"Fit for the Emperor’s table."
- —A fine vintage but one likely to be priced way beyond what most could afford.
The Wine Tasting Festival of Averheim is a century old tradition within the capital of Averland, held between the second and fifth day of Harvest-tide.
The rich fields of Averland have produced abundant harvests of fine grapes for untold generations. Indeed, winemaking has been a part of the Empire’s culture since its very foundation. One of the reasons why the many tribes of Men wished to abandon their nomadic lifestyles was to grow harvests in relatively stable conditions, and grapes have always been a popular crop in the southern reaches of the land that is now the Empire. For many centuries, wine was exclusively a luxury of the noble born, as it took a great deal of manual effort to produce a worthwhile drink. When Sigmar crushed the Greenskin hordes at the Battle of Black Fire Pass it wasn’t ale that he drank at the victory celebration, it was wine. Averland legend holds Siggurd, their province’s legendary founder, shared his favourite personal vintage with Sigmar on that day, and the nobles of Averland have always been keen on the subject.[1a]
Professional winemaking in the Empire, until the Great War Against Chaos, was almost exclusively the province of clergy who produced vintages at their various southern monasteries. While many small villages produced wine, the majority only made enough for local consumption. The Moot, of course, has always been a source of a large variety of hearty wines suitable for a number of different occasions, as the Halflings were some of the first to produce a type of sweet dessert wine called Sherry, though many Estalians claim they took the idea from them.[1a]
In the aftermath of the Great War, after Magnus the Pious had taken the throne, Grand Theogonist Ansgar, whose name is still blessed and praised by wine aficionados to this day, came to power. At the time, the common folk of the Empire mostly drank beer and ale, as good wine was relatively expensive and hard to come by. Ansgar thought it was a mortal sin that more of Sigmar’s people couldn’t drink the libation that he had favoured in life. The Grand Theogonist turned to the Engineer’s Guild for help in creating simple wine presses that could evenly crush grapes, as he disdained traditional foot stomping methods for being unclean. He declared it was a sin to store wine in an animal’s skin, demanding wooden casks or glass bottles be used instead, as they didn’t influence the flavour. Ansgar’s modifications made winemaking a more precise and unified practice, thus resulting in more consistent vintages.[1a][1b]
As the methods used to produce wine continued to increase its quality, a number of other factors aided in bringing wine tasting into fashion. Suggestions from the Dwarfs yielded improvements in glassmaking, which produced stronger bottles that were more suitable for both storage and transport. Cork was found to be the perfect bottle stopper, and shipments from Estalia soon regularly made their way to Averland’s vineyards. The Elector Counts of Averland made a point of celebrating their province’s heritage every year by holding a lavish festival to celebrate each year’s vintage. While wine remains relatively expensive in the Empire, it is still a staple within everyone’s reach but the most destitute. This is especially true at the Wine Tasting Festival, as Averland’s wine vendors were, traditionally, reimbursed by the ruling Count to lower the price. Since hosting the Festival is seen as a sign of legitimacy for ruling Averland, the various noble family claimants to the throne have all donated to the Vintner’s Guild and made certain that everyone knows about their contributions.[1b]
The Wine Tasting Festival has now been going on annually for well over a century. Many merchants in the Old World make a point of being in Averheim sometime between the second and fifth day of Harvest-Tide, the traditional days of the festival. It is a lavish but surprisingly subdued celebration, as outright drunkenness is heavily frowned upon. After all, celebrants at the Festival are supposed to be tasting and comparing various vintages, whereas drunkards pretty much don't care what is in their tankards. It is also one of those rare times when nobles directly rub elbows with commoners specifically to converse with them and wax philosophical over the merits and flaws of different wines.[1b]
Indeed, in Averheim, even the lowliest peasant will have an opinion on the year’s newest vintages. This can be somewhat disconcerting for outsiders, as even though the festivalgoers are nominally speaking Reikspiel, newcomers may not have the faintest idea what they’re saying.[1b]
A panel of experts, which traditionally includes the Elector Count, the Master of Ceremonies, and Averland’s Lector, judges each year’s offerings. However, political tension has caused a change. The noble families decided they needed an absolutely impartial individual to take the Count's traditional role. After some drawn-out wrangling, they settled on Brew Master Cranneg Norgrimson, a deeply respected and locally beloved Dwarf vintner renowned for both his honesty and his strange un-Dwarfish preference for wine over ale and beer. Most years, Norgrimson would have a vintage of his own entered at the Festival, but he has but recently returned from fighting in the north. The judges wander throughout the Festival sampling various wines and comparing notes with one another between the second and fourth day, declaring the winning vintages on the evening of the fourth so that the winning vintners can bask in the glory all day on the fifth. The three prizes given each year are Best White, Best Red, and Best at Festival.[1b][1c]
The Festival centres in the Plenzerplatz and stretches throughout Averheim. Wine stalls line the streets, radiating outward in a large spiral. A number of vendors sell various sorts of food, though whatever they primarily sell, almost all of them also sell some sort of pie. The traditional hawking of wares that goes on at most Empire festivals is especially toned down. The City Watch encourages such stalls to be moved to the very outskirts of the Wine Tasting Festival or, better yet, over to the fields of the tent city.[1c]
How to Taste Wine
"Ansgar would approve."
