Golden Grain Soju House(1)
A white mansion in Healdsburg, overlooking the winding Russian River with a sprawling swimming pool in the front. Sienna, who had returned to this estate spanning over 3,000 square meters (about 900 pyeong), wore a deeply complicated expression.
“Is something the matter?”
Her mother, Nora, asked from the kitchen while cooking, glancing at her daughter who was sitting on the sofa with a listless look.
“Just... what are you doing?”
“Making dinner. But didn’t you say you weren’t going to school today?”
“Not school. I went to Redwood in Napa.”
“Is that so? Oh, right. By any chance, is the Redwood you visited this one?”
Curious, she looked up to see her mother holding a brown bottle. Squinting her eyes, she looked closer and saw the label: Redwood Reserve Vinegar.
“Ah... that must be it, right? They said they were selling vinegar, so we have it at home too? Is it any good?”
“Is it good? Don’t even get me started. Among the neighborhood ladies, if you don’t have this, you’re considered behind the times. It was so hot last year... and this year, everyone buys two bottles at a time because they’re afraid it’ll run out. I bought two bottles myself.”
“... Is there really a reason to buy two bottles of vinegar?”
“Oh, honestly... the flavor is just different.”
Sienna, already feeling restless, stomped over and took out a teaspoon.
“Give me a little.”
“I can’t give you much anyway.”
She wondered why they were being so stingy with vinegar, but curious, Sienna brought the teaspoon her mother had drizzled a little into up to her nose. The fragrant scent of grapes within the sourness pierced her nostrils. Without hesitation, she brought the spoon to her mouth.
“Mmm~”
It was certainly a deep flavor, different from the vinegars that were merely sour. Sienna blinked, then examined the vinegar label in detail.
“Different, isn’t it?”
“It is. How does vinegar have this kind of flavor? It really feels like condensed grapes in vinegar form.”
“These days, it’s a trend in the neighborhood to make chicken breast salads with this for dieting. The salads are just so delicious.”
“......”
“Do you want me to make you some?”
“No.”
“Suit yourself.”
Nora chuckled and waved her hand as if to tell her to go away. Just then, her father, Mark, walked into the house.
“You’re home?”
Mark, who gave Nora a light kiss, was drinking water from the refrigerator when he asked his daughter, who was standing there blankly.
“Why are you standing like that?”
“I visited Redwood today.”
At the mention of Redwood, Mark’s eyes, which had been drinking water, widened.
“Really? And?”
“They said they’re making cherry wine again this year at Redwood, and this time they’re making much more than last year. They said it’s over 6,000 cases (1 case = 12 bottles)...”
“6,000 cases? From that small winery?”
For Harrington Winery, 6,000 cases a year wouldn’t be surprising at all. But for a winery like Redwood, which had less than 20 acres, it was a shocking figure—especially since cherries weren’t even a crop they grew themselves.
“I asked, and they said a friend’s family farms cherries in Brentwood... they received 100 tons this time. They were making it all. I calculated it, and it was over 1.4 million dollars... If you think about the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the farm, how much do they earn in a year?”
“Well... that is a lot. But you know, just because you make it doesn’t mean it’s money. It has to sell to be money.”
If making it meant money, all the farm owners in Napa Valley would be filthy rich. Of course, there were many successful wineries, but there were certainly those that weren’t, and they suffered from a lack of funds every year. It wasn’t for nothing that wineries sold tour packages to the general public.
“I know. But the cherry wine was a popular wine that sold out in less than a month last year. It was even featured in Wine Review West.”
“... Are you trying to upset your father?”
“No. I’m upset myself. How can he do that at such a young age?”
“Are you envious of a mere 1.4 million dollars?”
“It’s not the 1.4 million dollars I’m envious of. It’s the ability to create 1.4 million dollars that I’m envious of.”
“Sienna, he might not have done it himself. I guarantee his father made most of it and just taught the knowledge to that friend named Brian.”
“Either way, it means he has that much knowledge. That’s what I’m jealous of. Ah, don’t nag me. I’m studying hard.”
Mark, who was about to tell her to study hard if she was jealous, shrugged at his daughter’s preemptive strike.
“So, are you just complaining?”
After a moment of hesitation, Sienna finally let it out.
