Speculating on wine prices
Granny Cui and Ginkgo stayed at the inn to look after the luggage, while Fu Zhi Qiao took Cheng Ye Xuan to find Peng Gao Fei. On the way to the capital, she had already planned the itinerary, and the first thing she did was to investigate the sales status of Taibai wine in the capital.
Peng Gaofei's shop is called Peng Family Tavern.
"What would you two like to buy?" the waiter greeted them warmly.
"Do you have Taibai wine?" Fu Zhiqiao, dressed as a man, deliberately lowered his voice as he spoke.
The waiter sized her up a few times and chuckled, "Sir, you have excellent taste. Taibai wine is only sold at Peng Family Wine Shop in the entire capital. We just received a new batch yesterday, and if you had come any later, you wouldn't have been able to buy it!"
Fu Zhiqiao asked, "Really? Is Taibai wine really in such high demand?"
"Of course it's true?" The waiter whispered to Fu Zhiqiao, "Sir, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting our tavern? It's really not easy for a new customer to buy Taibai wine here. You're just lucky. We just received a batch of wine, and besides what our regular customers have ordered, we have some extra that we can sell to you."
Fu Zhiqiao was speechless; Peng Gaofei had learned her pre-sale model.
Those who want to buy Taibai wine can register their names and pay a deposit at Peng's Wine Shop. Once the quantity of wine to be bought is tallied, Peng Gaofei will have a clear idea of what to expect. When he goes to Qingzhou to pick up the goods, he won't sell all the Taibai wine on the way, but will leave a batch of wine to take back to the capital.
This way, the demand for Taibai liquor from the people of Beijing can be met without making one's journey too burdensome.
Peng Gaofei is definitely a businessman; perhaps we could collaborate with him on this matter of manipulating wine prices.
Is your boss, Mr. Peng, here?
"Huh? What business does the gentleman have with our boss?" The waiter was bewildered. Could it be that he had not served him well and this customer wanted to complain to the boss?
Fu Zhi Qiao noticed the waiter's panic: "It's alright. I'm an old acquaintance of your boss. Just tell him that Fu Zhi Qiao is looking for him."
As the boss, Peng Gaofei doesn't always travel with the caravan unless there's a particularly important business deal that warrants his personal trip. He usually stays in the capital to handle business.
The waiter went back to report, half believing and half doubting.
Peng Gaofei was quite surprised to hear Fu Zhiqiao's name. After confirming with the waiter that the name was correct, he hurriedly came out to greet her, "Why didn't you let me know in advance that you were coming to the capital? I would have had a chance to welcome you!"
Fu Zhiqiao had something important to discuss with him, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got down to business.
"Mr. Peng, do you still remember the anti-counterfeiting method for Taibai liquor that I taught you? All three anti-counterfeiting labels are indispensable; if any one is missing, it's a fake."
Peng Gaofei nodded: "I remember!" At Fu Zhiqiao's request, he later taught the customers who came to buy wine how to identify counterfeit wine.
"Did you leave the wine I asked you to?"
Peng Gaofei hesitated for a moment, "We will keep some, but not many."
Of the first three batches of wine produced by the winery, Fu Zhiqiao gave 500 jars to Peng Gaofei and specifically instructed him to keep them safe.
At first, Peng Gaofei listened to her advice, but Taibai wine was selling very well. After this batch of Taibai wine was stored in the warehouse for half a year, as more and more people came to buy Taibai wine, he gradually forgot Fu Zhiqiao's instructions and couldn't help but sell the wine.
We've sold over a hundred jars in total, and now we only have a little over three hundred jars left in the warehouse.
Fu Zhiqiao: ...
What should she say? What else could she say?
Peng Gaofei noticed something was wrong from her expression and asked, "What's wrong, Boss Fu? Can't we sell these wines?"
"It's not that we can't sell, it's just that the timing is wrong!"
Fu Zhiqiao was heartbroken to learn that he hadn't separated the batches of wine: "Didn't I tell you? Every batch of Taibai wine has its own number, and the smaller the number, the more valuable the wine is. The batch I asked you to keep is the third batch."
