Chapter 37: Harvest Fair (2)
TL: Hanguk
The person most shocked by the fact that it was a joint 1st place in the wine grape category was, unexpectedly, not Matthew Higgins.
It was Thomas Edward, a professor who was both a Table Grape judge who had personally scored it and the dean of UC Davis’s Viticulture & Enology department.
He once again examined the grapes submitted from Redwood Farm and made a puzzled expression. The taut, firm shape without a single flaw, the deep grape aroma, and the intense sensation felt when he put one in his mouth were the kind of things he had often seen in Cabernet Sauvignon from To-Kalon.
"Remarkable, truly remarkable..."
“Yes. I looked into Redwood Farm, and I heard they went through a terrible ordeal last year because of powdery mildew, and that the farm owner changed.”
Another professor who had attended the judging also chimed in beside Dean Thomas at the surprising result.
“Really? Then the owner changed and they produced grapes like this in just one year? That Asian father must be incredibly skilled.”
“Seriously. He was Korean, and it seems Korea’s wine grape cultivation ability is far superior to what we know.”
Neither of them could believe that a kid who had just turned twenty had grown grapes like this. For them, this was an entirely common-sense guess. Because they knew very well that experience mattered tremendously in farming.
"Does Korea even produce wine grapes?"
“Well, that...”
“As far as I know, Korea mainly produces table grapes. That Korean farm owner must have studied abroad. Cabernet Sauvignon is a finicky variety. You can't get results like this by luck.”
“Hmm... I agree with your opinion, Dean. Then I’m really curious. I know it’s located far south even from Oakville where To-Kalon is, but how did they raise it this well? Even in our research vineyard, you don’t easily see one this sturdy with such a strong aroma.”
When To-Kalon’s land had been split up and sold in pieces, the one that took part of it was UC Davis. So, naturally, UC Davis had a research vineyard in To-Kalon.
“When they join the challenge next year with wine made from these grapes, what do you think the result will look like?”
At the dean’s question, the professor, who now looked to be around forty, tilted his head with an awkward expression.
"It would depend on whose hands it ends up in, but if made properly, the Cabernet Sauvignon wineries centered around Oakville would be nervous. However, making proper wine is just as difficult as growing grapes, so wouldn't that Asian farm owner try to sell them at quite a high price?"
At that, Thomas, the dean, nodded.
"That would make sense, right? That's probably why they participated today."
“Yes.”
“I’d like to visit that Redwood Farm if I have time. Maybe Redwood’s terroir is similar to To-Kalon’s, so this kind of result came out by chance.”
He knew there was almost no possibility of that, but he couldn’t believe that an Asian had grown Cabernet Sauvignon this excellently, so he kept suspecting some other angle instead.
“Yes. If I have time, I’ll look into it.”
He was curious. If a result like this came out even though it wasn’t a terroir similar to To-Kalon’s, wouldn’t it make it possible to assume that top-grade grapes could come out not just from cultivation methods, but from other environments as well?
He was still the kind of person who kept looking for other reasons rather than cultivation skill.
***
“Congratulations.”
Even with Siena’s congratulations, Matthew’s expression didn’t change even a little. If anything, he looked bewildered, as if asking what there was to congratulate.
“For what?”
“You got first place.”
“Are you mocking me right now? I tied for first with grapes grown by some yellow monkey from a farm I’ve never even heard of, and you’re congratulating me?”
Siena’s face hardened.
“I didn’t know you’d take it that sensitively. But it’s funny. When I was being humiliated by that guy at first, you took it as nothing but entertaining. What did you say back then? Did you ask if my dad had tried drinking that, too?”
“...... I’m sorry about that. I’ll apologize.”
Since he said he would apologize, Siena, despite her displeased expression, didn’t talk about it anymore and turned her head away. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she stared at the Asian family visible far off and muttered.
“Who is she?”
But a woman with lots of freckles and reddish hair quietly approached, as if she had been there for a while, and spoke to her.
“The female student next to Brian?”
When Siena turned her head at the sudden voice, the girl with braces on her teeth smiled brightly and said,
“I’m Elaina, a freshman.”
“You know them? Those guys?”