“Let’s not just make wine with the grapes from our farm. Let’s make it with other grapes, too. And I don’t mean blending.”
At his daughter’s words, Mark’s face turned serious. It wasn’t just a complaint about being upset or annoyed; she had presented a clear method to win. And that method wasn’t impossible. It was just difficult.
“There is still a lot of wine sleeping in the winery’s aging room right now. And we sell nearly 1 million cases of wine every year. Is it because we lack money?”
It would depend on the grade of wine sold, but with 1 million cases, one could say the annual revenue reached roughly 100 million dollars (about 140 billion KRW). At the same time, Robert Mondavi Winery was known to be selling 6 to 7 million cases annually, with revenue exceeding 600 million dollars.
Even for farms of the same hundreds of acres, the difference in revenue between a farm that produces grapes to make wine through a winery and a farm that sells other varieties was incomparable. Thus, even as fellow large farm owners, there was an uncrossable barrier between Frederick and Mark.
“It’s not that we lack money, it’s that I’m envious of the potential. If it’s 6,000 cases now, next year they’ll use what they earned to expand their facilities, and then it’ll double. If you think about the money earned from Pinot Noir and the money earned from Cabernet Sauvignon, they’ll keep expanding their facilities and farms. And we’ll keep being chased by Redwood.”
Mark wasn’t at all offended by his daughter’s point-by-point critique. Rather, he was satisfied. He thought his daughter was viewing the current situation with an extremely objective and cool-headed perspective.
“Alright. I’ll think about it seriously. I’m already studying how to awaken Pinot Noir quickly with Andrew, our head winemaker, so I’ll look into making wine with varieties from other farms as you said.”
“I’ll help, too.”
“...... Good. That’s reassuring.”
Mark hugged his daughter tightly, kissed her forehead lightly, and said,
“And just in case, I’m telling you this: our Harrington Winery is at the top level in the United States. Don’t be intimidated by Redwood.”
“Of course. We are the best.”
Mark, who stroked the shoulder of his daughter whose eyes were sparkling, thought to himself that he would need to have a long talk with Andrew.
One week later, at UC Davis.
As always, the four friends gathered in the study lounge on the second floor of the department building during their break. Among them, Jacob was focused on my lecture.
“As I said before, we need to go with two lines. One is a Korean-style vodka that serves as a cocktail base. The other is a premium traditional liquor containing the flavor and aroma of grain. In other words, California-style Andong Soju.”
Jacob listened intently, taking notes in his notebook. It was important to know his business well when the permit came out, but it was even more important to be well-versed in the distillery he was preparing and the liquor he would be making when applying for loans later.
“I understand.”
“Whether it’s Korean-style vodka or American-style Andong Soju, they are similar in that they both use Calrose, a neutral rice, and go through a still, but there are clear differences when you look at it step-by-step.”
I created categories for Korean-style vodka and American-style Andong Soju on the whiteboard and compared the differences according to each item.
“First, the most important and core ingredient, rice, is the same, but the next most important thing, yeast, is different. For vodka-type neutral spirits, it doesn’t matter what yeast you use as long as clean alcohol comes out well, so there’s no big difference. It doesn’t matter if you use Japanese koji mold (Aspergillus oryzae) or sake yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. sake). The problem is when making American-style Andong Soju. It’s difficult to bring yeast from Korea.”
“Then?”
“We have to make it in the U.S. I have to make this, so you don’t have to worry, but you should know this: when making yeast, if you put wheat, barley, or beans in an environment where mold or yeast grows well, local microorganisms will attach to it and become natural nuruk (fermentation starter). But Korea and the U.S. have different natural environments. Therefore, it will have a different taste than in Korea. Consequently, even if the method is the same, the taste will be different from Korean Andong Soju.”
“Ah... then it’s a different liquor?”
“That’s right. Strictly speaking, it’s a different liquor. So, while it claims to be Korean-style Andong Soju, the name will change. We’ll position it as an Oriental-style whiskey or brandy.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.”
For Jacob, who had never tried anything like Andong Soju in the first place, it wouldn’t matter what I decided to name the liquor.
“Good. Another important difference is that the distillation methods for the two liquors are different. Korean-style vodka will be made using a column still (continuous distillation), where it is repeatedly boiled and cooled through several layers inside a tall tower (column). Then it comes out very clean and with a high alcohol content.”
