[The Verdict of London]
London, Conrad St. James Hotel.
Under a gray sky, rain was falling beyond the glass windows. Inside the grand banquet hall, dozens of round tables were arranged at regular intervals. On the white tablecloths, sets of pristine wine glasses, ice buckets, and recording sheets were laid out side by side.
At each table, a Chair, an assistant, and a server stood ready.
Christopher White sat quietly in the waiting room, watching the live feed on a monitor. In his hand, he held the entry confirmation slips with the participant numbers.
Echelon 2005.
Sylphide 2005.
Both bottles had entered the cooling room with nothing but barcodes attached. No labels, no names, no indication of origin... Only the aroma and the lingering finish when poured into a glass would prove the identity of these wines. I felt quite nervous, but it didn't show on my face at all.
Thomas asked in a low voice from beside me.
“You’re excited, aren’t you?”
“We’re here to promote, not to win awards.”
It was exactly what I had said before, but Thomas didn't shrink back; his eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“Still, it wouldn’t be bad if we got a good result.”
“Haha, that’s true. But we mustn't forget that for this competition, the most important thing is promoting Redwood and building connections for our company.”
While it would be great for the submitted wines to perform well, building strong relationships with the various distributors and wineries participating in the event to secure and distribute high-quality wines in the future was what truly mattered for the company’s future.
Suddenly, Christopher’s gaze shifted to the monitor. In the video, the judges were taking their seats at the judging tables one by one. England, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia... Looking at the nationalities alone, the traditional homelands of wine and the New World were mixed together in one place.
The glasses were aligned in three rows, and the lighting was dimmed slightly.
The competition had begun.
9:00 AM sharp.
The first session: New World Cabernet Blend – Vintage 2005. Echelon 2005 was there.
The Chair of the judging panel, Peter Dawson, lifted the glass and brought it to the tip of his nose. After quietly inhaling the aroma, he nodded briefly.
“The balance is good. The boundary between black cherry and spice is distinct.”
The French judge next to him swirled his glass and said.
“The minerality is impressive. The oak isn't overpowering. I can feel a refined structure.”
The female judge from New Zealand smiled slightly.
“Yet the texture is firm. It feels more European than tropical fruit, wouldn't you say?”
Scores were recorded on each of their sheets.
Between 91 and 94.
This was top-tier level. However, the judges soon moved their eyes to the next wine and continued their evaluation.
Lunchtime, hotel restaurant on the first floor. Representatives from the wineries and distributors participating in the competition were gathered in small groups, having their meals.
“American wines are exceptionally strong this year.”
“Isn't there a rumor that the DWWA is biased toward California?”
“Haha, I suppose the Judgment of Paris isn't over yet.”
Christopher, who had been eating quietly, struggled to suppress the smile that was forming on his face without him realizing it. As a wine critic, I knew better than anyone how good Echelon and Sylphide were. I kept reminding myself that I didn't need to be overly pleased by the opinions of others, trying to calm the excitement bubbling up inside me.
“Excuse me... aren't you Mr. Christopher White?”
A woman approached him while he was eating. She was in her mid-30s, wearing a black off-shoulder dress, and her strong British accent made it clear she was from the UK.
“Yes, that’s me, but...”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Eliza Wadsworth. I’m the CEO of Wadsworth & Co. Wine Merchants here in London.”
After shaking hands, Christopher gestured to the seat in front of him. She didn't decline, sat down opposite him, and smiled.
“I took the liberty of approaching you because I heard you brought Sylphide and Echelon, which are quite hot in the US lately. I hope you don't mind.”
“Of course not. I’ve heard of the reputation of Wadsworth & Co. for a long time, so it’s an honor for me.”
Wadsworth & Co., a traditional wine distribution company with a 70-year history in London, was a name that Christopher, as both a wine critic and a distributor, could not possibly be unaware of.
The fact that she looked young despite the company's long history made it clear that she had inherited it from her parents when they were young.
“I heard you work as both a wine critic and a distributor, is that correct?”
“Yes, I love wine so much that my life has been intertwined with it.”
“Ho ho, my life has been with wine since my grandparents' generation, so it’s not unfamiliar to me. Actually, I’ve been interested in American wine for a long time. A significant amount of American wine is sold in the UK even now, and among them, the most impressive ones are undoubtedly the wines of Napa.”
“Mondavi must be the best-seller, right?”
Eliza gave a light laugh.
“That’s right. And since the results of the 30th-anniversary Judgment of Paris re-tasting came out, interest in American wine has skyrocketed in the UK. Honestly, there were many British people who felt a sense of triumph regarding the results of that event.”
“I understand. Old historical sentiments must still linger.”
“...Anyway, last year’s event left a deep impression on us, so interest in American wine has grown, and we are looking for more diverse and new wines. Among them, Echelon, which you brought, makes me want to experience it for myself.”
“Did Sylphide not suit your taste?”
She waved her hand.
“I’ve already tried it in New York. It felt like a wine where the advantages of Pinot Noir were extremely condensed.”
“Ah—”
“I expect the results of this competition to be quite good as well. It’s just that I haven't experienced Echelon, so I’m all the more curious.”
“Unfortunately, the winery isn't large, so 3,000 cases was the total.”
“That’s what I mean.”