“We went to the same school. Vintage High School.”
“Ah... who is she?”
“Chloe Harris. She’s the daughter of a family that owns a cherry farm with over hundreds of acres in Brentwood. She sticks right next to Brian. Brian goes around showing off what he knows about farming.”
Then Siena’s gaze changed. At least here in California, she knew well what kind of influence and wealth a big farm owner’s family with a farm of hundreds of acres had.
“Yeah?”
“When we were in school, she was famous for following the football players around.”
No matter how much she wanted to tear her down, Siena wasn’t stupid. No, she was actually quite smart, so she strongly sensed jealousy in Elaina’s tone.
“I see.”
She humored her, but she didn’t believe what Elaina was saying. She just checked once more to confirm one sentence.
“But does Brian really know a lot about farming?”
“Um... well... he’s just acting like he knows.”
Having already been on the receiving end of that “acting like he knows” once, she at least knew it wasn’t just empty bragging with his mouth. She had already heard what kind of kid he was from Pierce Morgan, who was said to know the most about organic farming methods in the California region.
“Is there... any evidence? Or is he just going around talking?”
“I don’t know either. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that he achieved some great results.”
“Really? Okay. Thanks.”
“If you’re curious about Brian, feel free to ask me anytime.”
“I will.”
When Siena nodded with a gentle smile, Elaina, seemingly satisfied, moved away. When Siena turned her head, the smile had completely vanished from her face. And she walked to the blind test venue for selecting the Best Wine, the main event of this festival that would soon begin.
***
"Mom and Dad will be at the grape stomping event area, so you two go have fun."
“... What are you talking about? I have to go to that blind test class.”
"Still, is it okay to leave Chloe alone? You can go together and Chloe can just stay by your side."
At Mom's words, Chloe surprisingly nodded.
“That sounds fun.”
“......”
Of course it sounds fun for you.
“Huh?”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
Mom, who was impatient to quickly experience the grape stomping competition happening on the stage, took Dad and left, and I had no choice but to take Chloe to the wine judging venue.
“I’m not bad with wine either. Ever since I turned twenty, I’ve been learning by drinking a little bit at dinner continuously.”
“Could it be that your father doesn’t know alcohol is bad for your health?”
“You drink a lot too.”
“I...”
I was about to say I don’t drink now, but I thought if I said that, everything I said afterward would contradict itself, so I just shut my mouth.
“Don’t tell me Koreans think it’s bad for women to drink?”
“... It’s not like that, okay?”
Chatting with Chloe like this, we arrived at one side of the event site, an area covered with black cloth. UC Davis students were already gathered there, chatting quietly among themselves.
I took Chloe and approached the professor in charge.
“Excuse me, but I have a friend who came to the event with me, so could she just stay with me? She’s majoring in Plant Science, so it’s the same college.”
The professor who had judged the grapes together with the dean earlier recognized me, smiled, and readily accepted.
“Go ahead, then. Congratulations on getting first place earlier.”
“Thank you.”
As Chloe and I slipped in among the students, I could feel a strange gaze different from before.
“Is it because you got first place? Everyone’s watching you.”
Chloe whispered near my ear, and I shrugged.
“Well... I guess so.”
In front of the students, on a long table, there were rows of wine glasses lined up in a straight line and wine bottles with their labels covered. Far away, the real judges were all holding score sheets, and with serious faces they were scoring the wines while taking in their aroma and taste.
“Alright, feel the aroma and taste one by one and write down your score, and later, fill out your individual final score sheet and submit it.”
The students formed a long line and, one by one, started tasting the wines and scoring them. But oddly enough, Matthew Higgins was standing right behind me. He gave Chloe a smirk and a greeting with his eyes, but she smiled at the corner of her mouth, returned a formal eye greeting, and then turned her head away.
“If it’s okay, I want to take a sip too.”
“All of them?”
“Only the good ones.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk...”
I clicked my tongue, but when she still asked me to recommend the decent ones, I tasted each one as we moved along and handed her only the wines I’d given, in my own way, a score of B⁺ or higher.
"What about that one?"
“Not really... the aroma is light.”
“This one?”
