New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-27
A VHSIr TO TIE VINEYARDS.
AMERICAN GRAPE-GROwING AND WINE-MAK-
ING--sUCCESs CERTAIN.


some years ago. and withnnve year few sangune per-
sons have determined that the thing could be done on the
Islands and south shore of Lake Erie But what man has
faith now except the small number who know, that Yiue-
yard culture anywhere IN the State OF HewHork has
proved decidedly slceessful-that already large wine
cellars have been built, and that native VINE
and brandy arc produced in considerable quantities
OF this am now satisfied for have visited the vine
yards or Pleasant Valley and the shores OK crooked LAKE,
ana MI SIDES arounl HaininOh1slOI', otouou tonty
NewIOrk Success has been great that already about
400 acres have beer planted IN vines Win sun more
preparing for Spring found three large vine eel
lars, complete those Of Europe actively preparing
70 convert the crop Of grapes then ripeng INTO wc as
bulk than this OF 1861 Last year many late crops were
frosted This year every sort has pened. ana inc pro
excellent quality abundant In quantity.
at the time of my visit in the las. week september
the early varieties embracing Hartford Prolific ISABELLA
Delaware some Concords ana few Oh Otuer SORTS haa
been sent market bringing 25 80 cents per pound "
were then being picked and sent OF daily IN great wagon
Ioaas az put up IN UNIFORM hVe-poud OoAe, pacheu III
crates. There Is an immense mandatory OF THESE grape
DoAes at Hammond port Logs are SaWec az tne Nuns
!nto suitable sizes ior Tue circular saw ntehes loc1
the three used Tor bottoms and tops sides and ends
the last being half inch thick the sides and top
"i,,n are laneIed are naled Chat the Factory D! Rl
ana the bottom at the packing house, after being MED
Wen npened grapes closely packed In these boxes and
ee IN crates OF one To three Dozen are hauled SIX OF
elght mics to Bath on the Eric Road and shipped 70
New-York mostly by Merchants Union Express. dis
tanee Of $40 miles. bearing the transportation perfectly
and they viii keep sound till midwinter.
Catawba, Diana; Clinton, HerbemOut, Norton, Virginia,
Iyess Seeding, and other good wine grapes rpen per
4
yes although there is danger of the frost catching
the suggard neglects all aids art gained by well
ygneron must only be skilled in the practiced
In Europe but he must understand American climate and
soil and that he rpen grapes, II he knOCs hOw, upon
this hillside Of broken slate rock every year, while in that
valley 40 rods distant where corn grows 100 bushels per
The beautiful village Of Bath is situated upon the Con-
hocton River In a broad valley surrounded with
famous hills It's gentle descent Of 400 IT, thence TO
About six miles from Bath we begin 20 see the vineyards.
sleep for direct wagon roads; and little further on we
large stone packing house, and the cottages OF the
yiguerOus surrounded With up TO the door and
here dug into the HILL is the Pleasant Valley wnecear
and it, appcndages OF storerooms Offices mills, stills
etc. which look though wine making was an old, well
established business instead OF an infant scarcely three
Although most Of the members Of this Pleasant Valley
Wine Company are grapegrowes, the Company u NOT,
except 20 limited degree mostly for experimenting or
testing varieties. Their business IS wine making Nhen.
ever grapes so low in New-YUrk that they viii not
let ten or twelve ecnts pound here there Is mrhet ~
the wlne-cear Prices vary from six 10 eighteen cents
pound according to kind or quality ana afford handsome
profits, both TO grower ana manuletulet, a. ,to o,o,,
grapes brought from the vineyards IN the PICK
Ing boxes or baskets upon wagons WHICH uTlye uiuol
she'd where the IrulI Is llspccttu, Neisueu 1Hu 10
into tie Crusb!ngrOom ana tiu0ugh enalI Hl,ls, 'D5
pumGce falling into great watts IN he next room DeloH'
Ind 20 these yats will hold gallons EACH There IA no
- wine press The juice runs from the mass OIL pulp
freely. For white wine, IL Il drawn lmmedateg. ~
c0Ors hy standing more or less, ACCORDING - ung ~, VI
Kind ~ grapes IL heavy aStrhSeht ana sieil uI1e
vine IS wanted the pulp must DC allowed 10 ierincns
slightly before The juice Is drawn II llght @he aioss
de- timtc Of alcohol, required, niue wafer y hCNn
after JUICE, anu tll5 i.thes
tho sort OF VINE IN favor Win thoee accusIoe ~
vino with every meal freely rs we do tea and coffee
The pulp as well as all the lees OF VINE csEs Is us
ted for brandy But the very nnest khu Oh Dliuuy ~
made from the purcsG wine, though not necessarily from
thosU Of the highest yaine, or most soiaoIe An, ,o,
The must, frosh grape juice Is called Is drawn rom
the watts containing the pulp INTO cnsRs " tne oear o.
