Nostalgia 30 and the Banana Belt
Bart skimmed through the documents before lifting his head to meet Henry’s gaze. With a casual air, he tapped his chest twice and replied, “It looks like it’s exactly what I’ve been doing all along. Though I’ll need a bit more detail on the winery and distillery.”
“That’s written on the next page. First, is there anyone opposed to the Debenger House composition plan? Good, none. Then let’s move on to the next agenda.” Henry flipped to the following page. Already familiar with the contents, he waited patiently until everyone had finished reading and looked up. Once all eyes were on him, he began.
“This is the item Bart asked about. Both the winery and the distillery have reached the point where expansion is necessary. After inspecting the sites myself, I confirmed we definitely need to scale up. What the documents couldn’t fully capture is the specific direction of that expansion.”
Henry lightly tapped the blank space on the page with his pen. “Since the winery and distillery will now operate outside the estate, I plan to consolidate them under the family office as Debenger Liquor. Each will still run independently on-site, but management, marketing, tax, legal support, and R&D will fall under the unified corporation. The on-site representatives will focus solely on quality control. Richard Smith of the existing winery will serve as COO, and Benjamin Thomas will head R&D.”
Henry took a sip of water beside his empty coffee cup to clear his throat. He glanced around the table, silently inviting opinions, but when no one spoke, he continued.
“Now for the core expansion plan. First, diversifying grape varieties. We’ll move beyond a single Riesling cultivar and cultivate a range of Vitis vinifera grapes. I’ve also been thinking we need to respond to the growing trend of winery tours—though I have zero intention of opening the doors to casual visitors.”
Henry looked at Richard and added with a smile, “We’ll pursue an exclusively premium route, offering VIPs a space for ‘rest and indulgence.’ But the essence remains the liquor itself. We’ll develop everything possible—new wines, of course, but also brandies like cognac, sherry, vermouth, sangria, and champagne.”
“I fully agree! If the tours are restricted to VIPs only, management will be far simpler!” Richard Smith exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement as he pressed his rough knuckles against the table. The lifelong vintner’s eyes already seemed to envision the new winery’s landscape.
“Boss, the truth is, opening to the public would make control impossible. Tourists trampling through the vineyards would disturb the soil’s delicate balance and throw off fermentation temperatures. But if we follow your strict VIP-only policy, that changes everything.” Richard met Henry’s eyes directly. “If access is granted only to a select few, we can showcase every vine and barrel in a perfectly controlled environment worthy of their stature. Managing a hundred distinguished guests is far better for maintaining quality than thousands of casual visitors. Above all, expanding into Vitis vinifera varieties has long been my dream. Constantine and I will personally select the finest European grapes capable of withstanding New York’s cold.”
Benjamin Thomas, seated beside him, nodded vigorously in support. “From an R&D perspective, it’s ideal. High-value spirits like cognac or sherry require delicate aging. A quiet underground cellar frequented only by refined VIPs who appreciate silence—rather than noisy tourists—would be the perfect environment to perfect the long-aged brandies I’ve been envisioning.”
The moment Benjamin finished, scattered coughs erupted around the room.
“Ahem!”
“Hmm.”
The elder council members narrowed their eyes at him. Benjamin waved his hands in alarm. “Ah… that was just my personal opinion! I wasn’t referring to any of you. Most VIPs are… well, you know what I mean—people of refinement!”
Benjamin, you’ve been at this long enough that I thought you’d know better in social situations. Calling them ‘old folks who keep quiet’ right in front of the elders… Henry suppressed a laugh internally and pressed forward with the distillery agenda. It was time to present the thirty-year-old apple brandy he and Benjamin had repeatedly tasted and deemed exceptional.
“Benjamin, it’s your turn to explain the distillery. We’ll discuss it over a tasting. Tell the attendant waiting outside to bring what I prepared.”
While Benjamin briefly stepped out, Henry continued. “The primary goal of expanding the distillery is to scale production of our newly developed product line. As noted in the documents, we’ll also pursue additional product development. Thank you.”
Henry accepted the bottle from the returning attendant and carefully poured the glasses. “This is our new premium-grade product, Nostalgia 30. Let’s all taste it first, then talk.”
The liquid, matured for thirty years, displayed a rich density blending deep mahogany with glowing ruby hues. The moment it filled the glasses, its aroma dominated the room. At first, notes of freshly baked apple pie, rich caramel, and sweet vanilla struck the nose; deeper inhalation revealed the weighty leather scent of an old study followed by the smoky aroma of toasted oak.
Benjamin, without even lifting his own glass, launched into an enthusiastic explanation about the smooth mouthfeel, dark chocolate, and dried fig flavors. None of it reached Henry’s ears.
The taste is genuinely incredible. All I can think is that it’s damn delicious.
The others were no different. They ignored Benjamin’s technical commentary entirely, too busy marveling at the flavor. Henry set down his glass and spoke.
“It’s truly excellent. This is the apple brandy we’ll be selling from now on. More precisely, it’s our family’s legacy and history itself. You all know why our distillery has run at a perpetual loss. Honestly, I thought it was outdated stubbornness, but the applejack our ancestors preserved—even leaving wills about it—has produced this result!”
