Local winemaker revisits thrill of wine uncorked at presidential inauguration

Farmers prune the grapevine plants at domestic winery Doranwon's vineyard in Yeongdong County, North Chungcheong Province, May 23. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Doranwon's award-winning rose wine served at President Yoon's inauguration dinner

By Lee Hae-rin

YEONGDONG COUNTY, North Chungcheong Province ― Winemaker Ahn Nam-rak, 64, couldn't believe what he heard from his neighbor, that his wine was on TV and that it had been chosen as one of the spirits to be served during President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration on May 10.

"I thought it couldn't be true, because it was too good to be true," he told The Korea Times during a recent interview. "I thought, 'There must be some other winery with a similar label to mine,' because I got no phone call or prior notice from the presidential office that mine had been chosen."

Then his wife got a call from her friend, an old-time fan of Ahn's wine, telling them the good news that their wine was indeed going to be served at the prestigious event. The couple looked it up on the internet and realized that what they heard from their acquaintances had been true.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and the First Lady Kim Keon-hee attend the inaugural dinner at The Shilla Seoul on May 10. Foreign dignitaries and business leaders were some of those who were invited to the dinner. Ahn's rose wine chosen to be paired with Korean cuisine, along with five other Korean regional liquors. Joint Press Corp

"At that very moment, I felt like I had done my job as a winemaker," Ahn said, recalling the joyful moment. Ahn checked with the distributor and discovered an unusual bulk order of 80 bottles, which they both concluded to be from the inaugural dinner preparation team.

Ahn's "Chateau Miso Sweet Rose," made from Campbell grapes from his winery Doranwon, was chosen to be served at President Yoon's inauguration dinner at The Shilla Seoul on May 10, along with five other Korean regional specialty liquors.

Over the past 20 years, the first-generation Korean winemaker has made 20 different types of wine and liquors and won countless awards at domestic and international competitions.

His final mission had been to win Presidential recognition and it was the rose wine that had brought him the very first prize at the Korean Sool (K-Sool) Awards in 2013, which allowed him to receive the honor this year.

Doranwon owner and winemaker Ahn Nam-rak poses with his signature wine, "Chateau Miso Rose," at his winery's main hall. The wine has received several prizes at international and domestic competitions and was served at the presidential inaugural dinner in May. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Ahn's winery is in Yeongdong County, a rural county in North Chungcheong Province. It is a three-hour drive south from the capital. Yeongdong is home to many wines in Korea. With its population slightly over 45,000, the region yields an average of 30,000 tons of grapes every year, taking up about 12 percent of the country's total production of grapes.

The region has been one of the country's leading fruit producers due to its geographical advantages. Located between the Chupungyeong ridge and the Geum River, one of the nation's three major rivers, running 392 kilometers from Sobaek Mountains to the Yellow Sea, the region features a big temperature range, a lot of sunshine and low annual precipitation, which together give high sugar content and strong aroma to fruit.

To develop the regional specialty, the county designated itself as a special industrial district for grape farming and wine in 2005 and now has a belt of 37 wineries.

Ahn's journey to becoming a Korean winemaker began much earlier than that, however.

Ahn is one of many Koreans whose life was hit hard by the Asian Financial Crisis that hit a number of countries in the region in the late 1990s. Koreans refer to it as "the IMF crisis," because Korea was given a bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the condition of massive layoffs and reforms in four sectors, including the banking sector.

Back in those days, Ahn was self-employed. He had been a miller, a curtain business owner and even tried running different types of restaurants. After getting hit hard during the financial crisis, Ahn decided to return to his hometown in Yeongdong and help his mother with her grape farming.

Driven by his business acumen which he had developed through his previous businesses, he said he has always searched for a way to create extra value from the fruit. First it was the early leftovers from thinning out the trees in summer, then it was the grape's short period for seasonal sales lasting less than a month that led him to run experiments making processed goods that are more easily storable. When Korea's Free Trade Agreement with Chile was signed in 2004, foreign grapes were imported at low prices and he felt he was left with no choice but to blaze a new trail.

"Everybody in town was making grape juice and I didn't want to do the same. So I started teaching myself how to make wine," Ahn said.

He started reading everything he could find about winemaking and learned through a wealth of trial and error. "I even once stored it in plastic bottle because I didn't know anything about wine," Ahn said. When the local government designated the county as a wine district and started supporting its farmers with financial aid and education, Ahn was already ahead of his peers.

Having obtained a liquor manufacturing and sommelier license by 2010, Ahn has been wrestling with the idea of Korean wine. What makes it different from products of traditional winemaking countries?

"The Campbell grapes grown in Korea have particularly small and sweet fruit. They are great to just munch on, but not suitable for winemaking due to their low tannin content," Ahn explained.

He saw no hope in imitating western wines that Korean consumers are more familiar with. Instead, he chose to create a new type of drink that accentuates the strong points of the fruit and suits Korean cuisine.

His solution was ice distillation and the blending of fermented grapes. By repeatedly freezing and removing ice, the drink grows richer in concentration and alcohol content and turns fuller in body. Then Ahn additionally chose to blend different types of grapes in search of a balance in flavor.

"Korean wines could taste a little bland compared to others that we're more familiar with," Ahn said. "But we shouldn't say that they taste bad, just because they're different. Most importantly, their pairings with Korean foods, like seasoned vegetables and spicy dishes, are amazing."

Ahn poses after winning the 2019 Korea Wine & Spirits Award in this photo taken in February 2019. Courtesy of Doranwon

Ahn's odyssey in pursuit of excellence finally paid off as he started getting recognition from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the provincial government and global wine competitions. Doranwon's wines are now available at some restaurants in five stars hotels in Seoul like JW Marriott and department stores.

The winery's annual income is reportedly worth about 1.3 billion won ($1 million), which is rare among domestic winemaking businesses mostly run at small scales by families. The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted its online sales among younger customers and President Yoon's dinner has given new momentum to its popularity.

"After being served at the inaugural dinner, many more people are curious about my wines and buy them. Recognition like this could last for four to five years," Ahn said.

His favorite part about winemaking is cherishing memories of his loved ones and having a good time with them.

To celebrate the wedding of his daughter, Ahn made "Chateau Miso Wedding" with prunes, as its white flowers signify "pure love" in the language of flowers. His signature "Chateau Miso 27" is a red wine he made for his son's marriage, which was held on January 27. Ahn made its price more reasonable by cutting out the intermediary distribution process, to celebrate the occasion with a wider audience and promote Korean wine.

The best in quality and highest in price is "Chateau Miso Queen," made of shine muscat grapes and dedicated to his wife, whom he literally calls "the queen" of the winery. His latest masterpiece is a heavy and dry red wine produced in limited quantity called "Chateau Miso Red Pants," symbolizing himself for wearing red pants at awards and events.

Ahn said his favorite word in Korean is "miso" ― meaning "smile" ― and that's where the names of his wines originate from. The winery's name, "Doranwon," comes from the Korean onomatopoeic expression, "doran doran," meaning "gathering around to have a quiet and friendly chat," and used to have at least 40 to 50 guests coming for winery tours every week before the pandemic.

"I hope this place invites many people and gives them a joyful time," Ahn said.

Ahn's winery, Doranwon, and vineyard in Yeongdong County, North Chungcheong Province are seen in this photo taken on May 23. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin