[Soaring Reputation]
The night in LA passed, and morning broke.
However, it wasn't wine that graced the front pages of the newspapers.
[George Clooney and Brad Pitt Dominate the Red Carpet of the Century Once Again]
[Sting's Performance Moves the Beverly Hilton to Tears]
[Angelina Jolie Selected for the Most Perfect Dress]
The protagonists of the day were all stars. From Variety and People to The Hollywood Reporter and E! Online... reporters dissected the actors' smiles and outfits, while the wine and brands sponsored for the event were summarized in a single line.
"The Silver Oak Revival Cabernet and Redwood Winery's Sylphide were provided as the sponsored wines for this gala."
That was all. People were curious about what the celebrities wore and who they talked to, not which wines they were interested in.
However, two days later, the situation began to change when the local New York media outlet Page Six ran a short breaking news piece.
The article added the sentence: 'Limited edition wine from the Hollywood Humanitarian Gala.'
That single line ignited the fire.
The next day, Wine Enthusiast reported on it, followed by Food & Wine. And a single sentence in the New York Times Lifestyle Section explained the top stars' actions, engraving the name Sylphide into people's minds.
"Rumor has it that top stars and officials who attended the event, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt, were so captivated by the charm of Sylphide that they deliberately sought out New York to get their hands on the limited edition."
Naturally, people began searching for the wine called Sylphide, and those who were already interested in Pinot Noir due to the movie Sideways started visiting wine shops specifically to find it.
The person who felt this reaction most sensitively was Christopher, the CEO of White & Co. Wine Trading.
"Sir! New York, Boston, Washington D.C... almost every wine shop is ordering Sylphide!"
It was a report that made him want to cheer. Yet, even in such a good situation, why did Christopher feel a sense of regret?
'Sigh... I shouldn't have passed on reviewing Achelon...'
At this point, Christopher was even contemplating whether he should step away from wine criticism. As far as he knew, it was about time for Achelon to be bottled and released; if he had been the one distributing Achelon as well, the synergy would have been immense.
Especially since Achelon, which possessed a firm and complex structure unlike the easy-drinking Pinot Noir, was clearly a wine that would be loved by enthusiasts and see its evaluation rise year after year. It was deeply regrettable that he had missed out on it.
"What should we do?"
He spoke in a regretful tone to the marketing team leader, who was just watching him.
"Gather in the conference room."
"Understood."
Calling the staff into the conference room, Christopher stood in front of the whiteboard, holding a black marker and scratching his head. He was still filled with regret, but it was done.
"For now, we are going to completely revise the distribution strategy we initially planned."
After glancing at the surprised employees, he spoke in a firm voice.
"We already know how powerful the awareness gained from entertainment programs can be, thanks to the TV show Wine Masters. I believe the additional orders from wine shops prove that while this event didn't reach the level of Wine Masters, the top stars winning the limited edition Sylphide at auction had a powerful image-improvement effect."
The employees nodded.
"I never expected to get such good results from an event we participated in primarily for a bit of publicity and to expose top stars to Sylphide to make them key customers. But since things have turned out this way, we have no choice but to change our strategy. We were planning to sell the wine primarily to consumers who pre-ordered through the catalog and distribute the remainder through wine shops, right?"
"That is correct."
"We will reduce the supply further from here. One case per shop per month."
The employees were shocked. In the current atmosphere, if they only supplied one case a month, it was certain that a 'SOLD OUT' sticker would be on the shelves at all times.
"Sir, if we sell it like that, a significant amount of inventory will pile up in the warehouse."
"I know. But I don't think we need to sell all of this year's Sylphide in a hurry. Our strategy is to stockpile more of the Sylphide we have secured now."
"Ah..."
"In the long term, we will sell the 2005 Sylphide at an even more valuable price. So, we are moving beyond just distributing it little by little; we are changing our strategy to one where retail shops only display it."
The marketing team leader, who understood the CEO's words, clicked his tongue.
"Consumers will just be waiting without being able to buy it."
"Won't the retailers push back?"
Christopher answered confidently.
"Absolutely not... They will hope for even just one case a month. Since there's no Sylphide, consumers will end up buying other wines. They will actually like Sylphide more because it keeps customers coming back."
"Ah! That makes sense."
"You must realize that Sylphide will become our company's signature wine. To do that, we must increase its value even more. Don't feel burdened by the need to clear inventory right away. That inventory will become our treasure."
Having decided to stockpile the inventory himself, Christopher tried to suppress his excitement and respond to the market calmly.
Cambridge Street in Boston. Julia, an office worker, was walking quickly, repeating to herself anxiously.
'They said it was so hard to get...'
She had already stopped by two shops, both to no avail, and this was her third. Her only hobby these days was drinking steak and wine after work, and she had desperately wanted to get her hands on Sylphide after hearing that George Clooney, whom she liked so much, had even participated in the limited edition auction.
She walked with the hope that the shop she was heading to would have the wine she was looking for.
Jingle!
Pushing open the door to the wine shop, which had 'The Cellar District' written in gold letters on the glass, she caught her breath. The jazz that delighted the ears, the cool air, and the smell of cork that tickled the tip of her nose made her heart flutter for no reason.
