Chapter 88: Memories from 30 Years Ago (3)
TL: Hanguk
Everyone has a story, sure, but he hadn't just brought up the vineyard in general. He'd specifically singled out Harrington's flagship wine, the Harrington Noctis Ridge Pinot Noir, by name, and that made it impossible not to be curious.
I didn't know the details, but Noctis is Latin for "night, darkness", so I figured it was the kind of wine meant to explore the depths of darkness (?) within the delicacy of Pinot Noir... something vaguely along those lines. It was Harrington's flagship and ace, producing hundreds of thousands of cases a year and bringing in massive profits.
"But what's the story behind it...?"
Elias just chuckled.
"Does the reason really matter? Either way, it'd be nice for Redwood to win, wouldn't it?"
"... Right, winning would be nice."
It was rude to keep prying when someone clearly didn't want to answer, so I backed off, and Christopher shot me a look.
After we wrapped up the contract and headed out, Christopher said before getting into his car,
"I was originally planning to part ways here, but something's come up that I'd like to discuss. Shall we head back to the winery?"
When Dad agreed, he said, looking pleased,
"I'll explain at the winery."
Curious about what it was, I rode back with Dad and sat Christopher down on the office sofa. He looked vaguely hopeful, so I disappointed him slightly by serving tea instead of wine, then asked,
"Is there a reason Elias is on bad terms with Harrington?"
"Well, you see..."
He hesitated briefly, gathering his thoughts, then spoke carefully.
"Honestly, this is the first time he's ever shown that he holds bad feelings toward Harrington. He's never let on about it externally."
"Then how can you guess the reason?"
"Of course I can. It's a story from over twenty years ago, but it's pretty famous in the California wine industry. It's about Elias's son, you see."
Dad and I both leaned forward, drawn in by the intriguing topic.
"Elias Grendel's son, Daniel Grendel, graduated from UC Davis and joined Harrington Winery. He was a senior of mine, and he was apparently quite well-known at school. They say he had tremendous passion for wine..."
"And then?"
"Maybe it was because he was young, but Daniel Grendel reportedly had a very experimental personality. Even after joining Harrington Winery, he kept that streak alive and started making all kinds of different wines. But the most famous wine at Harrington back then wasn't the Harrington Noctis Ridge Pinot Noir. It was the Harrington Estate Pinot Noir Reserve, the most traditional, textbook-style wine from the Sonoma Coast."
He took a sip of tea, perhaps thirsty, then continued.
"Daniel was passionate and full of experimental spirit, and it sounds like he got fed up with the recipes he'd been given. So he secretly tried low-temperature Wild Yeast Fermentation in a few barrels."
A familiar story, the kind that could happen anywhere. Of course, it was also a story I'd lived through countless times back at the lab before my regression.
"Did something go wrong?"
"It did, and on a major scale. Out of six fermentation tanks, two were ruined, and close to thirty percent of the entire vintage was damaged. For the winery, it amounted to several million dollars in losses."
"Oh no...!"
"Mark Harrington stood in front of reporters and declared that an employee had contaminated their wine with unnecessary experimentation, and that Harrington Winery would never again rely on experimentation. Daniel was fired immediately and even ended up blacklisted in the industry. On top of that, Harrington resold that year's wine under the name Rescue Blend to minimize the losses."
"That's a sad story."
It really was the kind of thing that would weigh on anyone, but knowing this, I could understand why Elias had never voiced his grievances publicly.
"But if it had ended there, that would be one thing..."
"Is there a twist?"
"A few months later, Harrington Winery's Head Blender was tasting one of the discarded barrels and noticed something strange. The barrel hadn't actually gone bad."
"The structure was different, then?"
"Exactly. At the time, it tasted so unusual that they assumed something had gone wrong with the wine."
"Ahh..."
"They discovered the complex notes of smoky tea, earth, balsamic, and so on that come from micro-oxidation, and decided to bottle just a few bottles as a small experimental batch. The wine that came out of that, astonishingly, received the highest evaluation at an unofficial tasting the following year."
"Don't tell me that's...?"
"That's right. That's the wine that's now Harrington's flagship: the Harrington Noctis Ridge Pinot Noir."
Dad and I gaped at the astonishing story. They'd publicly singled out and fired an employee for making a mistake, only for that very mistake to give birth to the wine that became the winery's flagship...
At this point, even if Elias couldn't openly criticize Harrington Winery, he had to be feeling deeply hurt.
Here, Dad asked,
"But you seem awfully well-informed about all this. Harrington Winery wouldn't want these inside details to get out, would they?"
"Ah, that. Lucy Allison, the Head Blender who found the potential in Daniel's flawed barrels back then, left Harrington Winery about ten years ago and went public about what had happened. That's how it became such a well-known story."
"Ah... that must have been incredibly upsetting for Elias."
"Indeed. Especially since his son Daniel's name was only cleared ten years later, but at the time, no winery would hire him. He was completely broken."
"Oh dear... so where is he now...?"
"I heard he went to study abroad in France, but I haven't heard much else. Honestly, given that Daniel's experimental spirit clashes with France's reverence for tradition, I suspect 'studying abroad' is just a pretext, and he really went to recover his mind and body. But there's still no word on what he's been up to, so it's just sad."
Once I'd heard the story, I understood why Elias had specifically asked us to beat that one wine.
