Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-30
CALIFORNIA WINES.
REPORT OF PROFESSOR HILGARD
UPON VINTAGE OF 1885.
Result of Experiments Made Com
pared With Former Years-Cop-
per-lime Remedy for Mildew.

vintage of 1885 is at hand, it is of some in
terest to discuss the results obtained in the
lamentations made at the Viticultural
Laboratory. and in the examination of
wines sent in for analysis, in order that the
merits and defects of this vintage may be
compared with those of previous seasons,
and the after-treatment and blending gov
erned accordingly. OF 40 lots of grapes
sent in, "a were sufficiently large for wine
making. OF these "a lamentations not
one offered any difficulty, the temperature
Of the cellar being kept somewhat higher
than last season. viz: at or near 80 degrees.
This temperature would, of course, have
been undesirably high for larger masses of
wine, but for the samples not exceeding ten
gallons proved Just right, the highest tenn
perature reached by any one during the Vi
client fermentation being Sc de-
grees All fermented out completely
during the usual time (of about a
week for red vines, cleared rapidly after
drawing off, and are sound in every re-
spect. The only exception in regard
to regularity of fermentation arose
from an accident TO the gas Jet regulating
the fermentation of small samples, in
which the temperature one morning was
found to have risen TO 110o. This had
completely stopped the fermentation, and
apparently killed the yeast, for fermenta-
ton was not resumed in the course of
three days, although the sugar was only
half fermented out But upon addition of
about 80 per cent of fresh must just started
in fermentation, the whole went through
rapidly and made a perfectly sound, dry
wine. There is, OF course, nothing new in
this, but it is mentioned as undoubtedly
typical of n great number of cases reported
difficult fermentation during the past
vintage, exempliiied in number of sam
pies of wine received for analysis.
OF 80 such samples thus far received, the
extraordinarily large proportion of II, or
nearly "A per cent. contain unfermented
sugar in proportions varying from tritle
(say per cent? to little more than six,
but mostly from three to five. In one case
of rs much as ten per cent. remained in i
wine, which, besides, was thoroughly aceti-
fled and % milk-sour" This wine, it was
ascertained, started finely during very hot
weather; but was allowed to form cap
without stirring-in (foulGge), and suddenly
stopped while sweet, evidently from too
great rise of temperature. Then. while
being left with the hope that the fermenta-
ton would revive of its own accord, it
went wholly wrong and was fit only for
the still.
In this case, as in many last season, the
total amount of sugar originally in the
must was considerably greater than that
which could ferment out in any case; viz:
over 50 per cent. But the alcohol had
only been formed to the extent of IL per
cent, while under proper treatment over
10 might have been reached before fer
mentation stopped, as was actually done in
several cases now before Us.
TANNIN AND ACID
Apart, however, from the unfermented
sugar and from cases of gross mismanage-
ment like the above, both the wines made
at the Viticultural Laboratory and the bulk
of those sent in, exhibit peculiarities which
seem to belong to the vintage as such. in
dependently of grape varieties, and also, to
some extent of the unusual degree of ripe
ness attained by them. The most promi-
nent of these are larger proportions of both
tartaric acid and tannin, appearing in cases
where comparison with previous seasons is
available.
Thus We find in Gallegos' Zinfandel,
from Mission San Jose, in which the tannin
usually ranged betwenn 7 and So no.
0O0ths), from II to u. and in a sample
from the old Palmer Chilly vineyard, at the
same place, the extraordinary amount of
"a in the Carbernets from the Santa Clara
valley, heretofore showing from 10 to II,
now from 10 to II IS taunin. Similar results
are now shown from other localities and
varieties; and where the determinations
have not been made the taste indicates
similar increase over previous vintages
AS regards acid, the analyses show that
where from 8 to so pro mile has been the
rule, from six to eight now frequently ap-
pear in the must, at least, and so proper
tionally for lower degrees of acidity. But
neither in the musts nor in the wines did
this higher acidity appear unpleasantly,
doubtless for the reason that the unusually
heavy body and high alcoholic strength dis
guises the acidity and renders it harmoni-
Gus with the other characters of the pro-
duct.
1t is hardly necessary to insist upon the
importance of these points as regards not
only the quality of the 1885 wines for direct
consumption, but especially their value for
blending with previous yintages. 1t would
be extremely desirable to verify the gen
eral validity of the above indications by
wider comparisons, both as to varieties and
localities.
ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH ARRESTED FERMEN-
TATIoNs.
Since in all but the higher locations the
saccharine strength of the musts was high
il 1885, SO ought to be the alcoholic
strength Of the resulting wines and this is
found TO be the case where fermentation
has gone through, the extraordinary
strength OF 10 per cent. having been OBJ
served in one case, and 10 in quite num-
Der. But, as stated above in great many
cases some sugar has remained unconvert-
ed, and that not only where the sugar ex-
ceeded the amount that can be fermented
out, but also in many in which the maxi
mum of alcohol would not nearly have
been reached; and yet only from 10 TO
u per cent was actually formed. In all
of these that have been reliably reported,
the great vigor of the first fermentation is
noted, and surprise expressed that after
such good beginning it should not have
gone through. In fact, the prompt and
vigorous starting of the fermentation is
very commonly dwelt upon, and has been
similarly noted in the lamentations made
at the University Laboratory, as well as in
the wineries visited during the vintage. 1t
is the usual and practicable outcome of a
season like that of 1885, in which all grape
varieties matured fully, and should exhibit
their best qualities in their wines, If care
fully treated.
A vigorous beginning of fermentation
necessarily implies an abundance both of
transforming u1dteIlai, germ IO0u, ana
of yeast germs If it stops short of the
natural limit imposed by the formation of
alcohol or exhaustion of sugar, it must be
because some influence hostile to the life of
the yeast has interviewed; and unless more
than mere guesswork or conjecture shows
the contrary, that influence must be sup
posed to be excessive rise of temperature as
a result of this same vigorous action. The
common practice of crushing grapes COM
ing hot from the vineyard, renders this
matter of much more easy and common
occurrence than most persons imagine; and
considering the warm weather prevailing
during the last vintage season it is probable
that most of the cases of arrested ferment-
alton would lose their alleged mysterious
ness if this simple and well-known cause
were prnnerlY taken into account