The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
The next day, when I visited Jacob’s farm in Sacramento again, the atmosphere was completely different from yesterday. Jacob looked utterly deflated.
“What’s wrong? Did the estimate come back too high?”
I guessed the reason was obvious, and Jacob nodded. With a gloomy face, he handed me the quote he’d received from the contractor. The document had the total amount written in bold letters. It was the estimated cost for renting laser leveling equipment and the labor for the construction.
“Hmm... $200 per acre. Since your farm is 80 acres, that’s $16,000... and with the observation well construction and labor costs, it’s about $40,000 total, huh?”
“Yeah...”
Jacob, looking like he was about to cry, was completely overwhelmed by the financial burden.
“Our farm isn’t usually this strapped for cash, but so much money went into my father’s hospital bills. Plus, with his health failing, the harvests haven’t been great, so these past few years have been really tough. It was only thanks to you that last year’s harvest was decent.”
I understood. There’s a saying in the U.S. that if you get sick, your household goes bankrupt.
“I get it. But you don’t have to worry too much.”
“Huh? What do you mean I don’t have to worry?”
“I looked into the USDA NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) support programs. You can get subsidies if you apply under soil conservation or water-saving categories. You don’t have to shoulder the entire burden yourself.”
Jacob, who had been so depressed, brightened up instantly.
“Really? There’s something like that?”
“If you look carefully, there are several support programs like this. People just don’t know about them, so they don’t get them. Apply for it first, and once it’s approved, it’ll be a huge help.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
A few days later, I got a call from Jacob, his face looking much brighter. But the news he delivered was not good at all.
“My father... he passed away...”
Lucas Miller’s funeral was held.
Instead of the scent of the farm’s soil, the calm sound of an organ filled the heavy space of the church. The chapel, lined with white walls and wooden pews, was packed with people dressed in black.
The casket was placed in the center, and white chrysanthemums and red roses were mixed on top of the polished wood. Jacob sat in the front row; he was trying his best to maintain his composure, but his hands were trembling slightly.
The pastor leading the funeral opened his mouth with a solemn face.
“Lucas was... a farmer, a father, and our neighbor. He loved the land, and he loved his family. The seeds he sowed are not just in the fields. They are in the hearts of his family and in the memories of his neighbors.”
People nodded and wiped away tears, and Mrs. Maggie was quietly dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Jacob held his mother’s shoulder as she sat beside him. I, too, felt tears welling up in my throat, but I held them back.
The time came to step forward to the casket for a final farewell. Jacob walked forward with heavy steps. His father’s photo, placed on the casket, greeted him. It captured the smile he had given us last in the hospital room.
Jacob gritted his teeth, holding back his tears, and said,
Jacob placed his hand on the casket and stood there for a long time, as if trying not to forget the warmth at his fingertips.
Armando and I watched quietly from the back, and Chloe turned her head to hide her flowing tears.
On the afternoon after the funeral, the farm returned to silence. People left one by one, and the church bells stopped ringing.
“It’s okay. You’ll be able to overcome this.”
“Thanks for coming, everyone...”
We comforted Jacob and left. Seeing how resilient he was even at the funeral, I believe he and Mrs. Maggie will be able to get through this together.
Time passed, winter quickly faded, and spring arrived.
Jacob’s farm had received funding from the USDA NRCS, finished the laser leveling work, and even built the observation well. He had essentially finished the essential work that needed to be done during the winter.
Chloe’s farm was just as busy. As I had instructed, she measured the soil pH, applied lime and gypsum, and began the spring by applying trace amounts of boron and zinc.
On the other hand, I had a bit of free time. My father, having already experienced a spring once before, knew exactly what to do during winter and spring without me having to tell him.
So, I moved to look into something I had been putting off. I needed to expand the winery with the $700,000 I received from Chloe’s father, Frederick.
I arrived early at the Sacramento Convention Center.
A large banner reading Unified Wine & Grape Symposium 2005 hung at the entrance, and beneath it, industry professionals in suits and farmers in casual attire stood in line together.
The name tags hanging around everyone’s necks signaled that this was the front line of the wine industry, and just being here made me feel excited.
“The atmosphere is great.”
Even before my regression, these kinds of symposiums always made my heart race. Just seeing new technologies and new equipment, and having consultations about them, raised my expectations.
Entering the massive exhibition hall, it was filled with state-of-the-art facilities by the standards of this era: fermentation tanks, oak barrels, bottling lines, and the latest agricultural machinery.
“I heard the harvest in Mendocino this year is down 20% from previous years?”
“That’s right. But the Central Valley actually increased. Market prices are going to fluctuate a bit.”
As I walked by, I naturally heard conversations of people consulting with each other.
Walking a little further, a middle-aged man in a suit was raising his voice next to a gleaming tank.
“What is the cooling efficiency of this tank? The last model couldn’t hold the temperature in mid-summer.”
“This one has a double-jacket structure, so it’s much more stable. It can control fermentation temperature within ±1 degree.”
I stopped walking without realizing it. ±1 degree... The fact that they were already talking about this in 2005 made me think it was impressive.
At the booth right next to it, a young couple was talking with oak barrel samples in front of them.
“Do you happen to use French oak barrels?”
“Yes, medium toast. We went with light last year, but it was too bland.”
I smiled as I heard the disappointment and anticipation in their voices. I could directly feel that this was a place where people were fiercely struggling to protect their respective wineries and make better wine.
At that moment, a middle-aged salesman approached me and smiled.
“Welcome! This is Santa Rosa Stainless Steel. Why don’t you take a look at our latest stainless steel fermentation tanks?”
I had come to look at fermentation tanks anyway, so I naturally stopped. The large, silver-gleaming tank reflected the exhibition hall lights, catching my eye. The cylindrical tank, as tall as two adults stacked on top of each other, had shiny piping and a control panel on its side.
“Do you run a winery? Or are you planning to start a new one?”
The blonde middle-aged salesman approached with a bright smile. A badge on his chest read, Mike, Sales Manager.
“I run a small winery. I have a 15-acre vineyard.”
Mike’s eyes sparkled for a moment.
“Ah, that’s the perfect size. This 5,000-liter tank you’re looking at is a model designed exactly for wineries like that. It can hold about 7 tons of grapes at once, which comes out to 6,000 to 7,000 bottles of wine.”
He skillfully tapped the surface of the tank and continued.
“It’s made of 304 stainless steel, so it’s hygienic and easy to clean. The inside is electropolished, so no metallic taste will leach into the wine. It can also be used for storage after fermentation is finished. And as you know, this here is the temperature control panel. During fermentation, glycol coolant circulates through the pipes inside the tank wall to maintain the desired temperature. You don’t have to worry about fermentation being ruined even on hot summer days.”
I nodded and stroked the surface of the tank with my hand; the cold touch of the metal was transmitted to my fingertips. It felt like a living heart, waiting for the day when the grapes would turn into wine inside.
Mike stepped closer and quickly picked up a brochure from the table and handed it to me.
“If you look here, there are options by size. From 3,000 liters to 10,000 liters, you can combine them as much as you need. If you want, you can even have a custom design consultation with our engineers right now.”
I slowly opened the brochure in my hand, and next to the densely written specifications was a photo of tanks lined up neatly.
“If you order now, installation is possible before the autumn harvest season. Naturally, we are running a special discount for the exhibition, so you can get a 15% discount off the price listed in the brochure.”
I had come to buy tanks anyway, and since they were even offering a discount, I couldn’t help but buy them here.
“Then, well... are these the only 5,000-liter and 10,000-liter tanks you have?”
“The base model is about $15,000, and the fermentation type with a cooling jacket is around $20,000. The slightly larger 10,000-liter class depends on the options, but you can usually expect about $30,000.”
“Hmm...”
I nodded and quickly ran the calculations in my head. Five 5,000-liter tanks would be about $100,000. Two 10,000-liter tanks would be $60,000. Total $160,000... I could secure an additional total capacity of 45,000 liters.
Looking at the budget of $700,000, it was less than half, so it was fully manageable.
“If you just bring in the tanks, you’re basically halfway to success. But to keep fermentation quality consistent, a cooling system is essential. A glycol chiller is usually in the $50,000 to $70,000 range. You can connect multiple tanks at once, so you can maintain the fermentation temperature within ±1 degree even in mid-summer.”
“That’s good. Then I’ll order five 5,000-liter tanks and two 10,000-liter tanks.”
Even for the same Cabernet Sauvignon, the taste differs depending on the vineyard location, soil, and harvest time. Also, since fermentation is done by living microorganisms (yeast), the fermentation speed differs for each tank, so dividing it into multiple tanks allows for flexible temperature control, cooling, and pumping-over (the process of mixing the wine liquid up and down). For that reason, I was dividing it into multiple tanks so I could ferment by plot to bring out the characteristics and create the optimal combination during the blending stage later.
“You’ve made a good decision.”
To him, who was beaming with joy, I asked slyly.
“By any chance... can you install multi-point temperature sensors, dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors, or CO₂ sensors during fermentation on the tanks?”
Mike, the salesman, was startled.
“Excuse me? Why would you want to install things like that...?”
“I want to make a more precise wine.”
“Hahaha! You have a quite unique... a very distinct perspective. I’m sorry, but that’s not something we can do for you.”
“Hmm. I see... If... is it possible for another company to add custom options to these tanks?”
“Ah... is that what you’re planning to do?”
“Yes. If that happens...”
To him, who was pondering for a moment, I said firmly.
“If there’s an issue with AS (after-sales service) later because of those added options, I will cancel the contract.”
“Sir, but... if the company adding those options messes with the fermentation tank, it could cause problems.”
It was a reasonable concern, so I shrugged and said,
“Then if I select a company and bring them here... can you collaborate with them to make it the way I want? If you do that, I won’t take the 15% discount.”
At my suggestion, the salesman blinked.
“No, why go that far...?”
“If it’s not possible, I’ll go somewhere else.”
As I turned to leave, he hurriedly grabbed my sleeve.
“Ah, sir! I never said it wasn’t possible, not at all.”
“So it is possible?”
“Please wait a moment. Just a moment.”
He immediately made a phone call somewhere. After talking for a long time and desperately trying to persuade someone, he wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled brightly.
“I’ve solved it. Instead, if you pay 5% more than the original price, we’ll specify in the contract that there will be no problems with future AS, so we will support you to your heart’s content so you can unfold your dreams, sir.”