Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-01-16
From the ". Y. Tribune,
The Grape Regions Of New York.

=
this State is among the l1kos in the inte-
rior, tho outlets Of which are into Lake
Ontario. Those are north of ~ degrees
Of latitude, considerably above the level,
and about two hundred and fifty miles
north of Cincinnati, whore the cultiva.
tion of native varieties in this country
first commenced. The most extensive
] planting, indeed the only place where
tho business is carried on thoroughly, is
Oh Crooked Lake, now called Keuka, ut
the head of which is IIammondsport, the
distributory of all the vineyards along
the shores. Arriving at Penn Yam, at
tile foot of the lake, left the cars and
took a steamer for the town above nam
ed, distant some 20 miles. The water is
clear, aud the bottom is of gravel or
rock. Fish are plentiful and in places
the depth is so great that in that cold
country it does not freeze over until mid
wiuter. AT first the banks are low, but
soon they rise higher, aud assume de-
cidedly mountainous character. For the
! first ten miles there are few or no vine
| yards, though there seems no reason why
| planting might not be done with hope Of
reward and when within five miles of
the head of the lake a scene breaks upon
the view which, so far as vineyards are
concerned, has no parallel on the Ameri-
can continent, and doubtless is unexcel-
ed in the world. The lake is fully as
broad as the Mississippi from Baton
Rouge to New Orleans, and the prospect
is free, dazzling and romantic. The
greater part OF the vineyards are on the
western shore. The ground ri, es almost
immediatel y from the waters age and
from 500 to 700 feet high, equal 10 Pilot
Knob or Mount Tom. Certainly no far
mer would undertake to raise grain on
such declivity, for it seems almost i'm
possible for team to plow or for a wag-
on to ascend. Within two miles of the
town, and where the hin is steepest and
least marked by ravines, is solid block
Of vineyards reaching from the top to the
bottom, and making in one body several
hundred acres all neatly staked, while
cultivation is thorough, and tho general
management, as they have decided it
should be, is with scarcely fault. 1t is
true that OH Put-In-Iiay and Kelley's Is
land are vineyards, equally extensive,
and within one inclosure, but they are
on level ground, bounded on one side by
Lake Erie, and they are not presented to
the eye in all their details as here upon
the mountain side.
Within few miles are about 4.GO0
acres in vineyard, while there is ground
equally as good for as much more.
Pleasant Valley commences at Ham
mondsPort and is about half mile wide,
and through it runs main travelled
road to Bath, the county seat OF Stcub.
ell, eight miles distant. Something like
mile from the town, and in the valley
are the fruit houses and cellars of the
Pleasant Valley Wine Company. The
capital invested is about 100000, the
arrangements are extensive aud complete
and Frenchman, with skill derived
from his own country, superntends the
making Of the wine. Such has been the
prejudice against American wines, main
ly arising from the many specimens
manufactured in families from currants
and other small fruits, which even those
who made item did not like, that this
company, as well as others SO engaged,
have been obliged to make great efferts
and TO oxpend considerable sums in call
ing attention to their wines and 10 com
pete with foreign manufactures. AT
last, their wines have been approved by
good judges, and the demand is fully as
great as they can supply. 1t is to be no
ted, however, that the best market is in
the West, and that Chicago takes large
quantities. The sea-board cities, and
New York in particular, are unsatisfac-
|
is a taste already acquired for foreign
wines, and mostly without the least re-
gard to quality and the other is the no.
tion fostercd by importers, and their as
sociates, among the upper classes, that
is, those who have money to spend, that
only Europeans can make good wine.
When American grapes contain the due
amount of saccharine matter and acid, 1T
is easy to make wine that will pass every
scientific test rs well as wine made in
Europe, and nothing more can be said of
grapes and of wine in any part OF the
world.
About three miles below Hammonds-
port is the Urbana Wine Company es-
tablishment, as extensive as the other
one, and making the same varieties OF
wine. Everything is conducted in the
most approved manner; no expense
seems to have been. spared, and there
can be no doubt that the management OF
both these houses is in all respects what
the business demands. They can secure
an abundance of grapes of the best quail
ty, grown in sight of their cellars, and
adulterated or inferior productions could
be no more profitable than the genuine.
In going through these establishments
and in visiting the many vineyards, it was
noticeable that the managers, business
men, cutivators, and owners were, with
the exception of the few French experts
Americans, and such men as are found in
our towns and on our farms, and coming
under the head of every day common
sense men. Hitherto, in many places, it
has been supposed absolutely necessary
in grape-growing aud wine-making to
have, and import, if not otherwise OBJ
tanned, German OF French vine dressers,
but there is nothiIg of the kind here.
Every one seems equally as well posted,
l and if one cannot talk well about grapes