Chapter 99: Soaring Fame (1)
TL: Hanguk
Having shown plenty of confidence in front of Brian before stepping into the venue, Elowen smiled at the sight of his daughter, dressed especially prettily today.
"Not even nervous anymore, huh?"
His daughter, in a black dress, shrugged. A small brooch engraved with the winery's logo gleamed quietly above her collarbone.
"I was judged by celebrity judges on Wine Masters. What's there to be nervous about?"
She said that, but Elaina's eyes kept moving restlessly whenever one of Hollywood's top stars came into view. Still, what had clearly changed was that she held her place with composure, her expression giving nothing away.
To Elowen, his daughter was still young, yet the fact that she was here representing the winery without throwing herself at celebrities in excitement seemed admirable. Especially on a day like this, when they had to face an unexpectedly formidable opponent, this sort of attitude was all the more necessary.
"I just met Brian from Redwood."
Elaina's expression hardened at once.
"Really? So there's another main wine...?"
"That's right. It's called Sylphide."
No matter how hard a winery tried not to pay attention, there was hardly one that didn't know Redwood had taken home two Double Golds last year. Echelon and Sylphide. These were the wines that had given people reason to chatter about another remarkable winery being born in Napa Valley.
"Hmph!"
She let out a scornful snort. Before going on Wine Masters, she probably would have felt quite small at this news, but it was different now.
"Most of the people here probably haven't even heard of Echelon or Sylphide."
"True enough."
Wine was a drink with so many different products on the market that, unless someone was truly passionate about it, knowing which wines were good or which ones suited a person's own palate was difficult.
So even if a wine had earned a Double Gold and was the hottest thing in the wine world, it was only natural that someone who didn't usually care for wine wouldn't be able to recognize it as such.
"To these people, I'm the celebrity."
She thrust out her chest and swaggered her shoulders, but Elowen felt only pride at the sight of his daughter. All of this was thanks to the image she had built up by appearing on Wine Masters.
After going on Wine Masters, the wines they had made and piled up in the warehouse had sold out at once, clearing the accumulated deficit in a single stroke. And that wasn't all.
By appearing on Wine Masters her face had become reasonably well known, and now she'd occasionally get calls from broadcast programs or be invited to parties hosted by celebrities and major corporations.
A single TV show had changed her life. That was why she could now stand confidently before Brian of Redwood.
"Right, right... of course. Oh! It's starting."
A pin spotlight lit up one part of the room. Following the light across the carpet toward the stage, George Clooney's tuxedo gave off a subtle sheen.
George Clooney, smiling, took up the microphone. His first words came with that signature smile of his.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is a night when we relearn the word 'human.' And honestly, it's also the best-dressed night I know of."
Laughter and applause broke out from the audience. In the front row, Brad Pitt smiled with his arms crossed, and Angelina Jolie, glass in hand, was deep in conversation with someone.
George went on.
"These splendid wines we're drinking tonight, the passionate Revival Cabernet from Napa Valley, and the beautiful Pinot Noir, Sylphide. They are, in themselves, symbols of labor, passion, and cooperation. The same goes for the people we honor tonight: our staff and crews who have sustained the film industry. Without their hands, there would be no films, no stages, no night like this."
Behind the stage, Sting was tuning his guitar, and the aroma of half-filled wine glasses slowly drifted through the air.
"Now, allow me to introduce the man who will be giving tonight's first speech. The heart of California, the legend of action films, and the most muscular governor I know... Arnold Schwarzenegger!"
Cheers exploded from the audience. As the lights swung to the right side of the stage, Arnold waved with a smile.
He walked to center stage in a flawlessly tailored white shirt and black tuxedo. Standing before the microphone, he delivered his first line in that distinctively thick German accent.
"Thanks, George... you make me sound like the Terminator of politics."
The audience burst into laughter. He let his own laughter die down for a moment and raised his glass. Inside it, ruby-colored Sylphide swirled gently.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we stand together tonight for the people who turn dreams into reality in this city of movies. The hands behind the camera, the shadows behind the set, every person holding up a light, their names are the true stars of this night."
Applause broke out. He continued in a slightly more solemn tone.
"This industry is built on human sweat. Just like the wine we're drinking. Just as grapes are picked by hand, waited on, and aged, so too are films made. Without patience and passion, neither could exist."
After a brief pause, he raised his wine glass high.
The flashes went off again.
"So let us raise this glass to them, to all of our staff. To the people behind the lights. Cheers!"
Glasses clinked together all at once, and the clear ring of crystal echoed across the venue. George Clooney then stepped back to the microphone and smiled.
"Wonderful, Governor. Now the Terminator can head back to his seat. Tonight, we'll be back."
Another wave of laughter rolled through, followed by applause. The event then began in earnest with music from the night's performance guest, Sting.
At the very front table sat George Clooney, the opening host of the event, the loving couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and Hollywood's leading star Leonardo DiCaprio as well.
With stars of that caliber, even Elaina, who had earned her own popularity on Wine Masters, approached with a trembling expression to fill their glasses.
"Silver Oak Winery's Revival Cabernet 2004 is sponsoring tonight's event. I'm not sure if it's to your liking."
Because this was a charity event, all the wines supplied here were provided free of charge by the wineries. But the publicity gained through exposure in various magazines and broadcasts more than made up for it.
George Clooney, who recognized her, smoothly picked up the conversation.
"Oh, Elaina. I saw you on Wine Masters. It was a shame you couldn't go a little further. I was actually rooting for you, you know."
"Oh, thank you so much."
"Would you mind telling me about the Revival Cabernet 2004?"
It was the kind of question that suggested he'd drunk his fair share of wine.
