Spiked Wine
Utility
Spiked wine is used to encourage arousal and for repeated acts of intimacy within a short period of time.
Some sellers keep the price high to prevent it from being purchased by those who might use it to their advantage in coerced or forced intimacy. It has been used in many occasions in which the drinker is not aware of what they are drinking, as well. The Ardimiz-Sarel family have been distressed by their product's use in assaults, and have modified the flavor to add a touch of spice. They are also experimenting with ways to make the color more unusual without changing the quality of the recipe, to act as a warning.
Manufacturing
While the exact process and recipe are a family secret, the process involves adding powerful aphrodisiacs to the wine at critical stages in the fermentation process.
As the wine has now existed for some time, it is generally widely available in Phelin, though the price remains relatively high. It has also begun exportation to other countries, and availability and price vary by the region. The recipe remains a guarded secret among the descendents of both Ardimiz and Sarel, who had merged their families in a similar way to the royal family around the time of the wine's creation. The only winery that produces it is the one in Tarvella operated by the family, though it also produces other infused wines to prevent herb suppliers from determining how to make it. Similar wines do exist, but their quality is lacking when compared to the Ardimiz-Sarel wine.
The effectiveness of spiked wine was discovered through experimentation. Winemaker Ardimiz of Tarvella and alchemist Sarel of Tarvella had been experimenting with various combinations of wines and potions for some time, to both great success and great failure. Creating an aphrodisiac wine was not originally a goal of theirs until after the marriage of Grand King Caolan to his three spouses. They thought that perhaps such a wine might be a benefit to the crown and might earn them significant fame and wealth. They began experimenting further, mixing herbs known to be used as aphrodisiacs with wine at various stages in the winemaking process. After five years of trials, they finally developed a wine they were both satisfied with.
