The Price of Ambition
After my meeting with Santa Rosa Stainless Steel—a company that had enthusiastically backed my dreams, making my heart race—I continued to roam the convention center. My goal was now crystal clear.
I needed to find a company that could help me build the optimal facilities to create the wine I truly envisioned.
"Can you install multi-point sensors in the tanks? I want to install them at the top, middle, and bottom to manage temperature stratification during fermentation."
The middle-aged employee at the first booth I consulted laughed as if my question were absurd.
"A single sensor is more than enough. Even if there's a temperature difference between the top and bottom, the inside of the tank circulates, you know. There's no need to inflate your costs for no reason."
"Ah... I see. So, you're saying custom installation is difficult?"
"I'm sorry, but we've never done that kind of work on a fermentation tank. If you really want it, it's possible, but... the cost..."
The quote he offered was so jaw-dropping that I found myself backing away instinctively. Multi-point sensors would eventually become the industry standard for winemaking, but the wine industry at this time still lacked a proper understanding of temperature stratification.
The second booth was even worse.
"Dissolved oxygen sensors? And CO₂ sensors, too? Haha, those are tools for university labs, not for wineries."
"An automated control system? You mean a device that links a PLC to the cooling system to trigger it automatically when it hits 27 degrees? Well, couldn't you just stick a thermometer on the side of the tank and have an employee check it periodically?"
In the end, their answer was always the same: "Our products are sufficient as they are."
That might have been the correct answer for them. But with the knowledge from my past life, I knew this system was essential. The data accumulating during fermentation, the automatically controlled cooling, the annual curves—I knew that only by building up that data could I create a wine that improved every single year.
After one full lap around the floor, my steps felt heavy.
"I suppose the era just isn't ready yet..."
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I spotted a small booth in the corner of the exhibition hall. There was no bustling crowd, just a few flyers laid out on a folding table. A Black man sitting in a chair, quietly flipping through a notebook, caught my eye in a strange way.
The sign on the booth read in large, bold letters:
Delta Process Solutions
Below it, in smaller print, it read: 'Food & Beverage / Winery Industry Automation & Data Logging Solutions.'
I approached him naturally and asked, "Do you happen to do tank customization?"
The man closed his notebook and looked up. He wore a neat shirt, and his curly hair was cut short. His gaze was quiet but filled with curiosity.
"What kind of customization are you talking about?"
I began my explanation as if I had been waiting for this moment.
"I've ordered tanks for my winery, and I want to add my own system to them."
"What kind...?"
"First, a multi-point temperature sensor. Usually, people only install one, but I want to install them at the top, middle, and bottom of the tank. Is that possible?"
He didn't think my idea was strange; instead, he nodded.
"...That's a decent idea. Most people settle for one, but in reality, the temperature difference between the top and bottom is quite significant."
"That's exactly what I'm saying. The second thing is a dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor and a CO₂ sensor. They're currently used in university labs, but can you customize them for a winery?"
The more he listened, the more interested he seemed, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Oh—I've handled similar devices in large food and beverage factories. Applying that to a winery would be an interesting challenge."
"Great. The third thing is an automatic control device. You could call it a small-scale version of SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition). I want to attach a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) so that if the temperature exceeds 27 degrees, the cooling system automatically kicks in and maintains it within a certain range. And I want to receive warnings via text message... is that possible?"
I was testing the waters, wondering if this level of technology was feasible in 2005, but he nodded readily.
"Of course. It's possible. We can write the control logic with a PLC, and for the alarms, we just need to attach a communication module. You'll be able to receive alerts on your mobile phone."
"Ah—that's a relief. And finally, data logging and analysis... I want to connect it to a laptop to save data every minute."
"Do you really need something like that?"
"Haha. Yes..."
If I could extract this data into Excel graphs, I could compare fermentation curves year after year.
He gave a bewildered smile.
"Wow... this isn't just a tank; it's a laboratory."
"It could be. But what I want isn't just to make wine; it's to make wine that gets better every year."
He stood up and offered his hand.
"Marcus Brown. I'm the CEO of Delta Process Solutions. I originally designed automation systems for large beverage factories. But since I went independent, I've been waiting for a challenge like this. I can do everything you've asked for."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll need the manufacturer's permission to touch the internal piping of the fermentation tanks, but attaching sensors, logging equipment, and control systems is my specialty. If necessary, I'll even fabricate custom boards to make it work."
We immediately calculated the necessary equipment and approximate costs on a notepad on the table. The PLC unit, sensor sets, data logger, communication module... the total came to just over $50,000. It was much more reasonable than I had expected.
"Excellent. Let's start the installation as soon as the tanks arrive."
As I reached out, he gripped my hand firmly with both of his.
Two days had passed since my trip to the Sacramento Convention Center. After purchasing the tanks to be fitted with the latest equipment and over 80 French oak barrels, I felt full even without eating.
Yesterday, I spoke with technicians to build a fermentation room for the newly ordered tanks, and the winery expansion is set to begin in earnest tomorrow.
What a heart-pounding endeavor this was.
"Whew~"
I calmed my racing heart and opened the door to the aging room. Cold air and the scent of wood rushed out to meet me.
"Doesn't it already feel good?"
"That's why I told you I live in the aging room unless something major comes up!"
Dad smiled at my question. Just seeing the rows of oak barrels was a feast for the eyes.
"But are you really confident you can ship them within a year?"
"Yes. It would be better to leave them longer, of course, but... our farm's situation isn't exactly flush with cash. We have to plow over the farm land we bought from Silveroak, and that costs money too..."
"That's true."
"Chloe's farm, with whom we have a strategic partnership, won't be able to help us much with revenue until they replace all their crop varieties. Jacob's farm might have a faster effect than Chloe's, but rice farming doesn't have a large revenue scale, so it won't be a huge help."
