Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-03-23
cslii.-sa. ana Easope.n wines.

CAIl1ersa~ and Enropcan wines.
The wines of Los Angeles county
ere steadlly and surely going to
tno front. We yesterday had an
lntsresting conversation with Mr..
r J. Rose, OF Sunny Slope, on this
subject. That gentleman Informed
Z - that the demand for Los Ange-
lee wines and brandies is so great
that very little is now left In the
lower country. He has just re-
turned from purchasing trips to
Anaheim, where be bought $1,000
gallons Of wine. and from San Ber-
nardino, where he has also secured
large quantity. Mr.. Roses New
York partner is one of the most ex.
perienced vino men in the United
States. This vinicultural expert
says that there is no manner OF
doubt but that the cheap wines
made In this country are in every
respect superior to the cheap wines
Of Europe. European vignerons
are beginning to realize this fact,
with the result that California
wines are now bsing largely ship
ped to Europe, both for "doctoring"
aud consumption. An immense
future Is opening out before Los
Angeles as q wine and brandy pro-
ddcer. Mr.. Rose somewhat aston
ished Us by saying that, heavy or
auge grower that he is, he has
made nine dollars out OF his wines
and brandies, to every dollar he
has made out OF oranges, having re-
gard to the outlay aud net results.
Los Angeles county has really no
superior as a wine section and the
proper kinds Of grapes are at last
bslnz extensively planted. The
vine IN this county Is not only
hardy plant and an exceptionally
large producer, but the phylloxera,
which has already m ads such havoc
in Sonoma county, and which is
devastating the French vineyards,
has never put in an appearance
hero. Indeed, neither has any
other pest.
We are indebted to The Alta,
through the letters of its French
correspondent, for number of in
teresting facts as to the adultera.
tlons and deteriorations which
many OF the French wines are
being made to undergo preparatory
to export to the United States. The
French law imposes heavy tax,
equal to prohibition, on the addi-
I on Of alcohol to wines intended
for home consumption, but ex.
empts from this burden all wines
tat the very moment of exporta-
tion." That Is the phrase used by
the Minister OF Finance in State
paper, dated July q, 1875. The ex-
cuse for the legalization of this
adulteration Is that without it the
weaker wines would not keep dur
ing the voyages, but the dishonesty
of the excuse is apparent when we
consider that the wine is in no
more danger of spelling on voy-
age from Marseilles to London, |
Italy, Greece or Morocco, than to |
many French ports; and that the
same adu!teratioa is allowed for |
wines crossing ths Belgian or Ger
man frontier, as for those destined
for California or China.
In The same State paper mem
TONED in the preceding paragraph,
Leon Say, whose reputation for
learning and ability is much above |
that OF most men in similar posi-
tions, discusses the result of reduc-
Ing the tax on adulteration with |
alcohol for home consumption,
many of the wine.gro wers having
demanded such a reduction because
late wine crops were insufficient to
meet the demand, and were infe-
rior IN strength, the grapes not
having ripened well. He suggests.
or predicts, that SO,OOO,0O0 gallons
Of neutral wine, from Southern
France, and 100000 gallons of
acid wine, from Central France,
each containing a per cent. of
alcohol, would be mixed with
9.0O0. 900 gallons of proof spirits
and 7o,000,0OO gallons of water,
making 250, 900, 900 gallons of adul-
terated wine, containing IL per
cent. OF alcohol.
The French Minister does not al
iude to the probability that fiavors
and coloring matter would be
edded, and that, in many cases, the
proportion of water and alcohol
would be much greater; but II he
anticipated such results for the
home market, where many of the
consumers ara connoisseurs, and
where the police are very strict. we
may know what to expect when the
adulteration is designed for expsr-
tatIon. and there is no check of no.
lice or sanitary regulations.
The following Is an extract from
Leon Says State paper:
However, we cannot fail TO rec
ognize the fabrication of imita-
tiOnQ Of ayine ne Ii0ueur and - -.