The first three batches of Taibai wine were the first to be brewed and also the longest aged.
Taibai wine, which originally sold for ten taels of silver in Qingzhou, could fetch twenty taels of silver in the capital. And that was just for the ordinary batch; if it were the first three batches with even smaller serial numbers...
"This, this..." Peng Gaofei realized that he had sold the valuable third batch of numbered wine at a regular price.
However, what he regretted even more was yet to come.
Fu Zhiqiao added that currently only the Taibai wine from the 23rd year of the Great Wei Dynasty can be speculated on in terms of price, because these three batches of wine have been aged for more than a year, making them more fragrant and mellow. After that, the wine is not as valuable and can be bought at the regular price.
Peng Gaofei was a quick-witted person, and he immediately became excited after hearing Fu Zhiqiao's words.
The older the Taibai wine, the more expensive it is. The higher the price, the more it reflects the status and position of the drinker. The powerful and wealthy people in the capital are people who value style and prestige, and they will definitely be willing to spend a lot of money to buy better wine!
As a result, the wines with the highest serial numbers would be snapped up by the common people. In the capital city, which was full of high-ranking officials and nobles, a single jar of wine could fetch a price of over a hundred taels of silver!
Most importantly, there are currently no Taibai wine shops in the capital. People who want to buy Taibai wine either have to go to Qingzhou or buy it through Peng's Wine Shop.
As for Peng Gaofei, as a merchant caravan that transported Taibai wine from Qingzhou to the capital, he had the first batch of wine in his hands. If he handled it properly, it would be enough for him to make a fortune.
No wonder Boss Fu told me he was going to stock up on a batch of wine. So that's what he was planning. Peng Gaofei, realizing this, didn't know how to describe Fu Zhiqiao for a moment.
He immediately broke out in a cold sweat. She had been planning this since the very beginning of brewing the Taibai wine. Was this the mindset of a girl who was only fifteen years old?
At such a young age, yet possessing such a brilliant mind, Peng Gaofei could only be thankful that he was Fu Zhiqiao's partner, not her rival.
*
Fu Zhiqiao brought one hundred jars of premium Taibai liquor with her to Beijing this time, but the liquor is still on its way and will arrive in a while.
She wants to make Taibai wine a phenomenon in the capital that is priceless.
The method of hype is also very simple: first, monopolize the source of Taibai liquor, release a small amount of liquor to attract people to buy it at a high price.
Fu Zhi Qiao could easily do this, as she controlled the source of Taibai liquor production, and the quantity on the market was entirely up to her.
Secondly, it's important to make customers realize that aged wines are superior to new wines, making them feel that the wine is precious and creating a sense of scarcity that equates to value.
For wine lovers, being told that the best time to enjoy fine wine is a year away is undoubtedly a huge torment.
Therefore, there are only two ways to drink higher quality Taibai wine: one is to buy it at a high price, and the other is to buy it at the original price and cellar it for two or three years before drinking it.
I believe most people don't have the patience to wait two or three years.
This makes it easy for the price of Taibai liquor to be inflated.
Fu Zhiqiao did not keep all three batches of wine for herself. She kept the first batch of wine for herself, sold a portion of the second and third batches in wine shops, and sold the rest to various restaurants, including Peng Gaofei's caravan.
In terms of distribution, she can be said to have received benefits from everyone equally!
I have what you don't, and you have what he doesn't. We can't make premium Taibai liquor readily available everywhere, nor can we make it unavailable to everyone. This way, we can easily raise the price.
Of course, when the price of wine gets too high, she will release more wine into the market to control the price and prevent the overall wine price from collapsing.
In Qingzhou, she has instilled the idea that the longer Taibai wine is aged, the better it tastes in the hearts of the people. Every time someone goes to the shop to buy wine, the shop assistants will explain how Taibai wine is protected against counterfeiting and how to identify the date.
In this way, people will consciously choose wines with earlier dates when they come to buy them.
This phenomenon is already faintly visible in the Taibai wine shops in Qingzhou.