capacity Oi loo TO 1000 gallons where the nrs %
ton takes place, eAacty IAe cIier but - P os', It
entrance Of air which deleerOus 70 tho "lne' ght
buug inserted with bent tube IN IT, when passes over
into pail Of water, thus allowing the gas ~ esoape'
while the cir - excluded Nhen TIE escape OF gas ceses'
the casks arc filled up and bunged tight The active fer
lasts two TO four weeks and tho sun iermehta
ton until Is perfectly clear. continues some
months, nay I'LL mid-winier when IL u drawn IOI INC
lee, into clean and again bunged close, and tae Ices
to tho distery aud te casks Carefully cleaned I0f
future Use.
| Sparkling vino ia q manufactured article, made by
iou tedious waStef aud expensive process and never
Ca be as wholesome. however much II may TICKLE tne
palate pure grape juice 10 the condition known as Gy
vine II Tic sparkling vine IS honestly hidub, IL mas
nothing in It but the syrup OF refined sugar mixed IN
due proportion with pure grape Juice after It has become
good 9TH wine II not honestly made n Is mixed Win
juice cheaery mat the manufactures chooses or can
make pront8he when he has knayes OF Tools JOE
customers n / used sparkling wine, Champagne" l
would directly from an American wncceuar.
where the ploprietors OF which, iike inc NAMES NV
given above, reputation That cannot Dc D1tted up
with tho Juice Of unps, nor wine plants There 49,
hrd M, syreetened sparklire vast amount of stuff
now sold under the maine OF "pure American wine"
enough to make strong alcoholic compound, unwhOle
some, intoxicating, and unworthy to be called VINE
years ago these grounds were covered WIN thOer
bushes and stones ANA unstable at SO SIS an acre
Now 10 sells readily IN lts rough state, at 500 or $500 an
acre ana at 81 600 when made into bearing vineyard
And well might for there has been no failure OF crop
since the cement, ten years ago. ana only one
year OF serious damage from early frost S6bG WINE III
good year per not al unusual Yield WHICH az
only ten cents pound produces $500 sklful yignerons
do now, ana g Tor long time To cOlc' cODhuu" nlkn
wages IN this grapegrowing region quite nun
Der from France and Germany already mere, ana at
most immediately eynce their faith by purchasing ahu
and planting "a vineyard Of their own.
The hillside upo1 the western shore ls generally 80
steep that roads are not praccaoie IN any tLg IKE
direct line from the water TO the top OF the NH nue.
distant The face is much cut into rayines the DEBRIS
from which have made here and there ieye spot IrSe
enough TOR "A house, q chance TO aud DOal. Inc
most Of land next the water has been set Tith vines
for 10 miles down the Shore and much more beng pre-
pared. Much OF IL must be terTaced ana 40 hot see
how the crop 10 be carried OH, except Oy PachlhK uOhn
VET IL is not reanired The view Of these Vineyards
from the water Is charming Visitors 10 TINS region may
enjoy this delight, IN great measure Oy p GA lhs
| steamer running daily between Hammondsport ana
Penn-Yan =.
All Of the soil upon which grapes most successfully
grown around thls lake, as Wen as up reasant E1iSy'
appears TO be OF similar characteri that L. rapidly de-
composing slate rock, only small portion OF which has
cayey soil Some OK the best vineyards are so full OF
angular broken stones OF all sizes aud shape that earth
scarcely visible AT least walk across an acre
without touching the earth. Upon the la&eshore
the say SOIL composed OF pebbles VI various minerals aud
generally the surface is less stony than along the Pleas
Valley range; but great will have TO be used by
all cultvatOrs TO keep the soil from outlying since We
ravnes that have been cut SO t. deep and some est
mate 100 feet This In my opinion, VIII DO the greatest
difficulty contend with by al who plant the hiisdes.
Yet far 1t is these alone that give promise OF success
The stony hills give "A rich yield Of fruit.
The first vineyards planted IN Pleasant valley were In
1885, when Judge LarOwe and Orlando Shepard each set
half acre. near Hammondsport; though tho Rev W
w BOstwck planted Isabella and CataWba vines IN
1928. and others snce but they seldom got ripe uu
because their vines were planted III rich saraenS' ana
highly MANFRED. $50,
In the Spring OF 1857 people began to talk about the
profit OF growing grapes for market ana several persons
began plant small patches Of hillside for that purpose
c. d. Champlin. Timothy NJ. YOungoye, ana ~ u Baker
appear been pioneers in the business In 1905
Grape Growers Association was formed Tor mutual ad
and that varieties might DO tested for the general good
without needless individual expense. Those not ae-
quainted with grape culture derived great benz,
fit from the discussions at the meetings OF TINS
Association, which also procured all tho puDne1T