The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-05-02

apply as In the case Of dry wines; moreover, In
using sweet wines, people know them to.be fortified
and are sparIne In the quantity consumed.
There are also purely imitation wines made, the
spirit OF which Is oress cheap distilled alcohol
These are generally sold at very low price to deal
ers, who "stretch" genuine wines with them. Most
OF these limitations are grossly aduterated. 1t is
not TO the interest OF the people to cheaper the cost
of distilled spirits used In such denominations, |
whether sweet or dry
AT present, with exceptions noted, all distilled
spirits used In wines, whether pure or spurious, are
taxed either ninety cents per proof gallon, II do
nestle, or two dollars, II imported The price pre-
vents the use Of the foreign goods, except Will be
noted.
Imported wines, increased In strength by the use
Of free spirits In foreign countries up to legal limit
OF twentyfour per cent. OF alcohol, or fortyeight
per cent Of proof spirits, admitted without duty
the distilled spirits, or at the same rate as ordi-
nary Wines In England, fortified wines pay 2s. Ga. |
per gallon duty; natural dry wines, only Is. In |
France, all wines over is per cent in strength pay
extra tax when imported. When exported from |
foreign countries, fortified wines pay no tax on the
distilled spirits In them our own sweet wines
could ind large foreign market, II 1t were not for
the discrimination against us In trade by reason OF
our law which prevents fertilization with free spir-
It's by reason OF the fact that the spirits In sweet
wines is partly fermented and not taxed and partly
distilled and taxed, It would be impractlcable to
determine, without danger Of fraud, the amount OF
distilled spirits, II the Government should permit
drawback for exported sweet wines
shall refer in future letter to the construction
of customs laws which permits compounderso OF wine
to use foreign spirits free OF tax when imported
under the name OF fruit juice.
Inasmuch az VIC compete In home markets with
imported sweet wines on which there has been no
tax upon the distilled spirits used In them, and as
we cannot 20 int foreign markets with domestic
tn maid snIrs In sweet wines our genuine produc.
era ask the Government to relieve them from law
which operates unjustly; but at the same time to
guard the use Of free spirits 30 as to prevent for
| any other purpose in wine treatment.
only spirits distilled from wine should be used to
fortify wine No other spirits can be used without
demoralizing genuine wine production. Neutral
grain alcohol IL sometimes used but only because II
Is cheaper than grape spirits. The spirit distilled
| from wine develops nav0r derived from the fruit,
and In sweet wines Improves with age; grain alco-
| hO does not permit such Improvement. Wine.
drinkers moreover, are taught to believe that grain
spirits are not as wholesome as fruit Spirits and do
not generally suppose that their fortified wines are
| mixtures of whisky and wine. The vineyard is
capable Of satisfying its own wants, and has no
need Of going to the grain dlsilery; no law should
be passed which would force wlne-makers to use
grain spirits instead OF their own products In leg
islating concerning wine, the grain.distller has no
right TO claim part In the work of wine making; nor
has the compounder OF spurious goods any honora.
bic standing before officers Of the people.
In the demands OF genuine sweet-wine makers
there are two questions involved, viz:
lst The right to use part OF their own pure wine
spirits, restored to the form Of wine, to preserve
their products, with limitations to quantity, time
of operation, and Kind Of wine treated, and provi
sons against fraud.
I'd. Where the wine maker IL not dlstiller Of
wine Spirits the right to procure, free of tax suct
wine spirits as he may need in fortfying swee
wine, under Limitations, etc.
Every wlne-maker can and should have his Owl
still; hence the prodscers OF California would b'
content with the limitation Of free spirits 10 wine
makers who distill their own brandy.
There are some wine-makers in other States, how
ever who think that ia impractcable for them Il
dlstil and who claim that they should have TIT
right to withdraw wine spirits from bond for fortify
ing sweet wines. The producers of California ma!
readily consent TO such privilege Of withdrawal
provided the law Is 30 carefully enacted that sucl
free spirits cannot be used for any purpose excep
the proper Notifications of pure sweet wines, es
pecally guarding against assistance to comp0under
!, of spurious goods. So long, however, as 1t Is pos
s!be for all wne-makers to become dstlllers, wher
the practice Of fertilization with free spirits can b
: regulated by the Government, we think that tn
first demand should not be antagonized II for an,
}, reason the Government should deny the Withdrawal
/, from bond.
The sweet wine-ma Of States east OF Califoi
: MIA have not the same necessity to demand encoul
y agenent Of law us those Of California Grapes grow
In California are frequently sweet that 1t is mpOi
Q sble to make anything but sweet wines with them
C and genuine ports Angelicas, etc., may be made
large quantities without the use of any material
produced in the fruit. Elsewhere in this countr
o sweet wine Ia simply wine sweetened with suga
and In cases where only the spent pomace OF e.
pressed grapes is used give fruit flavor the prt
: cess ia purely artincal cane sugar, glucose
water are added the spent pomace (reslduum fro
o the wine press) ana fermented and then the swe
}. liquor resulting is fortified with grain spirits. Sue
,r products might be called rum and gomme an
ID whisky favored with crane skins,
y While our Pacific Coast producers are willing
concede the use of cane sugar as an essential part
d wIne-makpg In Atlantic States they are too jcalou
of the good name Of their industry to go further
to concede also grain spirits free of tax In forfyiI
d, sweet wines which nature does not call upon Il
20 ylne.grower TO produce.
Grain alcohols are 30 cheap, when free Of tax, tn
If competition In prices for all ordinary grades OF swe
u wine would force all WINE makers 10 use them,
e, free, instead of their own wine spirits. Graz
y spirits without tax, In bond, are worth, according
quality, when new, from eighty cents to one doll
o and quarter per gallon and much more for ext
re nne goods Only good qualities can be used In fc
h. tifying good wines, and the tendency Of genui
III wine trade is toward Improvement in quality Ora
IT. alcohol free OF tax, varies according to dlstan
es from dIstlery only as TRANSPORTATION and merca
tile profits vary 1t can be bought in San Francis,
s- remote from production at twenty -four cents p
ID proof gallon, cooperage excluded. 1t worth mu
on less In Ohio and Missouri. The grant the free
In grain as well as grape spirits In making sweet wi
ne would not only be on uncalled-fOr privilege, /
of would In effect be to prohibit the use of grape spir
u- for such purpose.
IRE 1t requires five gallons of wine, ten per Gel
Try strong, to make one gallon Of brandy at pro
re, Such wine II good brandy Ii demanded, will awi
be worth at least twenty cents per gallon; finer
Ill, dies are distilled from more costly wine. The
le- brandy.making, Including interest on plant, owl
ed to the relatively small operations OF the dstller
od at least ten cents per gallon; 30 1t may be
be that the cost of brandy for fortfyng good wine