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"Hallo," he said That accent was really unfair

"Hi Nice to see you again," she answered, clearing her throat

"You, as well" He looked around "So this is it, then? The faht, yes," she said "Um, want a tour?"

He looked at her oddly They were here, after all, to discuss e, not wine "Absolutely," he said Maybe she wasn’t the only one as nervous

"Okay," she said "We grow seven different kinds of grape here Down there is the cabernet franc and pinot noir, to the west is the gew&uuot chardonnay and pinot gris And up on the hill is the Riesling, which this area is known for We have sos in the world, in case you didn’t know"

"Yes, I’ve read the brochures," he said

"It’s the soil It’s ic, but the weather, combined with the lakes and the hillsanye harvest in October or so There’s the grape harvester there Those fingers agitate the vines, and the ripe grapes fall on the conveyer belt"

"Fascinating," Tom said

"It is," Honor said sharply

"No, I ineer, reht Sorry"

"Go on, then," he said

She led hirapes were loaded and gently compressed so as not to crush the seeds and h the tubes to the fered in here, the tank rooiant steel containers where the grape juice fers like yeast, egg whites, sugar, that kind of thing"

"It’s very scientific, isn’t it?" he said, assessing one of the tanks

"Yes Jack likes to say that wine- is ninety percent science, ten percent luck"

"And who’s Jack?" he asked

"Oh Um, my brother He’s three years older than I arandfather, too My sister Pru runs the far end, and I handle the business stuff"

"I see" He looked around the tank rooh we use the tanksroo that crooked s machine and labeler worked, but it was clear Toured it out He knelt down to look at so under the conveyer belt Nice to have soenuinely interested in the process Most people on the tours were itchy to hit the tasting room

"And then we have the cask room down these stairs That’s where the barrels are Watch your step It’s kind of old-school, but it’s pretty, and the tourists like it"

"I can see why"

The cask room was a vast, dark rooe area for potatoes and onions and the like Now it held several dozen wooden barrels, a long, battered oak table surrounded by leather-upholstered chairs, sorave; People felt like they were in the Old Country

"We use different kinds of wood for each wine Hungarian oak gives off a nice spicy flavor, French is very " He rapped one barrel "Feel a bit like I’ar Allan Poe story"

"It’s very private here I figured we can talk without being overheard" Her heart was rabbiting already