The Florida agriculturist., 1880-03-17
California Wines.

ullOIHHdIlOu pOSSlUle Ou Iue subject
and wrote Mr.. G. P. Rixford, of San
Francisco, gentleman who has
taken prominent part in the devel-
opment of that state and received
the following answer
Editor of The Florida Agriculturist:
You ask if there are any really
good wines produced in California.
The fact that the good people of the
Atlantic states are paying us more
than two millions of dollars a year
for our wines is perhaps a sufficient
answer to the question. The circum-
stances connected with the report of
the Centenial Committee are these
The number OF samples of wine was
so great that the committee was di-
vided up among the different Sec
tions. Unfortunately for us the Cal
itornia section tell into the hands
OF an Ohio gentleman, who. through
ignorance or malace, probably the
latter, and wishing to benefit his
own state by condemning the wines
of California, made the unfavorable
report from which you quote. The
report OF the committee was so man.
ifestly unjust and so entirely at
variance with the report of the COM
mittee OF the Paris Exposition, that
the California exhibitors called the
whole committee together again, and
had the sample re.submitted. The
final decision which was made by
the full committee gave to a number
OF brands of our wines the highest
award that it was possible for any
wines to receive, viz, medals and di-
plomas. The last report was not
published until some time after the
first had gone forth with all it's atten-
dant injury. Our wine trade is now,
however, OH its feet again and was
never in more promising condition.
More vines will be planted this
season than ever before. Why
should our people not be able to
make good wine? All they lack is
experience for they have climate
unsurpassed, and i'll which all the
choicest European grapes come TO
the greatest perfection and are rarely
effected ?by mildew and never fail to
mature. In tact the grape crop is as
certain as the orange crop in Florida.
The climate Of our warm interior
vallies is almost identical with that
OF the best sherry districts OF Spain
and in such localities the best sherries
and ports are made. The vallies
near the coast are cooler and are bet
ter suited for the lighter clarets, etc
You ask where can the best sam
pies of our wines and brandie be OBJ
tanned? Several of our largest dealers
have agencies in New York, where
) samples can be procured, other
have no eastern agents. Enclosed
find card OF Landsberger 81 Co.
:, which gives the location OF thei
New York agent. Other leadin!
houses here are Kohler & Frohlin9
. who will put up two cases (twenty
e four bottles) of assorted wines AM
brandies Of seven or eight differen
kinds and deliver them TO the rail
= road. The charges for freight t
: Florida would not amount to mucf
n Other houses are, B. us,sherrie'
!. Landsberger & Co., champagnes
! Grozinger & Co., clarets; Kohler 4
Frohling, port; S. Lachman, OF Sa
Francisco, and Gen. Nagle, of Sa
= Jose, brandies; Gundlach d Co
|. white wines, and Lachman & Jacoby
v sweet wines; all of San Francisc
except Gen Nagle. All are reliabl
houses and their goods will alway
n turn out as represented. l hav
), mentioned the specially for whlc
e each is noted, though they all kee
q full assortment Of all varieties.
Col. Nagle makes his brandy an
T. sells none that is younger than 81
r years. 1t is better than nineteenth
e OF the imported brandy and, expert
say, fas no superior in the worlt
. He has kept his whole stock, onl
l. commencing to sell during the pas
S, year or two. California wines, OF
,. tanned here, are all pure grape juic
Tor the reason that there is nothin
cheap enough to adulterate ther
u with. Grape juice is cheaper tina
g cider. From first hands wines b
IL the thousand gallons without tn
!. cask) are now selling at from 3
cents to 80 cents per gallon for las
= years vintage. Two years old 4
!. cents to so cents. Freight to Ne,
l. York $3.50 per hundred pounds
r about Is cents per gallon, by raj
BY Isthmus to New York s cents pc
Z naIlnn. ThA wines do imnroYe b