New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-31
I'm CALIFORNIA VINEYARDS.
GRAPE CULTURE AT NAPA AND LOS An
GEIES
ryrryr or THE VINEYARDS AND THEIR FEoDUcI-


rrpou An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBUSEI
Los ANGELES, Cal, Oct. 4.-This is the
,i,,t ~ the vintage season. Throughout the seven
eat viticultral districts into which the state Is %
vded Chinese coolies wearing inverted straw basins Ae
,fon,pus's helmet together with italian. French ana
potu,uese aborer are busy rObbng the vines Of ther
nrnle and white treasures which hurried to me
foaming wine press dried for misins. or tickle inc
palaes of appreciave mortals in their normal state
What the scenes are in the vineyards may perhaps
be shown by glimpse OF oneprohaby the largest pro-
dncng vineyard in California. Twelve miles roih no
City Of Angcs-falen angels just now for the Demoo
have been holding meetng-is the vineyard Oh
san Gabriel The road hither il covered with four OF
five inches Of powdcry dust which fails to soften ne
jolting from the and Iles in the hard clay under
meath. Sitting clouds hang over the highway Ike INC
smoke above battlefield Every driver whips his ste'u
and displays miracles OF craft and dexterity In order 70
give his dust to his feow-traveers or. falling TINS
he carefully seeks the wndward side OF the road runs
OF dust mark the OF tie gopher-hated OF al
armers-as he darts across the brown, parched helds
The dry season In California Is time Of saekclom anu
ashes FOR those who abroad 10 out the land b
beyond the quaint old San Gabriel Mission the roau
turns into groves OF trees, lines ana lehon'
Streams Of clear water ripple down on either SIDE Inc
yellow OF Mambrinuss helmet are busy mere anu
there raising little embankments OF earth around ehcn
tree i'm squares. within which they presently cohducu
the water from the bitches. The glossy green OF the
orange leaves il matched by the color OF the trut "c
is to ripen into gold. Then the air becomes fragrant
with the smell OF grapes. Here the wine-celars a
Just opposite the building containing the wine-press'
watts and brandy Beyond, the lines Of vines cover
the sloping fields almost far the eye can reach
THE PROCESS OF wINE-MAKING.
Each coolie. equipped with a pruning knife and box
with handles takes and cuts the tempting clusters
from each vine until his box IS filed Relays OF wagons
are loaded with the boxes and driven up to the building
From the side projects hopper, into which the grapes
are poured. They are poked down into rapidly re
volving cylinder with arrangement OF paddles whlch
quickly crush them into pulp The stems are thrown
ont the cylinder into the smaller end OF the cone
shaped stemming-wheel, and by it, action work ther
way out. The pomace Is conducted into huge tuD-'
while the Juice runs of through pipe into the ferment-
ing watts strained through filters in which the skinny
claws and lean arms Of the inevitable cooe work the
pulp and seeds which have run through the pipe and
keep the filter clear. Those jucesmeared hands anu
elbows one should forget when he drinks the wine
After fer1uentng in the watts the wine Il pumped
through pipe to the cellars the road where there
"a goodv array OF hogsheads and uns like INTO that OF
Heidelberg with butts in which helf dozen Clarence7
could easily be drowned Here the wines stand and are
clarified some like port, with whites Of eggs Others
with geatue isin glass and finally the more delicate
hooks are filtered through charcoal In the cellars ana
In the storerooms above where the barrels now hod
10000 gallons the remains usually for year be-
fore II Is offered for sale. The pomace after the hrst
crushing is pressed again, then dried and used Ior
fertilizer In the Office il wcll-flled sideboard where
the Eastern visitor finds his preiudces against Amer-
can winesmelting away IN the sunshine OF lusty port
eleven years Old and dssipaed by ruby zniande careF
and by The bouquet Of Burger hook whose decacy few
Of the -oced Rhine wines American market can
surpass ~
While undergoing this pleasant conversion ones gll1e
chats about wine-madng and wakes staff -tca In this
VINEYARD there are 800 acres Of producing vines The
usual estimate that vines should begin to bear In the
third year after they set out and should Yield
profit in the fourth year, while the fifth season should
pay all the cost Of the vineyard including the land III
was cheapy purchased Here the Charbono was one oil
the first grapes used and with It the famous Tin
fandel the Malvolsie the Burger-a wonderfully juicy
whit, erape.-the Blanc Elben, with few Muscatel
grapes and recently there have been set out quantity
OF the secdless sutana which Is usually made into
rasns h here f. to be tried for wne These GOO acres
will yield this year 100000 gallons Of wine and 100000
OF brandy In quantity port heads the LIST, followed
successfully by Angel 60, sherry, ZinfandeL hook and
Nalvoisie II is curious 10 find the extensive demand
for Angelica that still exists although 1t is inferior to
all other California wines. recalling forcbly the sweet
ened paregOric of ones youth.
From the VINEYARDS throughout the state the reports
are generally Of an gg nature and an officer Of
c vitcultural Association gave me estimate in san
Francisco the other day Of the production Of wine this
season rs l2OOOOOO gallons including that made into
brandy -
In my chat with this officer there revealed a
curious mutual jealousy between the northern and
southern grape sections OF the state. He was Inclined
70 disparre the Los Angeles district and directed me to
the well known and Napa Valleys, north OF san
Francisco. The former. where the phyloxera mas
wrought its deadlicst ravages owing largely to the
former neglect OF owners. We unable TO visit but "a
run up the Napa Valley well worth taking 1t only
f1f. Hay nd In1k
from san Francisco, passing through Napa ST. Helena
and Casoya. either side of the railroad the valley
Il lined with vineyards whose purple clusters show
through the leaves. and whose very perfume seems
blown into the car windows. Everywhere the aborers
are at work. and piled with grapes are on their
way to the wne-press The abors Of the vintage season
are hurried on conducted IN practical and materof
fact fashion as the grinding OF wheat or the making
of shoes which, considering the National character, Is
BETTING American vintage. IheIc are no pea7ehL
vintage songs and cnk glasses with heir lovers III te
interudes OF the MONDAY dance after the approved
pattern set by the operas There plenty Of emma
men and some swathy Italians hut they are made to
earn many bits day and they look little enough IKE
singing or danclng even II suc Iue' ulu Ao' INV o''
M one 81 these VINEYARDS there IS peculiar interest
attaching for it Is from this that Mr. Estees Ike
California Cincinnatus has been called To- accept lne
Republican nomination for Governor. lis e onlIy
home Is about three miles from Napa. The ranch en-
brce. 500 acres half of which u in vines The low one
half house f. pleasantly shaded and in the
rear Is a fine orchard, through which runs stream OF
clear water coming down from the mountains. IL Is
very charming, modest place and no doubt seems
Fair as a garden Of the lord
To the eyes Of the hungry Democratic horde
for the Democrats enviOu-y started campaign sander
that Mr. Estees had not paid his taxes ana had no rem
ownership OF his homc-a SANDER which IL Il needless 20
say wa. promptly refuted A.,
But leaving the northern districts Tor Los An
gcle found that this section ably holds - own Here
met another vicuturnl officer. who pointed ont tldl
this district has always been free from phyoxer thal
the most delicate hocr and fine clarcs are made mere
well the heavier ports and sherres. and that htT
Is the largest vineyard In the state Certainly IRON on
accounts here there little fault 10 be found win
the wine-producing qualities which the grapes OBTAIN
from soil and climate.