- —One of the highest compliments a connoisseur will offer a wine. This wine is second to none.
"Now that’s a Mousillon vintage."
- —Revolting and likely to cause plague. Indicates a horrible wine but is always spoken cheerfully.
The first and most common mistake: wine tasting isn’t just about the taste. A person that gulps his wine before considering it will immediately be snubbed as an oaf from that point on in any given conversation by any onlookers. Remarkably clear glasses sit on the stalls throughout the city. Drinkers are expected to return their glass to the stall from which it came, unless they have their own, which many connoisseurs do.[1c]
A wine taster first considers the appearance of the wine, then its aroma, and finally its taste. The tasting portion is broken into three phases: the Attack, the Follow Through, and the Finish. A wine’s appearance varies by age and grape. “Reds” actually range from deep purple to near-black burgundy, whereas “whites” vary from bright green to mid-tone brown. The majority of the grapes grown in Averland lead to white wines, though there are a few vineyards trying experiments with reds. Wine leaves a tint on the glass called a “rim” that helps determine its age, and drinkers swirl their glasses about, considering the wine’s “legs.” Wine scents vary tremendously, from flowery hints to subtle chocolate undertones. Wine that smells foul, though, invariably is.[1c]
The Attack is the initial impact of the wine on the senses. A strong Attack is greatly preferred to a feeble one. The Follow Through is the wine’s actual taste and how it sits on the palate. The Finish is the aftertaste or the effects the wine has that linger on its drinker. The various terms are discussed using many of the same terms one would use for describing a bout of swordplay, and unenlightened listeners that stumble onto a wine tasting conversation are apt to think that a great battle is being discussed. The following terms and phrases are all likely to crop up during the Festival. Many, but not all, are used while discussing a wine’s taste—note that a few of them are confusing or are completely contradictory to what they sound like they’d mean.[1c]
Averland Winespeak
- Abgang: The total impact of a wine, including its effect on the stomach and potential hangover to follow.[1c]
- Attractive: The taster liked it despite flaws. A complement to cheap wines and an insult to expensive ones.[1c]
- Brilliant: An exceedingly clear wine. Generally a bad sign in whites and an excellent sign in reds.[1c]
- Burly: A strong flavour, usually said in a positive way.[1c]
- Charming: Doesn’t meet expectations.[1c]
- Corked: This wine’s stopper went bad, and it tastes like wet wood mulch.[1c]
- Deep: Many, layered flavours, a good sign.[1c]
- Direct: High alcohol content. This wine will get you smashed quickly.[1c]
- Easy: Simple but readily appreciable.[1c]
- Fat: Fills the mouth readily but lacks finesse. Just okay.[1c]
- Harsh: Powerful, rough taste. Age will make it acceptable, but don’t bother to wait for it.[1c]
- Round: Like Fat, only far more positive.[1c]
- Stern: Hard on the tongue.[1c]
- Supple: Not quite strong enough. Bends around the tongue instead of engaging it.[1c]
- Toothsome: A reference to the fact that you almost have to chew this wine before swallowing it. Not a good sign, unless the speaker is a Dwarf.[1c]