Henry swirled the liquid in his glass and added firmly, “To put it plainly, this is ‘thirty-year-old applejack.’ But as you know, applejack carries a strong cheap image. So we’re removing that low-end label and launching it as ‘premium apple brandy.’”
At that moment, Noah Miller, who had been quietly savoring the drink, spoke up in an admiring tone. “Henry, I heard from Sirson three or four years ago that his thirty-year applejack was remarkable. I thought he was joking… but this really is something special!”
“Boss, since you called it premium, I assume you plan to sell it at a high price, but isn’t the essence still applejack?”
At someone’s pointed question, Noah Miller set down his glass and interjected, “At this level of quality, even applejack would sell like wildfire. Besides, didn’t Henry just say he’s naming it apple brandy to shed that cheap image?”
As the alcohol began to take effect, the atmosphere in the meeting room noticeably warmed. Voices rose as everyone voiced their opinions, turning the room lively. Instead of mediating, Henry picked up the gavel from the head of the table and tapped it sharply. All eyes instantly turned to him.
“I’ll personally decide everything for this lineup—from pricing to marketing direction. What you all need to remember is that this business has been a headache for our family until now.”
Henry pointed to a figure on the documents. “We’ve been spending a full million dollars annually just to honor the applejack will! Adding warehouse expansion costs makes it even larger. When Benjamin cut down the apple trees, you all outwardly opposed it, but secretly you supported him, didn’t you? Otherwise, how could he have replaced two-thirds of the trees despite my father’s and your objections?”
At Henry’s pointed jest, several elders coughed and looked away.
“But do you know this? With just the remaining one-third, we’re producing 1.2 million barrels of applejack every year. We don’t even have space to store more. So while establishing the family’s prestige through the premium line, we’ll also clear inventory with an accessible entry-level grade. Sales volume will naturally be overwhelmingly higher on the entry side.”
As Henry spoke passionately, the room gradually nodded in agreement. Though opinions on pricing and methods might differ, everyone had to acknowledge the urgent need to move the stock.
“Additionally, the American-style calvados we’ll launch with the distillery expansion also shows clear market potential. That’s why I decided to invest in building a large-scale distillery. In conclusion, whether it’s the winery or the distillery, we must begin expansion immediately.”
Henry paused briefly, mentally running the calculations. Buying land, planting trees, constructing buildings, and aging… wow, this is really going to take years.
“Thinking about it, even if we start now, this is a long-term project that will take at least four to five years. If we’re unlucky, it could stretch beyond six. Benjamin, where did you say the optimal site you scouted was?”
Benjamin, as if waiting for the question, spread out a map. “East of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes, the so-called ‘Banana Belt.’ I originally considered the Hudson Valley for its natural storage potential, but this location is ideal for simultaneously cultivating Vitis vinifera grapes and apples. The climate is mild, and with a massive lake nearby, securing water is easy.”
Benjamin pointed to a spot on the map and added, “It’s a remote countryside on the outskirts of New York. Checking the market price, it’s around five to six hundred dollars per acre.”
The wine café brothers mentioned that a relative who immigrated to America in the sixties or seventies and bought land near Seneca Lake became a real estate millionaire just from the land value. Thanks, brothers. I’ll take all that land.
Upon hearing “Banana Belt,” Henry recalled real estate prices he had encountered by chance in the future. One day, despite being rural countryside, lakeside villa lots there would command forty to sixty thousand dollars per acre—a true goldmine.
“Then let me ask: is anyone opposed to the expansion plan? …None. I’ll pass the expansion agenda. Even before the family office and think tank are fully formed, we’ll begin implementation starting tomorrow. First, the land we secure must be significantly larger than our current scale.”
Henry’s eyes gleamed sharply. “At minimum, 3,500 acres along the lakeshore of the Banana Belt. There’s no upper limit. I don’t want to hold another meeting later saying we ‘need to expand again.’ For Debenger Liquor to extend beyond the United States and reach the world, that much land is the baseline. Regardless of development plans, let’s secure a large tract first.”
“3,500 acres? Boss, that’s an enormous area.”
Despite the alarmed reaction, Henry remained calm. “As you all know, once we begin purchasing such a vast estate, some farmers will attempt to hold out for higher prices. To prepare for that, we’ll split the purchase across countless shell companies and corporations. This year we’ll focus on steadily acquiring land, with full-scale development and construction beginning around the second half of next year.”
Henry had originally considered replacing the estate with around 3,000 acres, but factoring in future value, he removed the upper limit entirely. Double in ten years, five times in twenty, ten times in thirty… and it keeps rising. Only a fool wouldn’t buy. In 2024 it’ll be forty thousand dollars! I’d love to buy a hundred thousand acres, but since real estate returns are better in Westchester or Manhattan, I’ll hold back.
Henry began mentally mapping out his future liquor empire. I need to snap up land while it’s still cheap so I won’t be hindered during later expansions. At this scale, becoming America’s leading liquor company is guaranteed… Should I plant a flag in California’s Napa Valley* too? Land prices there will also skyrocket eventually. If I acquire a bourbon distillery in Kentucky and shop for a top-tier French winery, wouldn’t that make us a major player in the liquor industry?