Just as the atmosphere grew tense, a sigh came from nearby. "You two clash the moment you meet—this puts me in a tough spot."
Following the voice, they saw an elder with refined manners and the air of a gentleman butler—it was none other than Murray Brown.
Several other sommeliers stood behind him. With his arrival, the tension in the room eased slightly.
"Mr. Brown."
Ye Yun took the initiative to withdraw his gaze and greeted Murray Brown with a smile.
Arnold, however, merely gave a perfunctory nod before turning to leave with his group.
Seeing Arnold's cold demeanor, Murray Brown could only smile bitterly and shake his head. Then he looked at Ye Yun and, with a stern expression, asked, "Why didn't you enter Rose Red Wine into the competition? I had to nominate you myself to get you to come."
Clearly, Murray Brown was displeased about Ye Yun's initial refusal to participate.
Ye Yun chuckled and replied, "But I'm here now, aren't I? And… to me, titles like 'Wine King' are just vanity. What truly matters is making great wine."
These words had been prepared in advance, and he delivered them naturally.
Hearing this, Murray Brown and the other sommeliers looked at Ye Yun with newfound respect.
Murray Brown gave Ye Yun an approving glance and said sincerely, "Few people today share your perspective, Mr. Ye. But in my opinion, Rose Red Wine has what it takes to win the Wine King title. You don't need to be so modest."
"These gentlemen are also sommeliers for this competition. Like me, they've already decided to nominate Rose Red Wine as this year's top vintage."
He introduced them to Ye Yun, who quickly greeted them all politely.
After a brief exchange, Murray Brown and his group moved on, and Ye Yun didn't linger either. He led Orn and the others into Meriac Castle.
Meriac Castle was built in classic medieval style—ancient, elegant, and magnificently imposing.
Today, the castle was open to the public. Tourists roamed freely, as the wine competition was designed to be a public event. As such, the venue was bustling with visitors.
In addition to tourists, more than a hundred influential figures from various sectors were also present to participate in the wine judging.
Prior to the event, the Wine Association had sent invitations to select celebrities and elite guests, allowing them to attend.
The final results would be based on both the votes of these guests and the scores from the professional sommeliers. The top ten wines with the highest overall evaluations would then be featured in a local Borsado wine magazine.
In short, to win, a wine had to impress both experts and casual enthusiasts alike—a fair, just, and transparent process.
That was precisely why Arnold had been so confrontational earlier—he was determined to crush Rose Red Wine at this event.
To prepare for the competition, each participating winery brought at least ten bottles of their finest vintages. The ones presented to the sommeliers were meticulously curated, while those offered to the public were still premium selections.
This year's wine competition was taken extremely seriously. With Lafite's dominance now in jeopardy, every other winery saw a golden opportunity to climb the ranks.
The competition was held in the grand banquet hall of Meriac Castle. Although it hadn't started yet, the room was already packed with winery representatives, master vintners, and social elites—all gathered under one roof.
Looking at the spectacular scene before him, Ye Yun was secretly glad he chose to attend the competition.
Even if they didn't take first place, simply ranking in the top ten would officially certify Rose Estate as a gold-standard winery.
The Global Wine Review Competition didn't have qualifiers or group stages—just one single event.
To participate, a winery's wine had to receive nominations from at least three sommeliers. Each sommelier had a limited number of nominations, making even this initial requirement a formidable barrier for many wineries.
As a result, only twenty-three wineries made it to the final round. Each of them had decades, if not centuries, of heritage and had participated in previous competitions.
Rose Estate, a complete newcomer, was the dark horse—something the competition had never seen before.
Before the judging began, each winery drew lots to determine their presentation order.
"Seventeenth, huh?"
Ye Yun glanced at their slot number, then looked away.
He didn't care about the order. For Rose Red Wine, it simply didn't matter—he had absolute confidence in his winery's wine.
Interestingly enough, Lafite was slotted just before them—sixteenth.
With the draw completed, the competition officially began. The first winery's wine was brought onstage. After decanting, each of the ten sommeliers received a small pour in their glasses.
Wine tasting wasn't about drinking—it was about savoring just a sip.
At the same time, staff poured wine for the attending elite guests. Even participating winery representatives like Ye Yun received samples.
A few minutes later, the judges began writing down their evaluations and scores, while the audience also filled in their scorecards.
And so the competition proceeded. One by one, the wineries presented their wines. The sommeliers quietly discussed their impressions, while the audience exchanged whispered opinions.
"This is so boring… If I'd known, I would've sent Sebas in my place," Ye Yun sighed.
The process of the competition was undeniably tedious. Worse still, he was seated where the warm afternoon sun streamed in through the window, making him feel sleepy.
Just as he was nodding off, Orn suddenly nudged him and whispered, "Mr. Ye, look—it's Romanée-Conti's turn!"
At that, Ye Yun perked up and turned his eyes toward the center of the hall.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。