Inside the office of Redwood Winery, several faxes and stacks of documents already lay on the table. They were proposals sent by New York magnates, as well as Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR), Europe’s largest distributor.
And seated there was Christopher White, dressed in a suit pressed more sharply than usual, looking at me with a slightly tense gaze.
“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Christopher, coming all the way here from San Francisco in person.”
“Of course I had to come. Napa is already buzzing with talk of Ether. If anything, I think I’m late.”
As he said, Napa Valley was indeed abuzz with talk of Ether, which had received 100 points from Robert Parker. Some said William Harlan had roared in fury, while others claimed Stan Kroenke had made up his mind to buy Redwood.
In truth, with Astra Vale having won the top prize two years in a row, many had predicted that this year, the honor would go to a wine from another winery. In particular, among the wineries that had overcome the frost and heat wave of 2008 were Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate, so the prevailing view had been that one of their wines would finally defeat Astra Vale this time.
But before next year’s San Francisco Chronicle even began, Robert Parker gave 100 points to Redwood’s new cult wine, and everything started to shake. For wineries producing cult-level wines, such as Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle, yielding the throne to Redwood Winery three times in a row would undoubtedly wound their pride.
In that sense, I could fully understand how thrilled and burdened Christopher White must have felt. For White & Company, which held an implicit priority in distribution negotiations, this was an opportunity they absolutely had to seize, but he must also know that to obtain it, he would have to give up just as much.
“Since you’re late, I assume you’ve prepared quite a bit?”
Perhaps that exerted a subtle pressure on him, because he cleared his throat once before speaking.
“Mr. Brian, to be blunt, please entrust the global distribution rights for the 2008 vintage of Ether entirely to my White & Company. We are prepared to meet whatever terms you want.”
Without even glancing through the documents he offered me, I pointed to BBR’s proposal lying on the table.
“Mr. Christopher White, you know better than anyone what kind of relationship we have. But I can’t ignore the proposals sitting on my desk right now. BBR is offering a wholesale price 40% higher than the existing Astra Vale in exchange for exclusive rights to the European market. On top of that, they’re making an extraordinary offer to prepay 50% of the volume.”
Christopher’s eyelids trembled faintly. Of course he knew. He knew how much influence Robert Parker’s 100 points had in the world of wine. That score of 100 was more than just a perfect mark; it was like magic that handed complete control over the wine’s pricing to the winery.
“Forty percent… That is an extremely aggressive figure.”
“That’s not all. One distributor in New York said they would feature Ether on the cover of their ‘VVIP Exclusive Catalog’ and offered an even higher wholesale price per bottle than BBR. As a manager, do I have any reason to reject these proposals?”
The office fell into silence. Christopher wiped the sweat from his palm. Once a mid-sized distributor on the western side of California, he had expanded in an instant by directly distributing Astra Vale. If he were now to exclusively distribute yet another cult wine—one that had received 100 points from Robert Parker—he would gain the chance to leap once more into the ranks of global heavyweights.
“Very well.”
Christopher finally straightened his back as if he had made up his mind. The madness of a gambler glimmered in his eyes.
“I’ll add 10% on top of the highest price they offered. And as for the prepayment, I’ll make it not 50%, but 100% in full. I’ll put up my entire distribution network and warehouses as collateral if I have to, and secure the funds for you. In return, please grant our company exclusive worldwide distribution rights.”
I smiled inwardly. A 100% prepayment and a wholesale price 10% higher than any other company’s… He had offered 100% prepayment before, but as the scale of distributed wine grew, the ratio had naturally been reduced.
A contract of this level was extraordinarily favorable, and I could tell that Christopher was now gambling with everything he had.
“Full prepayment for the entire quantity… That will be a considerable sum.”
“This isn’t overreaching. It’s an investment. I know better than anyone what kind of frenzy this miracle you created will cause in the market. And I want to stand at the center of that frenzy.”
I picked up a pen and signed the contract he had handed me. Christopher White’s hand trembled as he clasped mine.
“You won’t regret it. As of today, Ether will become the most expensive and most difficult-to-obtain jewel in the world.”
Well, I had heard things like this every time I made wine, so it didn’t stir me much. It was just that Ether itself amounted to less than 1,000 cases, so it wasn’t going to earn enough money to turn the world upside down.
“I’ll approve exclusive distribution, excluding the Asian region. You understand that part, don’t you?”
“That… I’ll accept as well.”
“Good.”
At any rate, as soon as the contract was concluded, a rare spectacle unfolded in the loading area of Redwood Winery. These were not ordinary wing-body trucks. Five special vibration-free vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art temperature and humidity control systems, each clearly marked on the exterior with the logo “Whites & Co. Specialized Logistics,” lined up and drove in.
Inside the warehouse, wooden crates containing “Ether 2008” were being carefully moved. Christopher personally held a checklist and compared the serial number of each crate.
“Careful! These are works of art worth thousands of dollars per bottle!”
In truth, the retail price was only a little over a thousand dollars, so calling them worth thousands was not quite accurate. But after five or six years, once brand recognition rose and the quantity became scarce, they could fetch several thousand dollars, so it wasn’t entirely a lie either.
“Yes, sir! Understood!”
At his shout, the workers’ movements became even more cautious. The temperature inside the vehicles was maintained at exactly 14 degrees, and the sensors in the cargo compartments did not permit even the slightest vibration. The sight of the black special vehicles moving in a line along the dusty roads of Napa Valley was reminiscent of a state guest procession or a gold bullion transport operation.
