As we came down after contracting for the wine, Warren asked,
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Yes. The quality is even better than I expected.”
It wasn’t as though there were no places in Napa Valley that grew Cabernet Franc, but it was mostly planted as a supporting variety for blending, or produced according to the tastes of a handful of winemakers, so it wasn’t something you could simply buy just because you wanted something good.
That was why I had a question.
“There’s something I’m curious about...”
“What is it?”
“If he’s close friends with you, Mr. Warren, and so knowledgeable about wine, then surely he must be famous and run an incredible winery, right? But I’ve never heard his name before, and I’ve never heard the winery’s name either.”
“Ah, that?”
Warren narrowed his eyes in a faint smile and said,
“He’s an unusual fellow. From the very beginning, he was never someone who lived by connecting wine to money. He’s just a man who likes delicious wine, and because his palate is rather unique, he only wanted to grow the wine he wanted to drink himself.”
“Ah...”
“But since he was so skilled, even those unusual wines of his sold well, and ten years ago he became obsessed with Cabernet Franc, sold his Napa vineyard, and moved to a vineyard at six hundred meters above sea level.”
“He’s an impressive person.”
“That said, there’s no need to pity him. His wines have a distinct fanbase, so while he’s never hit it big, he’s never gone under either.”
“When I drank the wine earlier, I could feel the skill of a master.”
“If Cabernet Franc ever comes to be recognized as a flagship variety as much as Sauvignon, that fellow’s winery will probably strike it big too. Assuming he’s still alive by then, of course.”
Perhaps because he was old, he spoke of death so easily.
“You must be very close.”
“We got along well. We didn’t pry deeply into each other’s private lives, and he never envied my winery or my achievements. I don’t know if you’ll understand this, but when I become too successful, many people around me end up drifting away.”
“......”
“When you have a lot of money and your reputation rises, more people come to you, but they aren’t coming for me. They’re drawn by my money and fame. And the friends who liked me eventually begin comparing themselves to me and naturally grow distant. Then they become jealous. Before you know it, there’s no one left around you to whom you can give your heart.”
Since my life before the regression couldn’t be called successful, his advice now left quite an impression on me.
“If you want relationships to last, everyone has to succeed together.”
“That’s right. A relationship where neither side envies the other, where both can sincerely congratulate and take pride in each other, is bound to last. Edward was a friend who was a little outside of that, but that was because he was rather special. He isn’t shaken by the wealth or honor others possess. There aren’t many people like that in the world.”
“I think you’re right.”
I found myself thinking that if I wanted to stay with my friends for a long time, I had to help them succeed regardless of my own profits. Then again, since I’d already tied us together by contract, I thought perhaps it had worked out even better.
After descending the mountain for quite some time, we arrived at the winery to find a guest waiting.
“It’s been a while.”
It was Christopher White, who distributed Sylphid. He gave me a slight greeting, then looked at Warren with shining eyes. Seeing that look asking me to hurry up and introduce him, I chuckled and gestured to Christopher.
“This is Christopher, who distributes our wine, Sylphid. His company is called White & Company Wine Trading. He’s also from UC Davis.”
“Good to meet you.”
When Warren held out his hand, Christopher clasped it with a humbled expression.
“I’ve seen you from afar before, but this is the first time I’ve had the honor of greeting you like this. I’m Christopher White.”
“It’s not a company I’ve heard of before. What do you mainly distribute?”
“Until now, we’ve mainly distributed Pinot Noir and Merlot in the thirty-to-eighty-dollar range from the Sonoma region, but with Sylphid, we’re now putting out wines over one hundred dollars.”
“I hear Sylphid is mostly going to the East Coast?”
“That’s right. With interest in Pinot Noir exploding around New York, Sylphid’s value continues to rise.”
“You’ll make a lot of money.”
“It’s all thanks to Brian.”
Christopher had been sitting alone on the reception sofa in the office, but that couldn’t be helped since Dad had gone out to manage another vineyard site.
I brought out some simple drinks, handed them around, and sat down. Christopher then explained his business.
“The reason I came today is partly because I heard Mr. Warren Winiarski had come to Redwood and wanted to greet him once, and partly because, as we’ve entered into an agreement with a Japanese wine distributor, I wanted to ask whether you had any export volume set aside.”
The greeting had already been taken care of, so that was past. But at the mention of export to Japan, I frowned.
“To Japan? Hmm... Are you asking whether additional volume is possible, aside from the existing Sylphid allocation?”
“That’s right.”
“With the acquisition of Ironwood Cellars, we’ve secured a considerable amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, but we haven’t decided yet whether to release it this year.”
“It will be a very good opportunity. Because of the thirtieth-anniversary reenactment tasting of the Judgment of Paris held last year, interest in American wine has been gradually emerging in East Asia as well. If it’s wine from Redwood, which achieved major results in the San Francisco Chronicle and the DWWA, they’ll show great interest.”