“The alcohol is too strong, and the acidity is high too.”
“Then this one?”
“It’s not bad... but it’s not like it has any distinctive character.”
The two of us quietly talked as we passed them one by one, and on the other side the professor was watching with subtle concentration.
Then we stopped in front of a certain wine. After I smelled it, tasted it, and gave it a score in my own way, Chloe asked as usual.
“That one?”
“Want to try it?”
“Sure.”
Since it was the third time I was offering her a taste, Chloe drank with great anticipation, and the professor watched with a furrowed brow.
“Hm?”
Chloe tilted her head. And from behind me, I heard a snort.
“Don’t tell me you recommended that because you think it’s good?”
Because I’d kept recommending things that were drinkable, Matthew, who had been watching, mocked me.
“Ah, this... I gave it a not-bad score.”
“This? Isn’t something wrong with you? How many points did you give it?”
“That’s a secret...”
As I only smiled with a shrug, the professor in charge approached.
“Will you show it to me only?”
There was no reason not to, so I showed him the score I’d written in my notebook.
Seeing the score, the professor flinched in surprise, then pointed out to Matthew.
“Until the test is over, don’t talk about scores.”
"I'm sorry."
After that, the students held back their curiosity and kept scoring. After more than twenty minutes, once all the wines’ scores had been checked, the professor collected all the students’ evaluation sheets.
When the on-site lesson just for the students ended and only the professor’s final remark remained,
“Brian?”
“Yes?”
The professor suddenly asked me.
“That sample J Matthew asked about earlier. Why did you give it an A⁻? Ah, should I ask Matthew first? Why did you give it a C⁺?”
At the fact that I’d given it an A⁻, all the students made shocked expressions. And at the fact that Matthew had given it a C⁺, most of the students nodded, as if they agreed.
“As I saw it, the reddish color was a bit muddy, and the aroma didn’t burst out as much compared to the other wines. There was no reason to give it a high score.”
At his answer, the students nodded again as if in agreement. The professor then turned his face to me.
“Shall we hear your opinion?”
How should I explain this so I look less like an expert... Scratching my head as I thought for a moment, I slowly opened my mouth.
“I remember reading in a book that if it has a red-berry aroma and the tannins are soft compared to the color density, then Pinot Noir is in an under-aged state.”
"Oh ho, you're even guessing the variety is Pinot Noir? And?"
“They said that if the fruit aroma is simple and the tannins feel like they’re roughly scraping the mouth, it’s not immature, but in the stage before polyphenol polymerization. And if you get that feeling, then after two or three years pass, it balances the flavors, and from a raspberry aroma you can complexly sense rose and cedar aromas. At that point, it becomes completely different from now.”
“So you’re saying right now it’s at the bud stage before the flower blooms?”
“Yes.”
I really racked my brain and explained it as simply as possible. Of course, Matthew, along with the other students, let out an incredulous laugh.
"Haha, that's ridiculous..."
But unlike the students, the professor looked at me with an astonished expression.
“You tasted it yourself and found what you felt in an explanation you read in a book? How does that happen? That’s something impossible to do without countless experiences.”
As the atmosphere started to get weird, I brazenly pushed forward.
"I just felt it that way and told you what I felt... Oh, and in Korea, if parents offer alcohol, teenagers can taste just a tiny bit, so I don't lack experience. Just a tiny bit..."
Since I ended up borrowing a drama line that went, ‘I only said it was a persimmon because it tasted like a persimmon...', the professor had nothing to say. He just looked at me with stunned eyes.
Only then did the students catch on to who was closer to the correct answer, and they covered their mouths with their hands in amazement.
“Is it real? Is what he said the correct answer?”
Matthew frowned as if it couldn't be true, but I just smiled awkwardly.
What would you know? Do you have any idea how many research assignments I’ve written up to now...
But I smiled awkwardly and said to Matthew.
“It’s okay. That can happen. If you drink, like... a thousand bottles? You’ll feel the same thing. Things like that get solved by time...”
I meant it as comfort, but at the word “a thousand bottles", Matthew’s face lost its composure for the first time and twisted.
*****
Author's Note
Images of the Harvest Fair wine trail.
