Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-21
TINE PRICE o. GRAPES.
Why It In Less Than Last Year
Competing With Up Country
Wines Made From The Foreign
Variety Our own viney ards Be-
ing Rapidly Transformed.

Yesterday a reporter Of the HERALD
encountered Mr.. j. de Barth Shorb, OF
San Mlrino, aud the manager Of the San
Gabriel Wiae Company, la Los Angeles.
lie thought it an excellent opportunity
TO interview that gentleman on the
cause Of the lowered price for grapes
this year. The following conversation
ensued.
l:eporter--Mr. Shofb. why is II that
the anufacturers have established SIS
ton as the price Of grapes this year.
as against $40 last year, and $50 and up
wards in the Sonoma and Nspa valleys
Dir. Shorb-The answer is easily
found. The Los Angeles Wine makers
have found themselves exposed to a
Competition with the wines made Ia
those counties frsm foreign grapes,
such as the Mataro, Grenache, Carignan,
Malice and dozen others. A great
por tion Of the Los Angeles vineyards are
uiill given up TO the Mission grape.
This is excellent for the purpose OF max.
ng brandy. Angelica and Port. The
market for these wines is quite
| restricted, the taste running to-
wards clarets and light white
| wines, CHI as the Zinfaudel and Ries-
ing. We have found 1t impossible to
compete with these up country manufac.
turers with grapes at more than sl5 q
ton. Thus take the case of ports and
angelicas at $50 a ton for grapes. 1t
costs forty cents a gallon to make those
wines at $40 n ton, while the casks cost
xix cents. there is five per cent loss for
holding them a year. racking of, insur-
ance, ETC., and six per cent. Tor the
money represented IN holding And
when all is done they are sold for, say,
fifty five cents gallon on six months
time. You see iron this that the margin
OF profit to wine makers, even at Sl5 a
toll. is quite small.
keporter-Aro our vineyardists attend
Ing to this matter Of setting out the for
eign varieties oil the grapey
Mr.. Shorb-Yes, they have been alive
TO their interest in this regard and are
quite generally planting foreign grapes.
In fact, next year, and IN the immedi-
ately succeeding years, largo acreage
plante IN tho foreign varieties will come
into bearing. Even when we get enough
OF tho foreign grapes to cnt the Mission
we will DO able to give larger prices for
tho latter. The wine makers are not
influenced by any desire to ''bear" tina
rlape market. They simply aim to pro-
tect themselves. For instance, l eau
make more money by paying $50 ton
for the Mataro, GrenacEe, Carignan,
Mhlbec and dozen other foreign grapes,
than can in paying $40 ton for the
Mission grape.
lseporter-liow is the crop this Year,
MIR. Shorb-Taking the average OF the
county it is bad. The excessive moist
ure has resulted in mildew in many Sec
tons, although in others fur crop IL
reported. | don't want you to under
stand me rs taking a gloomy view OF the
vineyard outlook in Los Angeles county.
On the contrary, IL IL just about enter
ing upon brilliant and successful era
through the quite general planting OF
selected varieties OF the foreign grape.
The fruits of tins judicious course will
begin to make themselves apparent next
year.
Reporter-At what figure do you esti-
mate the value, as money, OF the wine
and brandy crop of Los Angeles county
last year,
Mr.. Shorb-- Between 100000 and
$500, 600; and, in ten years, at the rate
ut which we are progressing. it will be
ten million dollars. What we have to
do is TO supply the growing demand in
the East for light wines, and we shall
be able to do this through the extensive
cultivation of the foreign grape.