The Merger (3)
The drive from Napa Valley to Lodi takes a little over an hour and a half. Since I’ve been making the trip so often, it doesn’t feel like much of a burden, even though it’s roughly the same distance as Seoul to Cheonan. Considering the straight-line distance from my home to school is over 50 kilometers, you could say it’s barely further than my daily commute.
Humming a tune and lost in thought, I arrived in Lodi before I knew it.
“You’re here?”
Since I always call before I head over, she was waiting in the farm office at the time I was expected. As soon as she spotted my car, she came running out. Then, she pointed at the small paper bag in my hand.
“What’s that?”
“Oh? I brought this for you.”
Chloe’s mouth stretched into a grin, and she asked with a playful, squinty-eyed look.
“What is it~?”
“I went to the department store with my parents and bought a scarf.”
She snatched the bag from me, tore open the box, and pulled out an ivory silk scarf with a subtle sheen. As the sunlight hit it, the silk shimmered like waves. She seemed to love it so much that her eyes turned into heart shapes, and she immediately wrapped it around her head like a bandana. Without even checking a mirror, she adjusted it, went back to her car to fix the shape, and then struck a pose for me.
“How is it? Do I look pretty?”
“Yeah, it looks good.”
“Ugh... look at me properly.”
“I’m serious, it looks great. You look like a model in a magazine.”
I wasn’t just saying it; she really did look like a model posing for a shoot. It must be because she’s naturally beautiful and has such great proportions.
At my words, she squirmed and giggled before asking.
“But why did you buy this?”
“Like I said, I was at the department store with my parents and...”
For a split second, Chloe’s eyebrows arched downward.
“...Why are you explaining it like you bought fruit on sale while shopping?”
Realizing I’d made a mistake, I quickly scrambled for a better answer.
“I just thought that when you’re out on the farm, a scarf like that would really suit you. Wearing a hat all the time isn’t great for your hair, and it’s perfect for wrapping around your neck when the weather gets chilly.”
Pouting, she put her hands on her hips and slowly stepped toward me. I found myself backing away slightly at her feigned anger.
“Is that all?”
“No, well... there were other reasons...”
Just then, she stepped on my foot. Seeing my startled expression, Chloe smirked and grabbed my face with both hands. Then, for a brief, fleeting moment, our lips touched.
A breeze drifted by, carrying a faint scent of pear blossoms.
In that instant, all sound ceased.
The birds, the distant rumble of a tractor... everything faded.
All I could hear was the frantic thumping of my own heart.
Chloe stepped back, her face flushed red, and said,
“Why did you buy it?”
“...I wanted to give it to you. I thought you’d like it.”
With a shy smile, Chloe pulled me into a tight hug.
“Thank you.”
“...It’s not that big of a deal...”
“But are all Korean men like this?”
“...Like what?”
“Hmm... never mind.”
I hadn’t realized it, but holding Chloe felt warm and incredibly stable. I found myself thinking that marrying her might not be such a bad idea after all.
“Buy me something delicious.”
“Actually, I did spot a decent place on my way here.”
“Not somewhere close... I want to go for a drive, so let’s go somewhere a bit further. How about Benicia? That place has a great atmosphere. We can eat while looking out at the ocean with some wine. If we leave now, it’ll take about an hour. Since it’s late for lunch, there won’t even be a wait.”
“Uh... didn’t you say you had farm work to do?”
Chloe pulled away, looking dissatisfied.
“I’ve been working hard on the farm, haven’t I? Can’t we set the mood for once today?”
“...I suppose. Honestly, farming every day gets tedious. A change of pace is necessary once in a while.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Let’s go.”
“Uh, okay...”
I found myself getting back into the car with her. The only difference from the trip over was that Chloe was sitting in the passenger seat, and my right hand was resting over hers.
The next day, at the Silveroak Hills winery office.
On the old oak table sat a contract, a laptop, and water glasses arranged for the number of people present.
Ben Lowell adjusted his crisp black suit and spoke.
“Well then, let’s all take our seats. I assume I don’t need to make introductions, as I believe you’ve all met before?”
Elowen Pike nodded silently. He wasn’t particularly surprised, as he already knew the identity of today’s business partner was Redwood Winery. In fact, realizing it was Redwood cleared up his confusion as to why the other party hadn’t tried to lowball him on the price.
He realized that since the farm was located right next door, it was the perfect property for expansion, and trying to force the price down could have killed the deal entirely. However, Elowen wasn’t particularly angry about it. If anything, he felt relieved.
His mind was solely focused on clearing his debts and selling off his wine so he could start over in Sonoma.
His partner, Tom, sat beside him, and across from them were my father, myself, and Ben.
As the folders were placed in front of everyone, a brief silence fell. A strange atmosphere formed, but Ben soon opened his laptop and began.
“First, let’s confirm the basic terms of this agreement once more. The assets being acquired by Redwood Winery include the 32-acre site, the main winery building, fermentation tanks, cooling lines, the barrel room, and the entire irrigation system. However, the inventory of barrels and bottled wine is excluded.”
Elowen nodded.
“I’ve already confirmed that. Only the wine currently fermenting in the tanks is included in the acquisition, right?”
