CHAPTER 7 #3
As long as the seal is proper, the wine shouldn’t turn sour or unpleasant, right?
She suddenly remembered how, at various banquets, the maids would carry wine jars to serve, and the only covering seemed to be a layer of burlap.
She had previously thought it was just a temporary cover, without giving it much thought.
But now, an overlooked issue had surfaced.
In this era, they probably didn’t even have proper cork seals.
Compared to setting up a boiler room and ensuring the supply of lead-free, parasite-free clean water, designing a cork seal seemed far simpler.
Hedy directly asked Cosimo to take her to see the winemaking place.
As expected, it was completely different from modern setups.
The winemaking equipment was massive, like a fortress-sized wooden barrel, about a meter or two tall.
Huge barrels of grapes were poured in, and the women climbed ladders to use tools for crushing and stirring the grapes.
At the bottom of the wooden vat, there was a switchable opening that allowed the wine liquid to flow into the barrel for further storage.
"These barrels used for storing wine—what kind of wood are they made from?"
"Wood?" Cosimo thought the question was a bit odd. "Oak, pine—what’s the difference?"
Hedy rubbed her forehead, unsure of how to explain it to him.
She had grown up in the 20th century, in a world rich in wine culture, having tasted everything from whiskey to tequila.
By that time, people were accustomed to the existence of distilleries and high-end wineries, and drinking Eastern teas was also a common indulgence.
But in this era... people didn’t even know about oak barrels.
Cosimo assumed that Hedy had simply been isolated and out of touch with the local customs, so he explained the local practices.
"New wine is ten times more expensive than old wine, and the nobility drinks only the new wine. Only the poor rely on that sour, bitter wine to get by."
"Probably a few hundred years from now, this won’t change," he shrugged. "That’s why the lord had such a strange expression when you asked about it."
No, it would change.
You haven’t tasted true fine wine yet.
"Problems need to be solved one by one," Hedy confirmed the sealing performance of the oak barrels and then went to grab a list. She began writing down everything she knew.
Glass bottles were common, and cork stoppers were easy enough to make. The key was that the corkscrew needed to remove the stopper hadn’t been invented yet.
She took a charcoal pencil and sketched the spring-loaded metal hook with a lever system, then took the drawing to the craftsmen.
"—How is this supposed to work? What is this?"
This design was too intricate; a more intuitive diagram was needed.
"Where is Mr. da Vinci? Please ask him to come here."
Cosimo found him in the outdoor theater, where da Vinci was using a paintbrush to touch up the stars on a large backdrop.
Da Vinci was quick to agree when he heard the invitation.
He brought paper and pen over, listening to her explanation while continuously adjusting his composition.
Compared to the complex and lively designs of the human body, mechanical designs were certainly easier for him to grasp.
"Why the curved hook?"
Hedy explained the role of the cork stopper and how to seal and open a bottle of wine.
Da Vinci paused, his expression a mix of surprise and delight. "You’re a genius—how did you come up with this idea!"
No... actually, I didn’t invent it...
Hedy didn’t want to explain further, so she simply described how twisting the handle could make the hook penetrate the cork, and how pressing the levers on both sides would extract the stopper.
Da Vinci quickly adjusted the design on the drawing, continually confirming various details with her, and by the end of the day, asked the blacksmith to create a rough version of the tool.
They brought in a glass wine bottle and used it to compare the size of a cork made from oak.
"It doesn’t seem to fit very well... it’s either too loose or too tight." Da Vinci studied the cork for a while, questioning his judgment on the diameter. "Should we shave it down a bit more?"
Hedy borrowed some paraffin from a nearby craftsman and used it to seal the area around the cork, successfully pressing the stopper into the bottle. The clarified water swished around inside, but not a single drop leaked out.
This would prevent air and bacteria from entering, allowing the wine to be preserved for a much longer time.
Looking over at the women working nearby, Hedy saw that the new wine had been brewed and was now ready to be poured into the wooden barrels.
She quickly called for a carpenter to make an oak barrel, reinforced with two metal bands, and created a hole in the middle to serve as a stopper.
Da Vinci watched curiously, asking, "Why must it be oak?"
Hedy explained, "Because the tannins and lignans in the wood dissolve into the wine, making the taste smoother and the aroma richer."
