Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-22

onstrated that The southern counties
can produce any fine dry wines. Thai
they make admirable sweet wines
sherry and brandy is conceded, but
climate and the necessity of irrigation
are opposed to any success with the
choice clarets or Rhine wines. They
make heavy claret in Los Angeles
that meets with much favor at the
East, but the most competent
experts agree in the deci sion given
above. In the northern and
central counties many bad mistakes
have been made in planting vineyards
on low, heavy soil. This was the
orror made by Senator Stanford at
Vina, in Tehama coanty. There he
has the largest vineyard in the world,
no less than $500 acres being planted
to vines. He has many of the best
varieties, but he has failed as yet to
get any good wine. The land is rich,
heavy loan. The fields lie along the
banks OF the Sacramento river. The
heat is excessive in the vintage
season. All these causes combine to
ruin the favor Of the grapes and to
make them practically worthless for
anything but sweet wines and bran
dies. There is no question that this
will be the main product of the vine
yard hereafter. Ii Senator Stanford
had put the same money that he has
expended at Vina into smaller vine
yard in the Napa or Sonoma valleys,
and had commissioned a competent
manager to experiment with the best
foreign wine grapes, he would
have advanced California viii
culture five years beyond its
present ground. 1t needs some one
with ample means to make these
costly experiments, both in grape
growing and wine-making, that are
beyond the resources of the ordinary
wine-grower. Valuable experimental
work in determining the adaptability of
soils and the best process of culture
has been done by Professor Hilgard,
of the State University, but he is
hampered for means and time.
TWO PROMISING SCHEMES.
Two experiments have been begun
this season which promise to be of
great value. One is the must con-
denser, which has prepared this fall
1000 tons of must for shipment to
London. There it will be admitted
duty free, and there the inventor
claims he can convert it into the
finest wine. If the scheme is sue
cess it will give an enormous i'm
pulse to the wine industry in Califor-
mia. The other scheme is the estab-
lishment of wine warehouse in this
city. 1t has been proved that wines |
mature best on this peninsula where |
an even temperature may be secured |
with less trouble than in the interior.
In the old sugar refinery here more
than half million gallons are now
stored. The managers advance 10 |
cents on the gallon, and this sum is |
found of material assistance by wine
saving many from the hard |
necessity of selling their new wines at |
low prices. The broadening of the |
scope of this enterprise will do much |
to help the struggling winemaker.
GROWTH OF THE WINE INDUSTRY.
No better idea OF the growth OF the |
wine industry in California can be OBJ
aimed than from the statistics of the |
asst few years. The acreage planted
n vines has increased from 65 900
acres in 1881 to 25O,O0O acres this
year, Of which 100000 acres are in
bearing vines. Last years vintage
was one OF the best in the history of
5he State, the most conservative esti-
mates placing the yield at 1900, 900
gallons. This year, owing to "coul-
lre, /" burning up Of the grapes by dry
hot winds and extreme hot
the yield will not
reach over 100000 gallons, of
which 1000, 900 will be sweet wines, |
900 900 brandy and the remainder |
dry wines. Next year, if the season
is good, the enormous acreage of 1
young vines that will come into bear
ing ought to lift the product to 3d.
O00, 1000 gallons. The capital invested
in viticulture in California is es-
at $75,0OO,OOO. The
shipments of wine by sea and
rail in 1885 were 5,O22,474
gallons; in 1886, 4,141, ,Sl4 and
this year the shipments will very
nearly approach those of two years
ago. The danger of overproduction
has been proved bogy, for the best
in California have now
orders for more four or -year-old
wine than they can fill San Fran
cisco Cor. New York Tribune.