Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-10-19
NEW SERIES, VOL. 4, NO. |.
MISCELLANEOUS.
From tho New York Evening Post.
American Wines.

About o dozen years ago merchant in
Philadelphia was called upon by an agent,
who tried to sell him wine made in America,
| but failed The idea that wine of home
manufacture was tit for a connoisseur was
then considered huge joke, and the mcr-
chant and his friends had a hearty laugh over
it. To-day, the same gentleman is among
the largest purchasers of native wine IN the
country. This is q fair example of the change
which has been wrought in public opinion
in regard to what is already an important
branch of industry by the energy and per
severance Of u few men.
Longworth's extensive vineyards and
those of Kcllcy's Island are well known,
but it is only lately that the wines produced
there have 10 any extent taken position
of rivalry with ilcidsick and Neuyc Clcquot
Now, however, the banks OF the Ohio and
the shores of Lake Eric are covered with
vines and the sturdy Teuton imagiues him
self again on the Rhine as he gathers his
grapes for the wine-prcss. California has
recently begun to take rank as wine grow
! ing region, and New Jersey has proved her
ability to produce fruit in no way inferior
to either OF the states named and not only
the lighter wines, but port, sherry and clarct
are manufactured there fully equal to any
imported in body, color and bouquet, and
what is better STILL without ''mcdication."
At Pussaic and at NinCland, New Jersey,
| the cultivation of the grape has attracted
considerable attention for some years, and
at these points, rs well as on the mountain
slopes and at several points on the Hudson
river there are extensive Vineyards many of
which are owned by Alfred Spccr, who,
from small beginning, and in spite Of OBJ
stacles Of no ordinary kind, has attained
! great success as Il winc-growCr. His vine
yards near Passaic and other places COM
( prize from fifty 10 one hundred acres, on
which are raised vines Of different varieties
some Of them the most difficult to bring to
maturity. Among them is the imported
! OpOrto grape, from which is made the port
grape wine, which rivals in every quality
the original pors AS may be supposed the
utmost care and unccasing attention were
necessary to bring the slips OF the Oporto
grape to bearing point, through all the
viciSsitudcs Of our climate, but they arc now
healthy and vigorous, and prolific bearers.
Mr.. SpCcr's mode Of cultivation differs from
that generally adopted, his vines being
trained to scperate upright support. and
wires and lattice work entirely dispensed
with. BY this means abundant shade is
secured as well as thorough ventilation
The grapes are allowed to hang until OCto
Der, when they become dead ripe" They
are then gathered and put in the Winc-prcss
whence the juice is conveyed in pipes &c
vats. where it is allowed to remain until
fermentation sets in. II it is intended &c
manufacture red wine, the skins and pull
arc allowed to remain on the mast but
these arc removed il white wine is desired
The juice is soon tracked off" in barrels
and stored away IN another building, tho
date being marked on each barrel. Attol
successive "ruckiugG,' to give the proper
"GrCncss,n the barrels nrc removed to al
inside cellar, where the temperature is at
ways the same. Iicrc they remain until tho
wines are from three to five years old, whicl
is the necessary age.
The average production of the vineyard:
controlled hy Mr.. Seer is "iunt siXtcci
thousand gallons ycn:, but this is by NJ
means the limit of his manufacture, 70
stimulated by lis example, some farTcr
have given their attention to grape growing
in many instances turning to profitable ac
count land otherwise unproductivc
So rapidly has the demand for catawht
aud port grape wines of New Jersey manu-
tacture increased, that it was found noccs
sary to enlarge the cellaragc and storag
accommodations, and Il fine three stOr
building, one hundred feet front, has hccl
erected, having underneath a deep cellar, O
rather two, ono within the other, where an
requisite temperature can hc steadily main
tanned. number Of other buildings ad
j0ccnt are also occupied in connection wit
the business; ono on the Hill is called III
p press house." and another the "tanli
house,
So successful has the experiment prove
q that It is safe to predict that in few year
, the banks of the Passaic and the caster
c slope of the Blue Ridge will be covered 70
! miles with vines.
J Catawba and port grape are mentione'
. above as New Jersey wines, but Mr.. Specr'
= manufacture is not confined to these, for h
!, has the controlling interest i'll large vino
= yards in California, which were planted b
Q the carry Spaniards, and arc now under ID
y supervision Of French and German wint
c growers The products are known as tii
/ ~. j. California" port and sherry, ana tn
Q 'P. J. La POrisiennc," which already ran
: high in this market.
s In conclusion, it may serve q good pu
pose, as an example of what energy wi
! accomplish, to notice briefly Mr.. Speer
!, career. Thrown upon the world when
!. child, lac was at seventeen years Of az
I apprentced to a cabinet maker, who agree
: to board him, teach him the trade, and Civ
o him his clothes until twcnty-onc years {
g age. Any one who served an apprentice
n ship twenty-five years ago knows what tn;
mcans-ten hours in the shop, and re-
h from labor in the evening, which was gel
IS orally enjoyed in splitting wood, milkin
u COWS, and by daylight in the morning wee'
ing garden, and with making fires, an
ii doing chores" At this period of his lil
Of young Speer had an ambition to become
=, literary man, and every spare moment w
u n devoted to study. He devised yario
\. eXpedicnts to secure funds for the purcha
ID OF books. AT the expiration of the apprc
J. ticeship, he resolved to start shop Of h
40 own, OF course on a small scale, in his natl
9. village Of Passaic. A friend leased him
piece of ground, whereon he built she
tn with his own hands, and he got all the bu'
y ness of the neighborhoOd, which was sea
~ enough. Often he has come to New Yor
bought the stuff for bureau or sofa, shi
r., ped it by railroad, and returned home
ne foot, a distance of twelve miles, not havil
money TO pay his fare, to turn the raw N
tcrial into furniture, which would produ
- funds enough to make another trip for st
l. more material to the city. Energy and
termination to succeed soon brought thu
reward, and in few years he had lare
IN shop, and was able to employ several jo'
neymen, but notwithstanding his appare
- success, he was still without capital
ouppI,, thic no W au in thp habit OI maxi