"As you'd know if you watched the show, our Silver Oak grew out of the great pain of a wildfire. Perhaps because of that, our Revival Cabernet 2004 carries notes of charred toast, dark red plums, the backbone of blackcurrant, and oak spice, giving the fruit the firmest voice it can possibly have. Revival is, you might say, a Cabernet that holds the memory of fire. Not burnt, but tempered."
He nodded as though familiar with it, then dipped his nose into the glass and looked satisfied.
"The aroma is remarkable. And yet not too heavy."
"You've described exactly the point we were aiming for."
Elaina swapped out the glasses and wiped the neck of the bottle. Her hands were light, and she had the feeling that everything tonight was going to go her way.
Just then, DiCaprio, who had been sipping his wine, asked a question.
"Is this organic, by any chance?"
She flinched for an instant and gave an awkward smile. Of all things, organic was tied to the single most devastating incident in Silver Oak's history.
Leonardo DiCaprio, with his well-known interest in environmental activism and climate change campaigns, had probably asked in that spirit, but the question happened to strike at the most painful spot for her.
"Well, it's..."
"Ah, I see."
Thinking he'd asked an awkward question, Leo waved a hand as if to tell her not to worry about it.
At that moment, someone abruptly stepped in. Christopher was not the kind of man to leave a gathering this important, packed with this many top stars, untouched.
"Good evening. I'd like to introduce one more wine to this gathering tonight. It's the wine that muscular governor over there is clutching like a prized possession."
Everyone turned to look in Arnold Schwarzenegger's direction. He was laughing heartily and drinking his wine, his face warmed by what felt like a spring breeze.
When the top stars turned back, Christopher proudly introduced the young Asian man standing behind him.
"This is Brian Choi of Redwood Winery, the finest up-and-coming winery in Napa Valley. He created not one but two wines that took home Double Gold at the awards ceremony recognizing the world's finest wines. To put it simply, think of it as having two films nominated for the Oscars in the same year."
The top stars, who at first had looked at him as just another salesman, soon let surprise show on their faces.
"Oh, really? Now I'm curious."
George Clooney, perhaps because he genuinely loved wine, was the first to hold out a fresh glass. Even before my regression, I'd never had much interest in celebrities, and that hadn't changed now. So I kept my expression flat as I uncorked the Sylphide with practiced ease and poured it into the glass.
The red liquid of Sylphide spilled slowly into the glass. The wine, catching the light, was more translucent than ruby, and the scent of wind-brushed cherries and raspberries slowly filled the space.
"Could you give us a little explanation of the wine?"
Once again, to George's question, I answered with a faint smile.
"It's a wine made from Pinot Noir grown in Russian River Valley. The finest Pinot Noir region in America. In Russian River Valley, a thick fog always settles in at dawn. That fog slows down the sunlight, firming up the grape skins and letting the aromas ripen slowly. You could say it creates the ideal conditions for Pinot Noir."
As the others nodded, I noticed Elaina's smiling face beside me twitch ever so slightly. She was probably forcing her composure, but I didn't pay it much mind.
George Clooney smiled and brought the glass up to his nose.
"Definitely... a completely different feeling from the previous wine. Is there anything more you can tell us?"
"Pinot Noir is a wine that even beginners can enjoy easily. If I explain in advance how you should feel about it, I think it would actually make the wine harder to enjoy. I think it's enough to drink it comfortably and savor the impression fully."
"Oh, I see."
At my words, George and the other stars each took a sip of the wine, and from a distance, magazine reporters captured the moment with the click of their shutters. The Sylphide bottle in my hand would have ended up in those photos too, and though the situation felt awkward, I did my best to bear with it.
"Wow... what a feeling..."
George, with all his experience drinking wine, was dramatically expressive, marveling and looking down at the wine again, while Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie smiled with quiet satisfaction, clearly liking it.
But then Leo spoke up again.
"Uh... I don't know if it's rude to ask, but is this one made organically too?"
For a moment, his gaze flicked toward Elaina, and I could tell that the same question had come up earlier. Feeling quietly sorry for Elaina, I answered.
"We applied for organic certification two years ago and are currently under the supervision of the NOP (National Organic Program) within the Department of Agriculture (USDA). If there are no issues by the end of that period, we'll receive our organic certification."
Leo broke into a bright smile at my answer.
"Perfect. Have you been interested in organic farming for a while?"
"Of course. I don't go so far as to think no chemicals should ever be used, but I believe that farming methods as close to nature as possible are good for human beings."
"That's exactly how I feel. I'd assumed grape growers weren't into organic farming."
Then, with a sidelong glance at Elaina beside me, he turned his eyes back to me and said:
"I don't usually know much about wine, but I really like the one I had today. Even the name is wonderful, Sylphide. If I get the chance, I'll try to track some down and drink it from time to time. Oh, can I get this wine right now? Not the donated bottles here, I mean."
Before I could even turn to Christopher, the answer was already coming.
"Of course you can. But I'd also like you to know that there is a Sylphide of an even higher tier than the one you just had."
"Really?"
George showed his interest right away.
"A limited edition Sylphide, drawn only from the finest barrels and bearing the winemaker's handwritten signature, is going up for auction. The price might be a bit steeper than the regular Sylphide, but..."
"I'll have to get my hands on one right away."
"Where is this auction?"
George and Brad Pitt were both intrigued. As everyone became absorbed in the story of Sylphide, at some point Elaina was left standing alone in a daze, as if she'd been frozen out.
Though she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, Elaina's face flushed red, and at some point she could no longer bear the indifference and quietly slipped away to another table.
And from behind her came an offhand voice.
"Personally, I thought it was much better than the one before."
Leo's praise for Brian lodged itself deep in her chest.
*****
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