“Correct. It is recorded as ‘Work in Progress,’ approximately 50,000 liters.”
Ben flipped the page and read quietly.
“The existing mortgage loan is to be fully repaid by the seller, and any remaining taxes or unpaid property taxes are also to be handled entirely by the seller. The buyer is not liable for these debts.”
My father nodded.
“Good. It seems all the uncertain parts have been cleared up.”
Elowen checked the contract one last time and said,
“6.5 million dollars, all cash, is that correct?”
Ben answered.
“That is correct. The buyer has confirmed that the balance will be wired within two days of signing. According to Article 4, Section 1 of the contract, the buyer gains practical possession of the site immediately upon signing, and the legal transfer of ownership will take place within 48 hours of the funds being transferred. Do you understand?”
As Elowen sold the farm, he felt a sense of relief, as if a long-standing blockage had been cleared, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of guilt. He felt sorry toward his father, who had passed the farm down to him.
He nodded with a dark expression, and Tom, watching him with pity, patted his shoulder.
Elowen signed the contract first, followed by Tom, and then Dad picked up the pen. I noticed his fingertips trembling slightly as he wrote the date next to his signature. It seemed he was deeply moved by the acquisition of an additional 32 acres.
With the 15 acres of Redwood, the 30 acres of Ironwood Cellars, and the 50 acres of Silveroak, we had become wealthy Estate Owners with a total of 95 acres.
In reality, the average size of a farm in the United States is about 445 acres. In the Midwest, where they grow corn or wheat, 100 acres is a size you can finish in a few passes with a tractor, so many people have to work ‘two jobs’ just to make a living.
But it’s a completely different story if you own 100 acres in Napa Valley. Napa Valley is famous for its high land prices, and the average vineyard size here is only about 20 to 40 acres.
If you own 100 acres in Napa Valley, the land value alone is worth tens of billions of won, and the annual wine revenue is immense, making you recognized as a local pillar or a successful entrepreneur in your own right.
Ben closed the final page and said quietly,
“The contract is officially established. This is a new beginning for both parties. I wish both businesses great success in the future.”
Elowen stood up and offered his hand to Dad.
“It’s over. It was a good deal.”
“Same here.”
After the deal was done, I spoke to Dad, who looked a bit dazed.
“It doesn’t feel real yet, does it? You feel the same, right, Dad?”
“Yeah. When the money is in the bank, it’s just a number... it felt like looking at a bankbook with a lot of digits. But now that we’ve actually acquired the farm, all this vast vineyard is becoming ours. It feels like something I imagined has become reality. I guess this is why people buy houses when they make money. It feels so different from just seeing numbers on a screen.”
“I feel the same way. When I make money by making wine... I feel good, but it’s not exactly ‘overwhelmingly’ moving. But whenever I acquire a winery, I’m always moved. It was like that when we acquired Ironwood Cellars, and when we acquired the remaining part of Silveroak after the fire... there’s a feeling that words can’t describe. It’s like just looking at it fills my heart to the brim?”
After I said it, I felt like I had heard that line before. Then, Armando’s face flashed in my mind, and I closed my eyes tightly.
“Ah... I take that back.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go, quickly.”
I shook off the emotion that had filled my chest and quickly left Silveroak to return to Redwood.
“Did the acquisition go well?”
When I arrived at the aging cellar, Warren was holding a wine glass, savoring it deeply.
“Yes... but these days, it feels like you’re coming to work just to drink wine.”
“Drinking wine is my job.”
“I suppose so, but...”
“You’ve already checked the condition of the grapes on the farm, haven’t you? You’ve got the harvest schedule all set up without me even having to say a word.”
“That’s right. It’s my job.”
It wasn’t that a definitive harvest date had been set, but I had at least marked the approximate window to check for harvest readiness.
“So, all that’s left for me to do is drink wine...”
“Right... if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading out.”
“You’re quite busy. Where are you off to now?”
“The pear orchard.”
“Didn’t you go there yesterday?”
“......”
Embarrassed, I turned my gaze away slightly and said,
“I couldn’t check it properly yesterday... so I’m going to go look at it today.”
“Hmm?”
“One thing led to another...”
One corner of Warren’s mouth curled up abnormally.
“Ah, I couldn’t check it properly because I was on a date.”
“Oh ho, so you do things other than farming? You’re more human than I thought.”
“Did you think I was some kind of robot?”
“I did. I wondered if Asians were incapable of dating, but I guess that wasn’t the case.”
I was dumbfounded. I had been married in my previous life, and to be treated like this...
“That’s not it at all.”
As I was about to leave,
“Hey, then...”
“Yes?”
“Let me tag along. To that pear orchard.”
I almost asked, ‘Why would you want to go there?’ but upon reflection, I realized he might be curious about other crops as well.
“Sure, let’s go.”
At my words, Warren stood up abruptly, smiled, and grabbed his coat. As he followed behind me, I asked casually,
“Since you’re coming, if you have time today or tomorrow, would you like to see the other farms too?”
“Where?”
“We have cherries, rice...”
“Rice?”
“Yes. And there’s a distillery there, too.”
“A distillery?”
“It’s just for a look, so don’t read too much into it.”
I waved my hand dismissively and walked away.