Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-01-16
SAN GABRIEL,

L
Los Angeles County. Dec. 20, 1888.
To the Board Of State viticultural Commissioners:
GESrLEMEs-Again l am notified by
the Secretary "time to report" Two
years have slipped by and it almost seems
like yesterday. As look out at the
open window, the same men are busy in
the vineyard, some pruning and their
bright pruning hooks are glistening and
flashing in the sunlight; others are busy
gathering the brush and burning il. and
mere and there straight column Of smoke
curls up in the air. The zane family Of
linnets are Oh the edge Of the gravelly
brooks taking bath and splashiog the
water in small showers Ground them.
The bees are humming the same old
drowsy tune in the orange trees, sip
ping sweets ont of the fragrant blossoms.
The humming birds are flashing their
metallic lusiers Of changing hues as they
hover over the rose. The same quiet,
balny. sunny day Is here. All is busy,
happy content, yet two years have
slipped by. years that have adj
ded much to the viticulture of Cali
fornia, have doubled the acreage Of vines.
have added to the knowledgs OF wine.
making, have added very much to the
varieties Of grapes ani opportunities for
testing their adaptab.liiy and to the
making of improved kinds of wife.
More has been accomplished in these
ways In the last two years than in ten
years previous. and as yet the work has
only begun. Grape cuttings are being
introduced from all grape growing coun.
tries OF the world. Each ose is trying
for himself some new varieties of grapes
This may be termed the experimental
era, and that much good will grow out
Of this work is certain. These two years
have been two years of prosperity to all,
to the grape grower, to the wine maker
and TO the wine merchant. Debts have
been paid, paintings have been extended,
ornamental houses and surroundings
have been built aud new cellars. fer
menting houses and store rooms are seen
in both city and country. All is pros
perity, and good will from one to the
other pervades.
RED WINES.
In view of our large planting Of vine
yards, the question arises what we shall
plant. Reds, claret. Burgundy and
port. are the wines we have to make in
larger proportions than white wine,
when we sell to England or France; in
fact, claret il the wine Of America, Eng
Ian and France. To make, then, the
best claret is the important problem.
California, up to this time, has made its
claret from Mission, Malvois;e and Zip-
fandel, as q rule. In fact, nine -tenths Of
all the cIaret made now in this State 10
produced from Zinfandel, and it is much
superior to the other tive, and has done
a noble work, making wins which will
compare very favorably with the ordi
nary wines Of Europe. Yet l think that
there are other grapes which make o
wine that is great improvement on lin
fandel. In fact, it is hard to find lin
fandel which is wine of the first quail
fy. As rule it has too much acid. 1t
is not smooth enough for the general
taste, and that improvements can be
found in other varieties is certain. Nor
do speak of the Ziniandel of Southern
California only, for we make Zinfandel
hcA q VI iok ovChuSO Yuoho1s bPc1h
about it as have seen it in cellars in
San Francisco, Napa and other localities
in this State. / buy wine as well as
make it. We have bought wines and do
SO yearly from the northern cellars,
wherever we could find what suited us,
and Last year could not find year-old
Zinfandel wine, or older, in any quantity
that would answer for the purpose we
wanted it. That is for the best bottle
trade for New York. We found, how
ever. wine in Mr.. Shelters cellar, at
st. He,era, which we bought and it was
suited to our requirements and has given
satisfaction to the buyer. This he called
Carignan, but it was understood at the
time that it was a blend Of two or more
kinds. What these blends were / have
not learned. We also found small lots
Of wine at Mr.. H w. Crabb's, Oak
vile, which were very fine, consisting
OF Malbeck, Pied dc Perdrix. Gamay,
Teinturier, Lenoir and Petit Pinot. The
first four are wines of intense color and
wines that would be desirable and salable
in any market in Europe to be used as
blends, and many such wines would
now sell in this State at high price, to
blend with lighter-colored wines to give
color, and no one can go wrong in plant
ing largely of all or any Of these varie-
ties. The Petit Pinot makes very nice
wine, Of better quality than Zinfandel.
At Mr.. Crabb's an intelligent comparison
could be instituted. for tn, re could be
seen Zinfandel and other old known va
rieties of wines made in the same man.
ner a. the Others and grown at the same
locality, aud all the old varieties were
inferior to the varieties have named.
THE BEARING QUALITIES,
or rather quantities, l also observed at
Mr.. Crabb's. The Pied de Psrdrix, Gamay,
Teinturier and Lenoir are all good bear
ers. The Malbeck IS . light bearer.
The Mataro and Carignan were highly
spoken of by Mr.. Crabb as good bearers,
while the Petite Sirrah aud Cabernet are
very shy bearers. The Semillon and
Sauvignon Vert are heavy bearers, and
for white wine Of Sauterne type have
NO superior. The Trousseau also is n
fair bearer, and for Port wine or perhaps
for red wine Of Burgundy type it has
no superior. I saw, too, sample OF
Sultana wine at Mr.. Crabb's, very nice
wine indeed, and that grape is the heav-
lest bearer of all grapes, except the
Burger, perhaps. which may be itsequal.
Burger, in favorable warm localities,
makes Q wine which will hold its own
against ell corners aud will be especially
valuable as base for blending.
/ have indicated these few varieties,
As have seen the grapes growing and
examined their products, AMI for that
reason they can be called facts. Facts
are what are wanted and are the only
educators. Coming years will give us
many more, for many are experimenting
aud many rosy visions are painted by us
all. What the red wine Of the future
will be is yet in doubt. Here and there
somo fact points in . certain direction,
but my belief is that
BLENDING
Two or more kinds will in time make the
perfect wine, aud with the dark -colored
varieties of wine grapes in abundance,
the white wine grapes. such as Burger,
Sauvignon Vert. Semillon and perhaps
Sultana and others, will, in my opinion,
play an important role in this makeup.
This blending may be done in the fer
menting tub, during vintage, and that,
mo doubt, will be the best way, or it may
be done after each kind has been made
separately.
FERMENTATION.
This ia very important subject and
one that il asyet very imperfectly un-
derstood. There il more wine spoiled
by faulty fermentation than all other
causes combined, for must only partly
fermented will never make good wine.
Such wine carries within itself germ Of
sure decay and will turn what 10 termed