anything more."

"Too modest, too modest, boy," he mumbled a bit. "Ok, i see, bout how many would you like, better be more then one Jio."

"Five for the moment. Hopefully soon I can ask for more, but I don't want to make more than is on demand. Too much and it will go to waste.
Medicinal wines are not like other wines that can keep for turns."

Ariavin's face was thoughtful. "didn't know that. Well, learn something new each day. So, five barrels in that style. Shouldn't be too much trouble, Jio. Sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?"

"Hmmm..." Jio mulled over a thought in his mind. "How are you at making wineracks?"

"Not bad, not bad. S'all wood anyways." Ariavin began shuffling through his workshop, looking to see if there was one stashed in a corner somewhere. "Have had to make a few, having been here for so many years. don't seem to have anything on hand though, you'll have to trust me lad."

The vintner smiled. "Well, I never heard of any reason _not_ to trust you. I'll take five of those as well then."

"Good to hear." Arivian nodded to Jio. "So five of those barrels and five wineracks. That be all now?"

"For now," the journeyman nodded. "So, what's this you're working on?"

"This?" Arivian said, returning to his project from earlier. "I'm testing heating length times with this particular batch of wood. Bin aging this for a while, gonna use it for my mastery project. Oh, which reminds me," he said, taking a wood chip and going over to his desk, performing the same testing he had earlier. "Not bad, not bad,"
he said to Jio, nodding.

"Flavorful?" Jio asked after watching the cooper taste the charred wood.

"Hint of nut, must admit I'm a big fan of nutty flavor." Arivian set down the current piece and walked back over to the fire, waiting.
"See when you heat the wood to bend it makes hints of flavors come out. So I'm sampling what will happen with the taste depending on how long this batch is heated for."

"Ah, I am remember something about that in my liquors class as an apprentice. I didn't pay much attention, I'm afraid," Jio said with a shrug. He never had much an interest in hard liquors.

"Sokay, can't specialize in everything," Ariavin responded before grabbing another chip. "Plenty of people take care of those, stick to those new medicinal wines. Anything else lad?"

"Well, actually," Jio replied sheepishly, "could I have a taste?"

Ariavin gave Jio a strange look, "Its just a hint boy, but if ye want?" He offered him the latest chip. "Now its still a bit hot, watch your finger there."

Jio licked his finger as he had seen the cooper do, ran it across the wood and brought it to his tongue. "Hmmm..." he hummed thoughtfully.
"Tastes like wood all right."

Ariavin grabbed the chip away from Jio, giving it a whiff. "Out of here," he said with a huff. "I'll leave you to your wine, you leave me to my wood lad."

Jio laughed and clapped the cooper on the shoulder. "All right, old man. I'll leave you to your baked wood."

"You'll be getting those barrels in no time Jio." Arivian said as the younger man left. "Right on it... just, after this..... Ack!" he said as he singed his finger tip.

Last updated on the October 19th 2005

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Tastes Like Wood