Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-08-22

IL M bstoo III 1hph nS8tetcIsI
Chief snong the industries OF this
Sts.o is grape. growing. Owing to the
peculiariIy VI our soil and climate, the
best wins, the best rsisins and the best
brandy can, and should be, made in Cal
ifornia, and the richest. largest and most
abundant table grapes are produced here
with rare facility, different localities of
he State being specially adapted to the
production VI each.
/ am not unaware that for . time IL
was the popular idea among . few
people, who, from . strange vanity or
the pride Of opinion which q want OF
knowledge often 6 yes, OF possibly by
reason Of q tbrse months European
tour. that wine made IN California was
not good wine, and that We could make
none that was good hsre; and without
to ting our wines by comparison with
others, those people allowed their anti
American prejudices to condemn wat
was made at home without know
ing it, real value. But this sem
timsnt is rapidly changing. Yet
not AZ fast a. our wine improves.
We arc every day improving the
character Of our wines. Indesd, we
have learned at last that good wine can
not be made from bad or interior grapes.
The variety Of grapes necessarily is the
basis OF the character of the wine made,
and while soil and climate may do muoi
toward making a good or bad wine. yet,
after all, the best soils and the finest
climatic inAnenoes cannot produce .
tirst-cl-ss wine from . second .olass
grsre.
When we commenced making wine In
this State we found the Mission grape
about tho only one cultivated. This
grape did not make q good light wine,
and ws 1t once Commenced infroducing
other varieties, often making mistakes,
hut always learning something by each
error. We obtained the best wnite wine
varieties Of grapes first. The result is
that California to-day produces me Of
"a good white WINE - Is made aay-
where in the world. True, 1t Is Of an
marketed too green, aud some of it is
not good, owing TO bad handling and
other causes. Yet, as a whole, our
white wine is much Of 1t fret. class. and
\ sarly all OF fAuly good.
No country in the world makes as
much good wine. wbite and red, TOR tue
amount Of wine actually made, as Cali
fornia, not even France. Why, the most
Of the wiue drank Ia France could not
be marketed at all here, and 40 in
ItAly.
Among the light white wine varieties
OF grapes wnioi are nov most eullival ed
are the Rlesling, the Sauvignon Blanc,
the Seniillon, the Chasselas and the
Burger.
IL may be admitted in this connection
that until within few years we have
vi b our iighl white wines. And this is
dus To the fact that we began making
clsret from the Mlss on grape. We next
tlisi the Malv,isie. which was but a
.llght Improvement over the Mission.
Tue Zlnfandsl was the next grape ad pl-
Cd. THIS grape. when grown on hills or
dry lands, makes fair vine and was q
great Improvement on aIy grape which
had proceed, il here Ia The more south
srn portions VI he State, however, doubt
II It Is mach of an improvsissat over the
Mission But more recently we have
obtain,d from France the fuest varieties
VI ciaret pro ucing grapes. and they
doufish here well and produce most
superb wine. These varlsties will soon
give q most marked character to our
California clarets, and necessarily
change the tide Of opinion in their Ia
vJr. These varieties are, the Cs5ernet
Sauvignou, Cabernet Franc, Malbro,
NJ, riot, Verdalot. Peneaux and Black
Burgundy. do not give all, but only
the most conspicuous Of those varieties
Of black grapes which, within the past
few yeais, have been largely in
troduoed into California, and
which soon will revoluuonizs the
character of Caifornia red wines. Some
of these Varieties are small bearers.
Moet Of them are not abundant bearers.
The result will bs that the Zinfandel.
the Matero, the Csriguaa- aud Others
among ths mpIe abundant producers,
will always tll large place in our red
vine produotion. but the character Of our
wines at home and abroad Will be given
by the good wines we make. il our
wines are good and tn must be good
or we will fail. Indeed, we must make
the best vine. Inferior wines will not
Dear shipment and will not psy for ship
ment. Fne future OF the wins interests Of
California depends vastly more on the
character Of the wine we make than on
the markets we seek. Good wine will
always ind market, and when we once
make first-class wines In quantities it
I'M . market for all the rest Of the
wines we make. The best of an article
never goes begging to ind purchaser,
especially II not hurtful in itself and il
It Is something to eat or drink. The
grspe.Rrowers OF California have been
schooled IN adversely, but grape growing
and sine-making will continue to in
crease. and. as ! believe, will be- in a
short while very prosperous business.
CONFINED TO THE BED -FOUR MONTHS
and almost blind. and cured by one box OF