Such a sight was not that unusual in Napa Valley. It had looked like this with Astra Vale as well. The one difference this time was that five whole cases were loaded not into one of the special vehicles, but into Christopher’s personal sedan.
The destination of that procession was the heart of San Francisco: the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill.
That night, the penthouse garden of the Fairmont Hotel was dyed in the most dazzling splendor of the century. It was a party for which Christopher White had mobilized every connection in high society to commemorate the launch of Ether.
Rolls-Royces and Maybachs came to a constant stop at the hotel entrance. Silicon Valley IT tycoons, the hottest actress in Hollywood at the moment, and powerful San Francisco politicians gathered after seeing the name “Ether” written on the invitation.
“Oh, Christopher! I hear you secured exclusive rights to that 100-point wine?”
At the center of the party, Christopher, dressed in a tuxedo and holding a glass of champagne, was receiving everyone’s praise. In a place where, only a few years ago, he would not even have been invited, he had now become the most prominent host.
“Hahaha! Thank you.”
“Thank you!”
He moved around, repeatedly expressing his gratitude. Then, as conversation ripened and the garden lights dimmed softly, the orchestra’s performance faded. Everyone’s gaze focused on the podium. Christopher took the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today is an especially meaningful day for me. I have secured Ether from Redwood, Napa Valley’s rising idol.”
At those words, people cheered and applauded, and Christopher raised a hand with a relaxed smile. Then, when the cheers subsided, he spoke again.
“When Robert Parker gave it 100 points, people must have been stunned. Another cult wine after Astra Vale? Again? After taking Best of Show two years in a row, they’re releasing another new 100-point wine? Does that even make sense?”
“Of course it doesn’t.”
“That’s a miracle!”
Christopher smiled with satisfaction at the crowd’s shouts. After all, the wine he distributed had achieved that absurd, miracle-like feat.
“And yet, it happened.”
People whistled and shouted as though demanding that he bring the wine out before their eyes at once.
“Show us!”
“Bring it out!”
At the crowd’s insistence, Christopher raised his hand again to calm them.
“All right, all right. Everyone, calm down. You are now about to taste a miracle born of Napa Valley’s soul and precise science. Allow me to introduce Redwood’s Ether—the wine Robert Parker awarded 100 points, calling it the most astonishing birth in the history of Napa Valley.”
When the velvet cloth was removed, a bottle of Ether and several decanters filled with wine appeared under the spotlight. The exquisitely designed label glittered like a diamond beneath the lights, and the red liquid in the decanters tempted everyone’s gaze.
Sommeliers wearing white gloves began serving from the decanters in unison. The liquid flowing into the glasses was a deep, rich ruby color, with a transparent brilliance lingering within it. As soon as the wine filled the glasses, aromas of cassis, violets, and cool minerals surged like waves throughout the penthouse garden.
“My God… What is this aroma?”
“It feels like silk wrapping around my mouth. And yet the power is overwhelming.”
Hollywood stars and magnates voiced their admiration before they had even emptied their glasses. They were people who had drunk countless luxury wines, but they had no choice but to marvel at the precise balance Ether presented.
Christopher felt a shiver as he watched the scene. It was the moment he became certain that the enormous wholesale price he had paid and the reckless exclusive-rights contract had not been in vain.
Someone asked Christopher,
“If I buy the wine here, does that make me one of the first people to purchase Ether?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then I’ll buy it. How much can I get?”
As the night deepened, the heat of the party grew hotter, and around Christopher, requests from people hoping to be allocated even one more case of Ether never ceased. He, once a wine critic and mid-sized distributor in the western United States, was now being reborn as a heavyweight shaking the entire global wine market.
---
In early October, in the front courtyard of Château Pétrus, La Gerbaude, the traditional festival marking the end of the harvest, was in full swing.
The aroma of steaks grilled over a great oak fire with grapevine cuttings filled the air, and the laughter of the laborers and villagers who had worked hard all year made the peaceful château even more beautiful. And at the center of it all stood the great figure of Bordeaux, Christian Moueix.
He personally filled the workers’ glasses with wine and showed them a benevolent smile. This year’s grapes were perfect. All of Bordeaux was immersed in a festive mood, anticipating a vintage of the century.
At that moment, a familiar face came through the crowd. It was Daniel, the manager of the nearby Château Belle Époque.
“Chairman Moueix, congratulations on the harvest. The condition of this year’s grapes is truly astonishing.”
Daniel bowed politely and held out the black leather case in his hand.
“It is a gift from Mr. Brian Choi, the owner of Belle Époque. Redwood’s 2007 Astra Vale. He said to share it with your honored guests.”
In that instant, Christian’s benevolent smile slowly stiffened. The château staff around them also held their breath. On the surface, it might have seemed that Daniel had brought a rare and difficult-to-obtain gift, but right now, it could not be seen that way.
Only a few days earlier, the bad news that had flown in from across the Atlantic had left a deep wound in Bordeaux’s pride. Robert Parker had bestowed 100 points on Napa Valley’s new work, Ether, pouring out praise that threatened Bordeaux’s legitimacy.
Christian stared directly into Daniel’s eyes. This man, once a talent from Leroy, had moved to an up-and-coming winery in Napa, and was now, in the heart of Bordeaux, making a declaration of war disguised as a gift.
“Astra Vale…”
Christian’s voice sank low. He had accepted the gift, but he saw through it precisely: it was not to congratulate him, but an elegant mockery meant to confirm Napa Valley’s victory report.
“Tell Mr. Brian that I received his gift well. And… tell him I look forward to the day we meet soon.”
“Of course.”
At Daniel’s refreshing smile, Christian’s expression hardened a little more.