Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-01-11
California wines In Demand.

may be relied upon at this office.
California wines In Demand.
We learned an interesting fact In
. conversation with Mr.. l.. j. Rose
on his return from San Francisco
which we regard as Of sufficient in
tsrest to make public. The native
California wine trade is looking up,
Mr.. Rose visited the Golden Gate
In company with Mr.. Stern, his
partner in the New York wine
house of Perkins, Stern & Co., with
the object of filling certain depart
ments in California wines in which
the Sunny Slope warehouses were
deficient. He found that there was
q universal activity in all lines of
California wines. The demand for
our vintages is rapidly on the in
crease in the East, and we note the
fact with pleasure. This demand
embraces all grades of our wines.
Not q year passes that does not
chronicle marked advance in the
quality of our manufacture. The
reliance upon the old Mission
grape, the finest table grape in the
world, Is waning, and our vigner-
ons are rapidly discovering that
the Introduction, and careful ma.
nipulation. of foreign grapes, result
in wines Of approved standard.
Some time ago we presented facts
which show that Los Angeles
county is destined to be the great
est butter and cheese producing
section on the American Continent.
We based this assertion on the fact
that, if Central New York could
become rich and prosperous, on
yield of from ton and o half to
two tons of timothy and clover to
the acre, Los Angeles county, with
extensive areas perfectly adapted
to produce from ten to fifteen tons
OF alfalfa to the acre-and alfalfa
is one of the best milk producers
in the world-must simply dis
lance the Eastern dairy region.
We not only discount 1t out of sight
in the bulk Of our grass yield, but
we benefit by the ether fact that,
with alfalfa, we can feed green
grass to cows ali the year round.
The same discrepancy which ex-
lists in favor of Los Angeles as
compared with New York as
cheese and butter producer, exists
between Los Angeles and France
as wine makers. The yield to the
acre of grapes in this section is
simply prodigious. Seven tons to
the acre is very frequent figure
here. This is, on the average,
about ve-fold the yield of the
French vineyards. We profit, be-
sides, by the fact that in France
tue modest yield of the vineyard
is secured by very expensive man
ures. Here we have fertility o
soil that would absolutely be OPP
pressed by arti fetal fertilizers.
There are in Los Angeles county
to-day vineyards, which have been
planted in grapes for one hundred
years past, which yield to-day just
AZ abundantly as they did when
first planted. or course, we don't
expect our pioneer vignerons to
make as good wines, in their first
callow attempts, as they will with
experience, but they are steadily
improving, and they will shortly
accomplish great things. They
are to-day making wines which, if
they are allowed the proper age,
will approve themselves up to the
standard of the most popular Rhine
wines. The next ten years will
show prodigious advance in WITH
culture in California.
We exult in the facts we have
recapltulated, for there is no such
reliable agency of wealth as vine-
yards. The happiest, wealthiest
regions of France are those in
which the vine flourishes. A good
wine needs no bush, and it has a |
market all over the habitable |
globe. Our brandies, also, are
coming into vogue, and we hazard
nothing when we predict that no |
grape brandies in the world, when
our means have become sufficient
Iy large to age and grade them,
will surpass those of Califor-
MIA, aud at the head OF
California brandles will be found |
those of Los Angeles county. The
probability is extreme that, ten
years from to-day, having forgot
ten'all about sheep and cattle, ex-
cept as special department at
tached to well handled farms, our
wine and brandy production will
run away up into the millions
annually, with our orange groves
neck and neck with it and our
cheese and butter factories hardly
a length behind. No equal body
of land on the globe promises bet
ter for production which will
minted dnllara in auaru