Before the restaurants opened in the capital, Peng's Wine Shop was her most important sales outlet in the city. Now is the perfect time to promote Taibai Wine, and she wants to spread its fame to every corner of the capital.
To prevent a recurrence of the accident, Fu Zhiqiao specifically instructed Peng Gaofei that this batch of wine must be sold within five years.
Regardless of how Peng Gaofei sold the wine, she only warned him not to be too greedy and not to keep it in the warehouse indefinitely just to sell it for a good price.
Ordinary warehouses are different from her meticulously built wine cellars.
The fact that Taibai wine becomes more mellow and fragrant after being aged in cellars is only possible if its storage conditions are excellent.
Without proper storage conditions, prolonged storage of wine will not only fail to improve its quality but may also lead to problems such as alcohol evaporation, a weaker flavor, and a diminished aroma.
Peng Gaofei repeatedly assured Fu Zhiqiao that he had remembered. One misjudgment had cost him so much money, and he dared not disobey Fu Zhiqiao now.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Fu Zhiqiao also had Peng Gaofei retrain the waiters on their reception techniques. Whenever someone came to buy Taibai wine, the waiters would recommend the better-tasting aged wine to them.
To show them the direct results, Fu Zhiqiao went to the tavern to demonstrate it on the spot.
Just then, a middle-aged man came to Peng's Tavern to buy wine.
The waiter recognized the man; the middle-aged man was named Yue Kun, a bookstore owner. This wasn't his first time buying Taibai wine. He had tasted it once by chance and fallen in love with it, ordering two jars last time. He was here today to pick it up.
Fu Zhiqiao was training the waiters at Peng Family Tavern when a customer came in. She took the initiative to greet him, treating it as a practical lesson.
"Sir, are you here to collect Taibai wine?"
Yue Kun nodded.
Fu Zhiqiao enthusiastically recommended: "Sir, our tavern has received a batch of even better-tasting premium Taibai liquor. Would you be interested?"
"Oh, how would it be better?" Yue Kun's interest was piqued.
"Naturally, it tastes better. It's not only not burning your throat, but it also has a strong aftertaste. After swallowing, it brings a sweet aftertaste. Even just a small sip will fill your mouth with the aroma of wine. For people with a low alcohol tolerance, two glasses of wine will make them pass out!"
"Really?" Yue Kun was intrigued by Fu Zhi Qiao's description.
In his eyes, Taibai wine was already the best of the best. Now that there was an even better premium Taibai wine, he naturally wanted to try it.
"Really? If you don't believe me, I'll bring you a jar to show you."
Fu Zhiqiao gave the waiter a look, and the waiter turned to look at Peng Gaofei. After receiving his boss's approval, he immediately brought out a jar of old wine.
Fu Zhiqiao pointed to the number on the wine jar and said to Yue Kun, "Sir, please take a look. This number means that this wine was brewed in the 23rd year of the Great Wei Dynasty and has been aged for a year. Now, the flavor of this wine is even stronger than that of ordinary Taibai wine!"
The middle-aged man nodded; he had heard about the anti-counterfeiting measures for Taibai liquor when he bought it for the first time.
"I'll take this jar of wine!"
Fu Zhiqiao hesitated and said, "You know how sought-after Taibai wine is. Normally, you can only buy it if you pre-order from our shop. But since you're a regular customer, I can sell you this premium Taibai wine, but the price is a bit high. I wonder..."
"Price is not a problem, I'll take this jar of wine."
In this way, the price of the wine, which was originally twenty taels, increased two or three times, becoming fifty taels per jar.
Having successfully closed a deal, Fu Zhiqiao walked up to Peng Gaofei and said, "Boss Peng, you see, the value of Taibai wine is far more than this."
Seeing it with your own eyes is far more shocking than hearing about it.
Peng Gaofei was so surprised that he couldn't speak. He was completely convinced by Fu Zhiqiao, but at the same time, he was also extremely annoyed, regretting that he hadn't taken Fu Zhiqiao's words to heart.
Thinking that he had sold Taibai wine, worth fifty taels, for only twenty taels, and even sold more than a hundred jars...
Peng Gaofei's heart shattered on the ground with a "thud".
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