Estate of Carnil the Vintner

Carnil was a Noldo and one of the original founders of Eregion. He had lived in Aman and so had within him a skill and understanding of living things possessed by few. It was no surprise that his vines throve, and produced the best wines in the valley. Two in particular were famous from Lindon to the Mouths of Anduin: Carmiré (“sparkl- ing red") a deep red Cabernet, and Yuldelisé (“sweet draught”), a Chardonnay. The estate mansion rested on a low hill amidst the vineyards, with the winery and associated buildings clustered nearby. Carnil was grieved when his eldest son Orrere decided to join the Gwaith-i-Mirdain and became a Smith. Although it was a prestigious profession, Carnil would have preferred to have Orreré work in the winery. Instead, Carnil continued to take an active part in the operation (as well as being a Councilman at Ost-in-Edhil) aided by his daughter Lairhen (“Misty eyes") and three Silvan Elves, who oversaw the several dozen Silvan laborers. No one could ask for better workers: tireless Elves who loved nothing more than “gardening” in the grandest sense. The mansion, about thirty miles northeast of Ost-in-Edhil, rested on the edge of a great bluff and was surrounded by thousands of acres of vineyards. The house was of frame and stucco, standing on a firm foundation of stone. The only reason it had survived into the Third Age, however, was that it was converted into a small monastery by a little known cult of Priests around S.A. 1800.