“Oh...”
“On the other hand, American-style Andong Soju must be made using a pot still, where a large pot is boiled in batches to collect the steam. That way, it’s good for preserving the flavor.”
“Ah...”
“Depending on your capital, you can bring in two stills or use one still by modifying it. Of course, if you have the money, it’s better to have two separate ones. Additionally, the post-processing method is also different...”
At that moment, Jacob’s phone rang. Since the caller ID showed ‘Mom,’ Jacob answered the phone, feeling puzzled.
“Huh? Mom? What’s up at this hour?”
“Hey, mail arrived at the house... it was sent from a place called the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau under the Department of the Treasury in Washington D.C. Isn’t this that thing? The one you were waiting for?”
Jacob, who had been listening, jumped up.
“I think that’s it! Open it! What does it say?”
“Hmm... Hey! I think this is it! It says, ‘Permit to operate a distilled spirits plant under the name Sacramento Valley Distilled Spirits Plant.’ There’s even a permit number!”
“Woooooah!”
Jacob let out a scream and shouted at us.
“The permit came out! Hahaha!”
“Congratulations.”
“Congrats~”
“You’re a boss now! Congrats!”
Jacob was excited while receiving our congratulations, but then he suddenly came to his senses.
“I, I’ll go first.”
“Oh, yeah. Go quickly.”
Jacob, who hurriedly packed his bags, ran out. Now that he had received the permit, there would be a mountain of things to do.
“I’m envious...”
Armando’s expression as he watched Jacob’s back as he ran out was full of envy. I put my hand on Armando’s shoulder.
“You’ll be able to do it soon, too.”
“I know. That’s why I’m preparing. But I can’t help but be envious.”
“It might be good, but after you take out a loan and bring in the equipment, the pressure will be no joke. The principal and interest you have to pay every month will weigh on your shoulders.”
“I know that too. It’s just how I feel.”
“......”
My heart ached at Armando’s dejected appearance, but Chloe asked,
“So, have you sold all the vinegar now?”
“Huh? Oh. It’s all gone.”
“Then is it wine’s turn now?”
“I suppose so, right?”
“You never have a moment to rest every year, do you? Vinegar, cherries, Pinot Noir, and even Cabernet Sauvignon...”
“At least from next year, I won’t be making vinegar.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I made vinegar until this year because I was worried about the farm’s operating funds in the middle, but making wine with the same grapes yields several times more profit. I don’t think there will be any major difficulties next year, so I’m planning to give up on vinegar.”
At those words, Armando turned his head sharply.
“You’re giving up on something that valuable? Do you know how crazy people are right now because of Redwood vinegar?”
“I know, but... looking at the same amount, the unit price difference is too big. Vinegar is about 14 dollars wholesale for 500ml, but if you make wine with that, you can get over 30 dollars for 750ml.”
I made vinegar because I was short on money, but for me, there’s no reason to make vinegar after the farm has some breathing room.
However, Armando suddenly grabbed my shoulders with sparks in his eyes.
“Oh, my lovely friend. Will you listen to me carefully?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah...”
“We’re friends, right?”
“That’s true.”
“You formed a strategic business partnership with Chloe, and you formed one with Jacob, too. If so, can’t you form one with me as well?”
“Well... of course you could, right?”
Armando, who nodded with a moved expression, let out something that made me gasp.
“Good. Then let’s form a strategic business partnership. You hand over the vinegar manufacturing method to me. In exchange, I get a stake. Chloe has 7:3, Jacob has 7:3, then what about me?”
“7:3...?”
“Good.”
“Everything is fine, but... where are you going to make the vinegar?”
Armando, who let go of my shoulders, grinned.
“Redwood Vinegar is already a proven brand. I have that brand, so can’t my mom and dad trust me? Plus, what if I have a federal loan and guarantee (USDA FSA)?”
I opened my mouth, watching the ambition-filled look in Armando’s eyes.
“You’ve already looked into everything?”
“Of course. I already have a property I like. Up there, in Alexander Valley, a small 13-acre AVA property that even comes with a winery. 1.1 million dollars. How about it? A chance like this will never come again!”