The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-11-02

The New York Times prints letter
in regard to grape growing and wine
making in California. The writer says
that
With a climate universally admit
ted to be the best adapted for grape
growing in the world-far SURPRISING
that OF France or Germauy-California
was only able, out of u product of some
5000 600 ofgallons, to export in the last
six months paltrv 500, 900 worth, and
this was $50, 600 less than the same Pc
riod Of 1866. The price, too, in many
districts, has reached the low point of
thirty five cents per gallon, or at the
rate OF seven cents per bottle, while
French claret commands its fifty cents
to one dollar and fifty cents per bottle.
In other places, so small Is the demand,
it must be converted into brandy to
tiud any sale for 1t. Even the last re-
port OF the Department Of Agriculture
i'll Washington, which was expected to
say everything complimentary, spoke
in regard to the California wines which
had been analysed: "Whalever may
be the cause, it seemed unjust to pro-
nounce any opinion upon the merits of
wines which were plainly unfh for
drinking"
The correspondent goes on, among
other things, to say that lack OF hon
esty among those who prepared the
wine for the market is the principal
difficulty. This, says the Cincinnati
Gazette,
"Is the old story of American haste
to realize, and OF lack of patience,
skill and care in the manufact ure, and
OF fixtures to take proper care, and OF
honesty, which have been such draw
back TO wine growing on the Atlantic
slope, and by which California, with a
country the best fitted in the world for
wine growing, has failed to create that
reputation for the product that is es
sential to marketable quality, and has
permitted the trade to diminish, in
spite of the declining price of wine."
The Gazette goes on to say that
Wine making cannot reach the per-
fectiOn which is requisite to mRrketa-
BILE value, until it is carried on by great
houses, who can lay out the capital
that is required in buildings and eel
lars, and in keeping the wine till 1t is
perfected for use, to whom the grape
growers will sell their grapes or their
vintage in its unfermented state.
This is not only requisite to the max
ing of good wine, but to give 1t char
acter that will make it marketable.
Small growers, putting up their own
wine for market, can never give 1t Il
reputation nor protect the trade from
fabricated wines. These are the bane
of all wine growing. Here in Cincin-
natl we suppose the manufacture of
spurious native wine is much greater
than the genuine product of all Ohio
There are no bounds to the impudence
and extent of this fraud. Nor can peo-
Pile who call for wine at first class ho-
tells and restaurants be sure what they
EnnnrnIlNy Fhnu tho
assurance, so far as u high price can
give il. But when people who know
that hotel keepers require as their per-
quisite profit of not less than dollar
II bottle, see on the bill of fare "Ohio
Catawba" at IA dollar or IA dollar and IA
quarter a bottle, while known Catawba
wine is worth i'll market nine or ten
dollars dozen, what are they to sup
pose of its genuineness? And have they
any reason to think they will fare bet
ter in the higher prices on that bill7
or course hotel keepers might bny
good native wine at s2 so OrS3 a gallon,
bottle ii themselves, and furnish 1t at ii
dollar bottle, with close profit; but
that is not their way. They treat wine
as thing which must pay them
large perduisite, and at such price for
good native wine, such as tirst-class ho-
tels ought to keep, they can only get
their perquisite by buying wine that is
made without the medium OF grapes.
But il must be allowed that it is seldom
that the cheapness of the price suggests
such a doubt. Generally it is genuine
in price.
American wine growing is in very
crude state. The wines have too many
SPONSORS 10 have famous name any
where. The spurious wines compete
with the genuine on their own ground,
and the people lack confidence in all.
fsafN fNf
wine culture here, and it seems to have
been the same in California. More
capital invested in the curing of the
wines, more skill and patience in the
manufacture, concentration of the
business of curing the wines in houses
that have invested the requisite capital,
and that eau give them reliable name,
are necessary before the wine culture
can make great progress. These will
come slowly, aud wine growing Will
undoubtedly become an important in
terest.