"Are you looking for a specific wine?"
The clerk, who was organizing the counter, spoke first. He was wearing a thin purple tie and had a kind smile.
"Um... do you have Sylphide? The Redwood Winery Pinot Noir."
The clerk's expression became noticeably apologetic.
"Ah... did you happen to see the news? The article about George Clooney and Brad Pitt taking that limited edition at the New York charity auction."
"I saw it yesterday."
"That's too bad. Actually, that wine wasn't something that came into the shop from the beginning."
"Oh? Is that so? The previous shop didn't say anything like that."
"We were taking pre-orders through a catalog, and it only started coming into the shop last week. That's probably why they didn't mention it."
"Ah... I see."
"But unfortunately, after that New York auction news, the Sylphide that came in once was completely wiped out. The initial amount was only 5 cases, so it wasn't much, but after the news hit, it didn't even last a few days."
She couldn't understand it at all.
"5 cases is still 60 bottles, which is quite a lot. How could what came in last week be sold out already?"
"Is this your first time with Sylphide this year?"
Her face flushed slightly. She felt a bit embarrassed that she was buying wine just because it was a trend.
"Yes..."
"Then the current situation might be hard to understand. Actually, Sylphide was already quite famous among wine enthusiasts last year, but the supply itself was very small. The Redwood Winery you mentioned is small-scale, so their annual production was only 3,000 cases, but they became famous after receiving a Double Gold last year."
"Ah... so that's why..."
"So, customers who pre-ordered through the catalog got it easily, but others had already come to the shop in advance to place reservations. That's why even those 5 cases disappeared in an instant."
At his words, Julia nodded, her gaze landing on the end of the shelf labeled Sylphide. She let out a small sigh at the bright red 'SOLD OUT' sticker pointing to that empty spot.
[Sylphide, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2006 / $150]
"Then can I make a reservation too?"
"You can leave a reservation, but no one knows when it will come in."
"No one knows?"
The clerk shrugged.
"There's a rumor that the distributor is deliberately controlling the inventory. It's a bit cruel from a consumer's perspective, but they say that's their strategy these days. That's why people want it even more."
A middle-aged man who had been browsing the labels nearby chimed in.
"Is it really that famous? I don't really like wines that are just famous."
Since there are many picky and sensitive people among wine enthusiasts, the clerk didn't feel offended at all and replied.
"It became famous because top stars sought it out, but it's a wine that has been famous since last year. Most people say that if you enjoy Pinot Noir, there's no way you won't like it. Since it received a Double Gold, you don't have to doubt the quality."
"I don't really like Pinot Noir..."
"If you're looking for a heavy structure and rich aroma, I can recommend Achelon from the same Redwood... it's also a wine that received a Double Gold."
He didn't seem very excited even at the mention of the Double Gold.
"I prefer what suits my own palate... but since it's a Cabernet Sauvignon, I am a bit interested... do you have any?"
"We have exactly one bottle left."
"One bottle?"
As the customer tilted his head in confusion, the clerk chuckled.
"Our CEO went all the way to Sacramento himself to get this. He wanted to buy more, but he only managed to get 3 cases, and after they sold out in two days, there's only one bottle left now."
"Give it to me."
He decided to order it right away. Because if it was a wine people were looking for so desperately, securing it was unconditionally profitable.
"It's $150, is that alright?"
"The price doesn't matter."
For someone who doesn't enjoy alcohol and only drinks wine lightly, $150 is a burden, but for wine enthusiasts, $150 is not that expensive. Especially for those who enjoy French wines, $150 feels quite cheap.
The clerk said while carefully wrapping the only bottle of Achelon.
"If you are a customer who usually enjoys Cabernet Sauvignon, you will definitely be satisfied."
"You seem confident?"
"Our CEO prefers heavy and complex blended wines rather than light and fresh ones like you, sir, but after drinking this Achelon, he hasn't even brought out one of the 3 cases he bought."
"So he went all that way and only sold 2 cases?"
"Yes, that's how much he liked it. He said it was the same shock he felt when he drank Insignia and Opus One."
The man swallowed hard, and his heart began to race.
"I'm going to drink it myself, so you can just wrap it roughly."
"Yes, then I'll just pack it like this."
As the middle-aged man left the shop with the long wine bag the clerk had given him, Julia wore a regretful expression.
"Then when will that Achelon come in?"
The clerk frowned and looked apologetic again.
"Ah... Achelon is being sold at Macy's department store, as they seem to have secured a significant amount. You'll probably have to go to Macy's rather than here. The price will probably be much higher than ours, though."
"More than $150?"
"They'll probably charge at least double."
She regretted not acting quickly earlier and said.
"Then please make a reservation for me first."
The clerk handed her a reservation card.
"Please write your name and contact information. I'll contact you in order when it comes in."
Julia asked while writing her name and number in neat handwriting.
"But other shops didn't even mention reservations, why was that?"
The clerk chuckled and gave a mysterious smile.
"It's probably because they don't know how much will come in. And they might not even sell all the wine that does come in."
"Why?"
"Because its value is constantly rising, visibly so. Sometimes that happens—wines that even the shops don't really want to sell."
At this point, Julia became even more curious about that Pinot Noir.