Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-19
The Wine Crop and Wines.

The season of wine-making is now so
far advanced that pretty accurate idea
may be formed of the amount that will
be made. Southern California will
make about the same as last year, but
the northern counties will fall short
heavily,eso that the crop of 1883 will
not probably exceed $500, 900 gallons,
which is not much for $4,000, 900 people
to dispose of. But as short crops do
not usually follow each other, wc may
expect that in 1884, the new vines and
the old together, win add largely to the
crop of 1883.
On this subject the well informed and
conservative editor of the San Francisco
Merchant makes the following sensible
remarks in his joarnal of the 18th
instant:
We shall not be overstating reason
able expectations if we place the crop of
1854 at $4,000, 600 gallons, or some o.
100000 more than we have hitherto
produced; but we shall start the season
lS54S5 again without any stock of old
wine on hand and greater demand, and
therefore, no reduction in average val
ues need be expected in that season.
There will, however, probably be great
er difference in the price of the products
Of the several varieties, and Of the sew
eral localities where they are grown.
The tendency of straight Mission will be
downward, so with Malvasic grown in
the bay counties; Mountain Zinfan-
del will. or at least should, com
mand higher prices than Valley
Zinfandel. The wines from the
fine favored grapes of the shy bear
| ing foreign vines recently so largely
planted, viii be sought after at prices re-
munerative to the grower. The prob
lens that are now discussed with some
feeling between wine producers and
wine dealers will naturally solve them
selves. We shall have sound, whole
some but coarse wines at low prices for
those whose tastes and pockets they
suit, and we shall have nobler wines at
higher prices for another class Of Gus
toners. ;. As the grapes and wines from
the coarser, heavy yielding vines decline
in price, the grapes and wines from the
finer varieties will advance. Thus we
shall extend the business ON two lines.
We shall reach class of customers for
whom any of our wines have hitherto
been too costly and reach another class,
to whom price is no object, but whom
we have not hitherto been able to satisfy
in quality. Then, moreover, the day is
approaching when, instead OF few
thousand, two or three million gallons of
two, three and four-year-old Cali
fornia wines will be found in dealers
hands here and in the East. When
that day comes, the best of our
California wines will rank in anycountry
with the nobler wines of the world.
The big crops that may furnish supplies
beyond the demands can hardly come
earlier than 1885 or 1886, and, for one or
two years, these may bring strain on
the market that may curtail prices. But
if our WINE is good, there is no fear of
any permanent depreciation of values
below the line of reasonable profits.
Good mntured wines have never been
too plentiful in ancient or modern times.
And when we do produce 10000, 900
gallons year, and that is but drop to
a bucket of what Europe produces, Cali
fornians will consume ono-half OF it ut
home. We have only to consider the
increasing tendency to drinking wine as
a daily beverage in this State, and the
remarkable increase in home consump-
ton by portion Of our population, to
recognize the great possibilities Of future
local demand.