In the second episode of “Drops of God,” Camille had overcome the mental block preventing her from actually tasting alcohol. It had been the very reason behind the nosebleed she got every time she took a sip. Meanwhile, Issei’s grandfather, after getting wind of his grandson participating in the battle of inheritance, paid him a visit. During his visit, he broke down all of the jars containing soil from various vineyards sent by Issei’s friend. He quite literally crushed Issei’s dream and made sure to threaten him into accepting his inheritance of Tomine Diamond, the family company.
Spoilers Alert
Did Camille and Thomas Find Out About the Mystery Wine?
Camille, who could finally taste wine, immediately drove in to find out what wine she tasted. She began tasting different wines to find the missing aroma. She had come to the conclusion that the wine she tasted had celery root in it. She already had the other flavors and aromas down, starting with fern. However, the only flavor missing from all of the wines was celery root. Thomas stuck to it and began to look through his memories to find which wine it was. He went to Philippe with the knowledge he and Camille had already secured and told him about the celery root. Thomas knew that if somebody could find the wine with the unusual flavor, then it was his father. Philippe knew that celery root usually indicates a white wine as it is not a flavor found in the reds; however, he had also come across a unique red wine by André Gigon, who had produced reds with the unique capability to retain the flavors of white wine and vice versa. He had managed to make two colors in one vintage, and he had named that vintage Lignage. However, André’s company went bankrupt in 1996, causing him to sell whatever wine he had left for a cheap buck. Now, those wines were being auctioned off for 10,000–12,000 euros. It seemed that the vintage Camille was looking for was a Lignage Domaine Gigon, 1987.
André and his son did not have any wine left after they had sold them all, so with a heavy heart, Camille had to return to Tokyo. She met Luca, who assigned his nephews Lorenzo and Miyabi to take care of her for the time being. Luca had a bottle of Lignage Domaine Gigon; however, the vintages were in 1990 and 1987. Camille, not being sure of the taste, put Luca in an impossible position because he could not open a bottle for a “could be.” However, to help Camille, Miyabi informed him that Mr. Matsubara would have a meal later with his client. Luca immediately grasped that opportunity and asked Miyabi and Lorenzo to get Camille ready to serve the wine because once a bottle was opened, it would not leave the customer’s table. Miyabi and Lorenzo showed her how to present and open a bottle, but Camille had already learned how to do that because Alexandre had taught her when she was eight. Camille served the wine to Mr. Matsubara and his client, and as time passed, the bottle was finished except for the last few drops. Camille quickly tasted them; however, all was for naught because it wasn’t the same wine.
Did Issei Forfeit the Challenge?
After his grandfather visited his company and walked all over his dreams, Issei had to shut down his feelings and make up his mind to lead his family company. He contacted Yurika Katase, a journalist covering the battle of inheritance, to ask her to release an official statement stating that he would be withdrawing from the challenges. He would settle down to inherit his family’s company, Tomine Diamond. Yurika, disappointed, admonished him for wasting her time. She told him that he should have simply sent her a text instead of calling her over for a meeting. She went on to ask him if it was fear that was driving him away from the battle. The conversation with Yurika shook Issei, and he realized he did not want to settle for an unhappy life that he would definitely inherit with his family’s company. He retracted the statement.
Meanwhile, his mother and his grandfather were livid while they waited patiently for Issei to release the statement. When no news arrived, his grandfather sent Honoka back to gently push Issei into withdrawing. Honoka went to Hirokazu to get him to talk with Issei because Issei listened to him more. Hirokazu could not forgo his wife’s request, so he had a talk with Issei, who advised him to rethink his relationship with Honoka and let Issei live a happy life. The day of the challenge was Honoka and Hirokazu’s anniversary, and Honoka, livid at Issei’s victory, splashed all over the media, insulted Hirokazu, and did not meet with him either. He had spent his time waiting for Honoka to show up, and when he called her, he was insulted. So Hirokazu decided that it was time for them to separate. He asked for a big envelope where he placed the gift he got for Honoka, along with his watch and wedding ring, and asked for the restaurant to deliver it to her. Hirokazu then left the restaurant to signify that he was leaving Honoka and their marriage.
‘Drops of God’ Episode 3 Ending Explained: Who Won the First Challenge?
With 48 hours left for the first challenge to take place and for Camille and Issei to write down their answers, Camille called up Thomas to inform him about the result. She also told him that she missed him, and the next day Thomas flew to Tokyo to meet her. Luca handed Lorenzo, Miyabi, and his wine cellar over to Camille to explore. Thomas joined them as they renewed their search for the mystery wine. They came across different flavors, but none of them matched. Eventually, Lorenzo insisted they take a break and relax. They went to a local Japanese restaurant, where they ordered whiskey. Thomas had to step out while Lorenzo and Miyabi sang to answer a call from his beau, Juliette. While talking, his attention fell on a cycle and the rust it had on its ringer. This struck a chord in his mind, and he gathered the other three to go over his findings. Celery root is a flavor found in white wine. The red wines may have the flavor, but it is only possible if they have truffles as a part of it. As the red wine with truffle is aged through the years, oxidation occurs, and the flavor changes to resemble that of a celery root. A young red wine cannot have this flavor, which means the vintage has to be older than 2006. Once they had the flavors down, the only thing left was tasting them and determining the exact wine. Lorenzo advised Camille to look for differences instead of similarities because it was impossible to cover that many wines in a day.
The day of the test arrived, and both Issei and Camille were ushered to the room where the test would be overlooked by François Talion, Alexandre’s lawyer. Before entering the room, Issei had wandered into Alexandre’s study, where he found a group picture that suggested Alexandre knew Issei’s father, Hirokazu. The thought of the picture made him pause in the study for a few minutes too long before he was eventually ushered to the other room for the test. Issei finished it soon, while Camille envisioned the flavors. This time, after she had overcome the mental block, it was the older Camille navigating through the records instead of the younger one. The records no longer seemed abandoned and instead, were organized like a library, and Camille knew exactly where to go. However, she had at first written down the exact vintage, but her second-guessing made her take a step back and scratch the year. Camille lost the first round because the wine was Château Cheval Blanc 1999 and Camille had guessed the year as 2000. Issei won the first round, and as he drove back home, he continuously looked at the picture, thinking that it would answer his questions on its own.
Final Thoughts
“Drops of God” Episode 4 will talk more about the picture that Issei found, signifying that his father knew Alexandre. He will most likely consult him when he returns. Camille and Thomas, on the other hand, seem to be visibly attracted to each other. Juliette had tried to supervise the wine tasting because she simply could not trust them both and with good reason. Thomas flew to Tokyo right after Camille said she missed him. Although he denied that it was because of that but rather out of their friendship, he also reminded her that he was in a relationship; however, his presence in Tokyo invalidated that. I suppose he will end up cheating on Juliette, but there is a chance he might not. Issei, on the other hand, might just find out that he is more than just a spiritual son for Alexandre. The next challenge is scheduled for the next day at François’s office at 4 p.m. So, stay tuned to catch up on the battle of wines. Japan vs. France: Who will win the estate and the wine cellar?
