Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01

in the summer the fermentation cannot be
controlled, beside the percentage of sacchar-
inc matter is too great for complete fer
mentation, sugar is left unfermented and
the condition called "milk-sour with
which We are too familiar, takes place IN
the spring, running the wine, except for
Tinegar.
VARIETIES To PLANT THERE.
We therefore want in the foothills late
ripening varieties The grape develops
its saccharine matter very rapidly, and if
we can retard the development until the
cooler days of autumn we may obtain a
must of medium alcoholic strength We
need not fear that there will not be enough
alcohol to suit the commercial needs OF the
merchant Mr.. Wetmore, | believe, was
the first to urge the planting of the varieties
grown in the south of France, for various
reasons, chief of which was the merit of
their late ripening. The success which the
! growth of those varieties, Mataro, Carignan
an | G foche, has met is compliment to
| his Judgment. From the experience of
those whom | met at the late Niticultural
| Convention, and their Judgment upon wine
made from those grapes, either singly or
| better as blends, feel warranted in recon-
mending them for our foothills. | do not
| feel sure in recommending other red varie
ties as yet, except those before named, for
port and sherry. Upon one thing most
| viticulturistS are agreed, and that is that
the Mission grape should not be planted
for wine. 1t develops an ether that is sure
| to bring headaches. and which is distilled
| over even i'll the manufacture OF brandy.
UNFAvoRABLE To THE zINFASpEL.
The Zinfandel also has had its day l
observe with regret the tendency to plant
Zintandel III the foothills. And here is
where the vineyardists sufferby not attend
| ing the Niticultural Conventions held each
year. At the last Convention | did not
meet a single planter north Of Stockton.
At these meetings, outside of the public
| discussions, many valuable suggestions are
made in conversation, and experience
| gained without cost which otherwise would
require years to gain. Those who have
read the reports and attended the Conven-
lions are now firm in their opinion that
there are better grapes than the Zinfandel
for the warm interior. 1t undoubtedly has
| its origin in cool country, and develops
its acid and peculiar boquet in the coast
| counties, notably and best in the Sonoma
valley, but even in that famous valley it is
being supplanted By nobler grapes.
| Those who have observed its growth
know that it natures very early, in the
hottest part of the summer, in the valleys
and foothills of northern California, at a
| time before the wineries are ready to pur-
| chase, and if not plucked at once the
| grapes rapidly dry 1t also natures before
any other grape. and therefore cannot be
| blended. In all the warm counties it
changes its character, producing wine de-
| ticient i'll acid, very sweet, approaching
port wine type It's only merit is that
1t bears short pruning, can be abused by
| ignorant or vicious treatment, and bears
largely. Those who want quantity instead
| of quality for the next few years will
| doubtless continue TO plant Iinf,ndel
| those who have at heart the true interests
of viticulture will discard ii. it will share
the fate of the Mission and bring only
half the sum per ton which nobler grapes
will command.
| SYSTEM IN PLANTING.
Referring to my former statement in refer
ence to the types of wines, bog to ask in
what portion of California can one find
constant type of wine? Each planter plants
according to his own judgment. and you
| can 90 to any section Ofthe State and find as
| many kinds of wine as there are vineyards.
| Time and experience will remedy the evil,
| and doubt not in the course OF years each
vineyard district will have q type of wine
for a standard known in commerce by its
| distinctive name.
Why not commence now, i'll each new
| district, and seek to produce Il type of wine
that shall grow into and increase in favor.
| To illustrate the advantages of such sys-
tenn Just at present in Placer county,
along the railroad, there is quite move
ment in planting vineyards, extending
| from Rocklin at an elevation of 260 feet to
Colfax, at all elevation of 1900 feet. Within
this line there are district climates, which,
though in one sense are generally alike, yet
which differ in certain essentials, that must
affect radically the character Of the grape
and the wine produced. They differ also
geologically.
| CONCERT OF ACTION PROPOSED.
One district may be represented by
LOOMS, another by Auburn. and another
| by Colfax, each essentially different. Now
suppose that those who are planting in
each of those sections should meet together
in convention, and, after thorough discus
sion, should agree. for instance, that the
Colfax plantations should produce a white
wine of an agreed type, say Resisting; and
ut LOomis, warmer belt the planters
should agree that the type should be port
or sherry or that Mataro, Grenache and
Carignan should be started in each vine
yard or he the dominating grapes, what
| would be the consequence? Suppose that
each district should produce one or two
million gallons of wine annually Of fixed
and constant type. These wines would
be soon known, in commerce, as the port
for instance. of LOomis, or the Reisling of
Coliax, or Auburn might produce high
type Of heavy claret, known as the claret Of
Auburn. Now
a DISTINCTIVE NAME
Is the capital Of any article Of COM
merce-for instance, the Smyrna figs, the
French prune the LanguedOc almond
which, once acquired, is difficult to
be lost. When the wine merchants know
that in those sections there are produced
annually types of wine constant in cx-
preston and upon which they can rely in
placing them on the market, there will be
competition for their purchase, and the
wine-Grower will hold the vantage-Sround.
! AS it is now, and if the present mode of
!? planting continues. the wines OF districts
which otherwise might be noted viii be
lost beyond recognition in the cellars of the
San Francisco yintner
SELECTION OF LOCATION.
The limits OF this article preclude an OK
tended discussion of this question. What
are the conditions under which a vine
prospers, and finally is resolved into high
grade wine is still a subject of dispute
Climatic condition III all probability is the
controlling element. Vines grow on all
soils in California. The largest and heaviest
punches of Zin!audci ever grown in the
State. were produced without irrigation at
the orange vineyard, on granite soil, be
tween LOonIis and Rocklin; and we all
remember the remarkable display of grapes
grown by Mr. Whtcomb at Colfax on sup
posed slaty soil. Every point of the com
pass has been advocated by writers as the
best slope. Virgil wrote Let not the SET
ting sun look upon your grape" and nearly
every writer since has assumed that a west
ern slope is Objectionable, and warned
against it. but have never read an argu
ment advanced i'll support of the view 1t
would appear upon theory that
A WESTERN SLOPE
Would absorb the heat frem the declining
sun. and retaining it longer, would have
the effect of retarding the radiation of heat
and thus prevent the early-morning frost.
If il be true that the rays of the rising sun
upon frosted vines causes q rapid eyapora-
ton of the moisture and latent heat in the
bud, and thus destroys the bud, then
western slope would be an advantage, since
the rays of the sun would not fall directly
on the vine, bat would gently warm the
atmosphere. and gradually the frost would
be melted, with no damage to the bud But
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