“Knowing that, are you still interested in the distribution rights for Echelon and Sylphide?”
She composed her expression and spoke in a serious tone.
“First of all, there is almost no information about the winery, so I’d like to hear a bit about it. I can't import anything if I don't know what it is.”
For Christopher, who held the distribution rights, telling her everything was by no means a wise move. He didn't have a 10-year exclusive contract, so spilling every detail to the woman in front of him was certainly not good for the company.
But if he kept his mouth shut, no deal would be made. He had to find an exquisite balance.
“Redwood Winery is a new winery without a long history, but its technical skills are excellent. Of course, it belongs to Napa Valley and has a wonderful terroir, but that’s not the only thing they use to make wine.”
“I know that Sylphide was contract-brewed. That’s the only way a Napa Valley winery can make wine with grapes from the Russian River Valley.”
“That’s right. However, the farm they own itself is not large. Even if you add it all up, is it 60 acres? Because the scale is so small, I don't think it will increase beyond 3,000 cases for the time being.”
Eliza frowned at the bad news.
“Oh my... I see.”
Since it meant that even if they got good results this time, there would be almost no quantity to import, it was inevitably disappointing for her.
“If you are looking for other wines, I might be able to introduce you to some.”
Being a cold-headed businesswoman, she immediately waved her hand.
“No. It’s not difficult to find wines with a different feel. If there are any wines you would like to import from Europe, I can connect you. If you ever need anything in the future, please contact me through our company email account at any time. If it’s a proposal from Mr. Christopher, I will consider it first.”
It was a truly formal statement that carried no burden whatsoever.
“The same goes for me. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
As Eliza Wadsworth left the table, Thomas, who had been keeping his mouth shut and just watching the situation next to Christopher the whole time, said.
“She just said what she wanted to say and left. It feels like she’s openly ignoring us. ‘Please contact me by email’...”
“She’s a place with a lot of connections in the wine industry and a large capacity. If she hadn't experienced Sylphide herself, she probably wouldn't have been interested at all. She only came to find us because of that, out of curiosity about Echelon.”
“Then you told her 3,000 cases was the limit on purpose?”
“Because that’s the truth.”
He picked up his fork again and muttered with an unreadable look in his eyes.
“For now, at least...”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A few days later, I stood in the middle of the Silveroak farm I had acquired and looked at the grapevines that had already grown to my chest, or even higher. It was a sight that made me smile on its own.
“Wow— how did you do this so well? It’s definitely different, isn't it?”
Chloe burst into exclamations as she looked around the farm. She had changed the varieties in her cherry farm, and the pear orchard was completely plowed over from a tomato farm to plant trees, so I thought it would be helpful to her, which is why I brought her here to show her.
“It’s all my blood and sweat. And money, of course.”
“It’s hard to believe there was a wildfire here. And the condition of the vines is so good, too! They’re young trees, but I can feel their vitality. But they haven't been planted for long, so how did they grow this tall?”
“Originally, if you plant Cabernet Sauvignon seedlings and take good care of them for over a year, they’ll climb the stakes and reach 1.5 meters. The thickness of the stem is about the size of a thumb, too. It’s at the perfect level right now.”
I tapped the lower part of the stem with my finger, and it made a heavy, hollow sound.
“It feels a bit faster than other places because the nutritional status is good.”
“Look at that one over there, it even has grapes! Are there grapes already?”
“Those aren't proper grapes. It’s more about checking the state of the farm than commercial value. Some grapes can be harvested next year, but it’s just a test harvest, and from the year after that, we’ll be able to produce a little less than 1 ton per acre.”
“Did you do the soil exactly as you told us?”
“It’s a little different from that. Biochar compound fertilizer... remember when we made a huge amount of charcoal back then?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“And you know how the To-Kalon region around Oakville in Napa Valley is famous, right? So I laid down gravel here to make the soil drain well, just like that area.”
Chloe opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“The whole place?”
“Not the whole place, but you see how the grapevines are lined up in a straight line here, right? I created the soil along these lines, and while it’s not perfect, I’ve made it look plausible. I also laid the biochar along the vine lines.”
“Ah... that’s amazing. You’ve set this all up perfectly.”
“In farming, the land is incredibly important. To-Kalon is famous partly because it’s gravelly loam with excellent drainage, so I imitated that, and I also laid down as many microorganisms as possible. I’ll have to wait a few years to see how this turns out myself.”
At my explanation, Chloe squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, let it slip through her fingers, and felt the texture.
“It doesn't look that different on the surface, but it’s fascinating.”
“People usually think this kind of land would be incredibly fertile, but surprisingly, it’s not.”
“Huh? Really?”
“If it’s too fertile, the grapes don't come out with the feeling you want. Grapes are quite fascinating; they need to be a little lacking, in water and such, to come out as high quality.”
Chloe, who had been tilting her head, soon smiled bashfully.
“It’s just like people. I think someone who was a bit lacking rather than someone who had everything, if they work hard to achieve something, eventually becomes a good person.”
“That’s right. That’s why it’s fascinating.”
At this moment, my phone vibrated irreverently. When I answered, it was a very familiar voice.
“Brian! The results are out!”
At Christopher’s somewhat excited voice, I found myself looking at Chloe.