Once the newly made oak barrel was cleaned, Hedy placed two pieces of charcoal inside, setting them alight.
Cosimo, who had been about to ask something, couldn’t help but inhale deeply.
It smelled wonderful—
A strange scent of acorns and honey filled the air, even though it was just the wood being smoked.
Hedy had used only a small amount of charcoal, and after smoking the barrel, she wiped it clean and poured in a large jar of wine.
She then found a glass stopper of the right size, not sealing the bottle completely, and instructed that it be stored in the cellar for at least two years.
After two years, the stopper should be replaced with an oak cork, allowing the wine's flavor to fully meld with the wood's essence.
While she didn’t fully understand the brewing process, she was familiar with wine storage.
"By the way," she said, looking at the confused Cosimo, "Angels will visit the wine cellar and take a large cup. Don’t be surprised when it happens."
Da Vinci raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the comment.
"Angels will come?" Cosimo suddenly looked alarmed. "Will they only drink from this barrel?"
Hedy smiled, unaffected, and spun a tale, "Yes, because oak is the Tree of God."
Of course, this matter would still be reported to the lord.
"She even handed the microscope designs to Mr. da Vinci, asking him to improve them further..." Cosimo thought for a moment, then hesitantly asked, "Do you think the angels will actually come to the palace to drink the wine?"
"Why would that be impossible?" Lorenzo flipped a page in his book. "Seal the door and keep watch at the entrance."
Before they could exchange a few more words, a knock sounded at the door.
Hedy walked in, carrying the corkscrew and cork, along with a simple set of instructions for use.
"Now, the glass bottle can also be used for bulk storage. It works much better than using cloth to seal it."
As Lorenzo watched her demonstrate how the wine bottle opened and closed, he suddenly asked, "That boiler room you mentioned this morning—how exactly is it designed?"
"That... will probably take some time," Hedy thought for a moment. "I still need to discuss it with Mr. da Vinci."
She understood the process from settling to filtering, but the entire system of rotation would certainly need his help to improve.
The lord’s dark eyes fixed on her for a moment before he finally looked away.
"I see. You may go now."
The progress at the monastery was going smoothly.
Thanks to the carnival, Da Vinci had collected a large amount of material and had deepened his understanding of light.
He had designed a swirling scene, which featured over sixty characters and animals, with emotional depth and atmosphere well captured.
At the center of the vortex was the baby Jesus, with wise men and animals surrounding the steps and courtyard, and the layering of the near and far views was clearly defined. It was evident that it would challenge one's spatial imagination.
Although Da Vinci usually maintained a cold demeanor toward Botticelli, during moments of creative work, he still brought his notebook to look at two of Botticelli’s old pieces.
The same theme and mythology in their hands seemed to transform into entirely different worlds.
Hedy watched as Da Vinci sketched many drafts, using quill pens and metal nibs to outline lines of varying thickness and hardness.
The figures, some standing, some sitting, some praying, some turning to gaze into the distance, were all abstractly represented through different body postures.
"I’ve thought about this for a long time, and I’ve decided to start by drawing the skeleton, then build up the flesh and skin on top of it," Da Vinci said, dropping ox bile into the egg tempera.
He explained the origin of the grid-like sketch on the canvas.
"Actually, the reason this painting has been delayed for so long is because capturing the expressions of the figures has been so difficult.
Sometimes, it feels like everything is just a chaotic mess, and it would be better to start over entirely. "
Hedy, standing beside the eight-square-foot poplar wood board, reached out to dip her finger into the chalky edges of the canvas. Turning to him, she asked, "Why are these palaces collapsing and crumbling?"
In the image, the newborn Jesus was held by the Virgin Mary amidst the ruins, making it seem very different from all the other works.
"Rebirth," Da Vinci showed her the faint erasure marks, where workers could be seen repairing the palaces.
"I always feel like there’s so much in this era... everything is both collapsing and being reborn."
The grandeur of ancient Greece, once lost, was now set to be revived, much like the stars among the gods.
As he added color, Da Vinci first used a fine brush dipped in ink to outline the contours, then began shading the shadows with pale blue.
Hedy had carefully studied many of the famous paintings in the Medici palace—