Since a large amount of sales was at stake, Christopher looked at me with desperate eyes. But then Warren suddenly cut in.
“What’s Ironwood Cellars?”
“Ah... It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard about twenty minutes from here by bicycle. It’s thirty acres.”
“Then it’s much larger than this place?”
“That’s right. If you add this place, the Silver Oak vineyard site, and Ironwood together, it should be about sixty-five acres in total.”
“You’ve been building it up steadily.”
He nodded with a satisfied expression. Christopher, however, who had little interest in that, kept looking at me, wanting an answer.
“I do think the quality of the grapes grown at Ironwood Cellars won’t be bad.”
“But?”
After acquiring it, I had changed the soil first and was growing the grapes using the same Redwood farming methods, but that had only started this year. The grapes harvested last year had passed through my hands, but they hadn’t been cultivated my way from beginning to end. So it was difficult to guarantee the quality.
“We need to wait until at least after August and see their condition. If I judge the quality to be lacking, I can’t blend them into Echelon.”
“Ah...”
Christopher looked disappointed. Even if it came from the same winery, if it wasn’t a well-reviewed brand, it would be difficult to assign it high value.
And if we put it out at a cheaper price than our existing flagship wines? Consumers would undoubtedly treat it as the cheap version of Echelon right away.
“If that really turns out to be the case, I’ll release it under a new brand at a lower price, but that will take some time too. I don’t intend to release it with the same blend as the existing Echelon.”
In other words, I had no intention of putting it out as a cheap version of Echelon. Even if it was slightly lower in quality, I would release it as a wine with an entirely different character.
“It’s a shame, but I suppose we won’t know until after August. To be honest, when they said they would set the budget according to the volume if I told them in advance, I think I became a little impatient. Please just forget what we discussed today and make the wine comfortably.”
“Thank you for understanding. If I had certainty, I’d want to give it to you too... Echelon’s overseas distribution is outside the existing contract, so I can give you as much as I want.”
“It’s all right. Ah, um... Is there no news of new products from Golden Grain House?”
“Not yet. Even shipping what they’re producing now is a tight situation.”
If I had to pick the busiest among my four friends, it would definitely be Jacob. Even before, sales of The One hadn’t been bad, so Jacob had practically lived at the brewery. These days, he was so busy he couldn’t even come to school often.
Here, Warren cut in again.
“What’s Golden Grain House now?”
“Ah, one of my friends had a rice farm, and not long ago he built a brewery and started selling Korean-style vodka and fruit soju.”
“Your friend runs a brewery?”
“Yes. Another friend is making grape vinegar on a farm in Alexander Valley, and another runs a cherry and pear farm.”
Warren looked impressed by my circle of friends.
“How does a brat who isn’t even in his mid-twenties yet have friends so splendid?”
“We’ve all been friends since high school, and we grew closer after going to UC Davis together. Only Armando, the friend with the farm in Alexander Valley, bought it recently. The other two already came from farming families...”
“Then that rice-farming friend is around your age too?”
“That’s right. With the fruit soju becoming a huge hit this time, how much was it...? I heard sales had already surpassed two million dollars in the first quarter alone.”
At my words, Warren looked dumbfounded.
“I gave you needless advice earlier. You’re already doing better than I am.”
“Not at all. It just happened that way somehow. In any case, there won’t be any new products for a while.”
“I understand. Then I’ll visit again in August.”
“Yes!”
After lightly shaking my hand, Christopher once again bowed politely to Warren and left the winery.
“I’d like to visit your friends’ farms someday too.”
“They’re all busy right now, so do it later. Though Armando might like it.”
Though I said that, I knew he wouldn’t have much interest. I hadn’t known him for long, but he was the kind of person who showed an oddly complete lack of interest in anything other than wine.
Three days later, we carefully moved the Cabernet Franc barrels transported by special vehicle into the aging room.
After checking my blending plan, Warren said,
“You’re very short on Merlot. The Merlot you have is excellent, but that will only be enough for the auction delivery. And you’ll need Petit Verdot too. How did you handle Echelon?”
“I contracted with places that looked all right and brought it in. I didn’t go around checking every vineyard myself before bringing it in.”
“I see... If we make one wrong move, there could be grounds for a problem with Michelle Wine, so it’s difficult for me to recommend Merlot and Petit Verdot in Napa or Sonoma. If we take the good-quality lots, they could attack me for leaking inside information.”
“I completely understand. It’s fine.”
I felt he had already helped me enough and thought there was no need for any additional help, but instead he waved his hand.
“What are you talking about? The finest wine must never be compromised.”
I had never said I would make the best wine in the world, but Warren stroked his chin with his fingertips as though he were facing a grave decision.
“If you must...”
Just as I was about to refuse, he raised his head and said,
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be California, does it?”
“That... is true, I suppose?”
“How about taking a trip to Washington with me?”
“Washington?”
“Yes, Washington’s Columbia Valley. It’s a region that produces the finest Petit Verdot.”