At age five, I was told a watch pot never boils.

Finding this magical, I climbed onto a chair to stare at the pot and promptly slipped, burning my elbow on the hot electric element. In that moment, I was literally branded a foodie.

By sixteen, I was working the line at a 300-cover Mexican restaurant, sweating through burns, cuts, and exhaustion - but grinning like a fool. Over six years and several kitchens, I learned that fire, pressure, and chaos can make you stronger - and maybe a little addicted to the rush.

Food led me to Sumi Hahn - brilliant, fearless, and a New Orleans restaurant critic for the Times-Picayune. A soulmate. A soulmate whose passion for cuisine rivaled my own. Together, we tasted, explored, and dreamed.

Then, a friend asked if I'd help him make wine. I said yes. That yes became a lifelong obsession. My first solo batch in 1999 hooked me: how could a simple grape transform into bottled poetry? A 1997 Beringer Cabernet in Napa showed me it could. Thousands of experiments later, I learned to listen to the grapes, guiding them rather than forcing them. The best wines, I discovered, were those that captured the essence of the fruit.

In 2004, the Almquist Family winery was born - Washington State winery license #306. Small craft became bigger craft: by 2008, I had converted a 15,620-square-foot warehouse into a modern urban winery with a 15-ton crusher, 4-ton press, and a 60 BPM bottling line. My first professional release won Best Grenache at the San Francisco International Wine Competition - just the start of over 300 medals to come.

In 2009 Almquist Family became the 9th licensed craft distillery in Washington State. More experiments, more tasting, more discovery. Over time, those spirits earned 22 medals.

An on-site tasting room led to restaurants. In 2010 The Book Bindery opened to rave reviews, followed by two more ventures. By 2015, we began hosting events at our winery and distillery, extending our hospitality to a larger community. Life felt like a sequence of serendipitous steps: the pot that boiled, a friend's question, a supportive partner, endless curiosity.

As our lives settled into the natural rhythm of the seasons, my wife's writing (The Mermaid from Jeju) took her to Jeju Island, South Korea. Inspired by her visits and her father's childhood memories of the island, we saw an opportunity to build a distillery there.

Sumi, along with her guide Dong Min Kim (Tony), discovered the ideal location in Seogwipo, following a memorable trip to Hallasan Mountain. In 2016, we broke ground on our second winery, distillery, and event venue. Over time, training, and tastings, Tony developed from apprentice to master, from friend to honorary family member, contributing significantly to the creation of our flagship spirits, TOMORA.

By 2017, I wanted to push further: wander the vineyard, experiment at the source. That took me to Central Otago, New Zealand, where we planted roots in organic soils, starting again with every vintage as a new adventure - and our third (and final?) winery, distillery, event venue.

I still sometimes think about that pot at five, boiling slowly, as if time itself were teasing me: watch it, learn from it, burn your elbow, and keep wandering.

-- Michael Almquist