Since I had already signed a strategic partnership contract with Jacob, I wanted to help his farm grow, but the problem was that rice farming wasn't easy, and the revenue was lower than cherries. I had been considering suggesting he use his farm's rice to make makgeolli or soju, but I hadn't brought it up yet.
"So, I understand you want to ship them out within a year no matter what, but I'm worried the winery's reputation might suffer if you rush it."
"It won't. I'm quite confident about this."
"Really?"
"Yes. So, just follow my lead."
"Of course, of course. Dad will follow his son diligently."
I opened the vent of the first barrel and took a sniff.
"Good. There's no problem with the smell. Watch closely."
I connected a sterilized hose to the racking pump and gently drew out only the wine, being careful not to disturb the lees (dead yeast and sediment) that had settled at the bottom of the barrel, and transferred it to a clean barrel next to it. Racking is simple, but to prevent cloudiness, off-odors, and oxidation, you have to be precise with the basics.
Once the transfer was finished, I immediately measured the Free Sulfur Dioxide (Free SO₂).
"At pH 3.62... it's around 30mg/L. Good. The reason we do racking like this is that if you leave the dead yeast, skins, seed powder, and protein residue at the bottom of the tank, it creates strange smells like rotten eggs. The important thing here is that fine sediment is okay, but coarse sediment is not."
I calculated the amount to add and slowly mixed in the prepared meta (potassium metabisulfite) solution.
"We repeat this, mixing and re-measuring, until the levels are in the safe zone."
"What's the safe zone range?"
"It needs to be between 25 and 35 mg/L. That's considered safe from oxidation and contamination by unwanted bacteria."
"Right. I understand."
After working for a while, I tasted the second barrel.
"How is it?"
"The aroma seems good, but..."
I took a sip as well. Dad's expression was ambiguous, and sure enough, I could feel the tannins in my mouth being angular and rough.
"It's because the tannins are rough. We need to add a little oxygen in times like this."
"How much?"
"Just a very small amount."
I connected a sterilized micro-oxygenation stone (porous stainless steel) to the racking line and opened the sterilized air line at a low flow rate.
"Now, look. It's at a level of 0.5–1.0mL per minute through the capillary. Since the facility isn't large, we're sending it at a very low flow rate."
"Does everyone do it this way?"
I wore a smile on my lips.
"No. But this is how it should be done. Trust your son. But as I said, only a tiny bit, and you have to taste it as you go, slowly... and do it for a short time."
"Okay, I got it."
It was easy to hear people say that injecting oxygen at this stage was dangerous. It could mask the aroma, and if overdone, it could ruin the wine through oxidation.
"Next, we'll fine-tune the oak aroma. Every barrel has a different scent, right? Some lots have oak that's too strong, and some lots are bland because the fruit aroma is weak."
"Oh-"
"The principle is simple. Fruit aroma is the center, oak is the support."
"So fruit aroma is the most important thing?"
"Exactly. Barrels with strong oak need to be blended with barrels that have weak aromas to calm them down. Conversely, for barrels where the oak is weak and only the fruit pops out, we add a small amount of oak cubes or staves to fine-tune the tone. Cubes deliver aroma quickly, but if you use too much, it smells like plastic, so you have to use them in small amounts for a short time and taste frequently..."
That was when it happened.
"Brian! You have guests outside!"
It was Armando's voice. Dad and I looked at each other and went outside. Standing outside the winery were a white man in his fifties and a white woman in her thirties.
"Where are you from?"
When Dad asked, the man smiled and offered his hand.
"I'm Robert Hayden, CEO of Hayden Wine Dealers, which distributes wine throughout California. This is my partner, Alice Morgan. She's the purchasing director for the San Francisco Wine Group."
The woman called Alice gave a short nod and offered a handshake.
"Nice to meet you."
Their eyes weren't those of simple guests, but of buyers with a purpose.
"And?"
"We heard you're doing custom crush for Pinot Noir."
Dad furrowed his brow slightly, as if wondering how they knew that, but Robert spoke as if it were nothing unusual.
"That kind of information isn't a big secret. We also know you held a tasting event here."
Only then did Dad and I realize how they had found us, and we exchanged a look.
"We're very interested in the Pinot Noir you're custom crushing, but I assume you wouldn't give that up, would you?"
"Of course not."
"That's a pity. Then how about this? The current mid-tier price for Pinot Noir is around $15 to $30 per bottle. We'll pre-purchase the entire stock at $25."
Dad was shocked by the incredible offer. And I was the same. Even if we set the shipment at 75,000 bottles, it meant they were throwing over $1.8 million at us in one go.
Furthermore, the fact that they decided on a price without even tasting it meant they had already gained some kind of assurance from someone who had participated in the tasting event. They must have been someone very trustworthy.
Dad met my eyes for a moment. When I gave a slight shake of my head, he immediately drew a line.
"I'm sorry. We won't sell."
"Wait a moment. You don't actually think you can sell it for more than this, do you?"
I gave the answer.
"It's true that the mid-tier price is around $15 to $30, but our wine is from Sonoma County. And it's from the Russian River Valley, at that. You'd have to pay at least $45 or more, even at wholesale."
"The retail price is $40."
When he stiffened, I shrugged.
"I know. But who knows? The price might go up even more."
"That..."
"And decisively... we already have a contract with a distribution company. So even if you offer a higher price, we can't sign with you."
At those words, the two of them wore expressions of resignation and walked away from the winery.
"You have a contract? Are you talking about John Anderson?"
"It was just an excuse. Trying to lowball us. Don't worry about it."
"Right."
I watched their retreating backs, my heart trembling. I could feel it—the price of Pinot Noir was beginning to fluctuate.