Christopher was lost in thought for a moment, then said,
"I couldn't understand why he refused to give grapes at first. I mean, I understood the intent of preserving the identity of the Single Vineyard, but it didn't seem like a good enough reason to refuse Redwood, the hottest name in Napa right now... Now, thinking about his final request, I think I understand the intent. He must have tasted Sylphide and seen the potential. And with that potential, I think he wanted to use his's grapes to crush the wine that was made through unjust means: the very thing his son had tried but failed to complete."
"So that's why it had to be a Single Vineyard."
"Yes, blending would obscure it. He'd consider it meaningful only if you could win using purely Grendel Hill Vineyard grapes."
Recalling how lightly Elias had floated the suggestion at first, the story behind it turned out to be heavier than I'd expected.
Sure enough, Christopher asked with a worried look,
"Doesn't that feel like a burden?"
"To me? Not at all... It sounds fun, actually."
"Fun?"
"Yes. People who don't know won't think anything of it, but for someone like you, Christopher, who's well-versed in California wine, won't it be fascinating just to see me make a Single Vineyard Pinot Noir using Grendel Hill grapes? And since I'm the one playing the lead role, it's all the more fun."
He looked slightly dumbfounded that I was finding fun in something most people would find stressful.
"Well, if that's the case... it's a relief from my end. You received the invitation from COPIA (The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts), didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And you're not worried about it, naturally..."
"Haha, that's right."
"Good. Around the end of this month, the exact program details should be released, and I'll share them with you."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it... it's my job. How's your friend's business going? The one doing distilled spirits..."
I was a little surprised when he suddenly brought up my friend.
"You mean Jacob? How did you know about that...?"
"I read the magazines too, naturally. Since I'm in wine distribution, Blender isn't really in my wheelhouse, but it's still essential reading for understanding the sensibilities and preferences of younger consumers."
"Ah... it's going well. Apparently they've already produced an additional 3,000 cases since the Blender feature."
"Congratulations. If there's ever someone you'd like to introduce me to down the line, please feel free to reach out anytime."
"So that's what this was about? Sure. If something comes up, I'll be in touch."
And with that surprising news delivered, Christopher left the winery.
"This Harrington Noctis Ridge Pinot Noir is supposedly Harrington's flagship. Do you think you can beat it?"
"It won't be easy. But it's not impossible either... It's expensive and well-regarded, sure, but it's not exactly a wine that goes for over a thousand dollars a bottle, so it's worth a shot."
"I can't help but worry. I'd hate for you to push too hard and end up as fodder for gossip. That's how the world works: when you're doing well, people sing your praises, but the moment you slip, they pounce like they've been waiting for it."
"I know. I'm not pushing myself. I'm just doing what I always do."
That was true. I was just doing what I always did. Memories from the lab, eating and researching, eating and researching. Back then it had been genuinely exhausting and frustrating, but looking back now, every piece of knowledge I'd gained was precious.
"Right, that's why a person's daily habits matter. If you can get good results just by doing what you always do without overextending, then your dad has nothing to worry about."
Dad wrapped his arm around my shoulder with a proud expression. How had I gone through life before my regression without ever knowing this feeling...
Just then, Chloe called.
"You're getting so busy these days, you've been neglecting us, haven't you?"
"You're doing fine on your own. I trusted you, that's all."
"Tch... Come down to Lodi and check on how my plants are growing."
"All right. It's too late today, but I'll come tomorrow."
"Good."
The next morning, my old pickup truck left Napa and arrived in Lodi after nearly two hours.
The place, which used to be a tomato farm, was now covered as far as the eye could see in tiny saplings, forming a spectacular sight.
"Brian!"
A young woman came running from the distance, shouting. It was Chloe. She was grinning from ear to ear about something as she ran over, and incongruously, she was holding a pear in her hand.
"Look at this. I bought this pear at a Korean market in LA. I bought it to try one, but it's not as good as I expected."
American pears grown in California weren't all that tasty. It looked like she'd gone to the market for some market research and picked one up while she was there.
"You didn't go just to buy that, did you?"
"Nope, I was originally going for Niitaka pears, but they said it was too late in the season for them to be in stock."
"That sounds about right. Pear shipments from Korea usually run from August to October. It's hard to find Niitaka pears this time of year."
"But it's not like you've never had them. Why'd you go back to buy more? You've already had them a few times."
"Because they're delicious, that's why I went. And by eating them continuously, I'm getting familiar with the size, sweetness, and flesh condition. I need to be able to produce that level too. Oh, and this..."
Chloe pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket.
"Have you heard of Hestra? They're a Swedish luxury glove brand."
"Oooh."
I took them right away and tried them on. They fit snugly, just the way I liked.
"Cool, right?"
"Nice."
"That's because I have good taste. Let's go."
As I followed her through the pear orchard, the saplings opened up the field of vision so completely that it felt like being right in the middle of nature.
"Oh, and you know about that thing this time? The 30th anniversary Retasting of the Judgment of Paris is coming up."
"Yeah, it's been the hottest topic among the Napa crowd lately, hasn't it?"
"I'm going to be in it. They sent me an invitation."
"Really? That's amazing!"
"You want to come too?"
"Me? Isn't that only for people involved?"
"No... they said if you're with someone who's invited, you can come along."
At my words, Chloe suddenly started squirming, then kicked at the dirt with her foot and said,
"I mean, well... it's not like it'd be hard or anything..."
"Oh, but you'll be super busy at the end of May. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up?"
She snapped,
"No! It's just one day... it's only a day. I can go."
"... All right, when you come, I'll buy you something good."
"I wonder how good it'll be... I'm looking forward to it."
She turned her head and walked on ahead.
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