Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-09
vn..e, sA.ll We Get oar wi.sT

Whescs SHALL We Ges Oar Wiser
The returns Of the French vintage
for the year 1887 show continued
falling off, and the product II the
smallest that has ever been known.
From the $50 900 900 gallons Of 1875
to the 553, 1923 600 gallons OF 1885 was
q tremendous step, but 1t did not marx
the worst, for last year France made
only SAC, 1877 900 gallons of wine. This
continued diminution is very had Tor
France, but it is. also serious Tor the
consumer. Fortunately the new world
mas been called into existence to re-
dress the balance Of the old, and We
lind in the West more than the means
of filing up the void in the wine pro-
duction in Europe. We have on sew
eral occasions directed attention to
vine-culture in California IS An open
ing for the employment of capita, and
each succeeding month adds force to
the suggestion. Little more than
a month AGO we quoted from
Mr.. George Baden. PoWell's impor-
tant report on the vine-growiny
industry Of California, in which he
referred to the falling of in the
French output of wine rs . source OF
hopefulness tor western wlne-pro-
ducers. The newly published statis-
tics of 1887 strengthen all that Mr..
Baden-Powell said, and the circuls-
ton Of Consul Warburton's warning
about the providence Of potato spirit
IN French brandy should also turn At
tention to the product Of the Calitor-
MIA vineyards There is naturally .
prejudice against the wines OF new
country. and no doubt the 6rst vim
tsres are open to the criticisms Of
connoisseurs; but the lapse of time
soon repairs all shortcomings. It il
most interesting to learn that In the
ono district in France-the Depart.
uent Of Herault-in which there has
peen . great increase of late years in
vine production, many new vlne-
yards have been planted with Ameri-
an vines. This is the strongest pos.
sible testimony to the character OF
the California vines, and should be
marked we'll.
The steady diminution in the French
vintage is due to tho phylloxera, to
mildew and black rot, and to spring
frosts and heavy rains. These are in
fluences from which the Californian
vineyards are entirely free. An ex-
pert who wrote to US in October, after
visit to the French vine country,
pointed out that "in the southern
parts of California there is no late
frost in the sp' ing; there is prac tical-
ly no rain from the middle OF Nav un-
til the middle OF September; there is
no early frost in the fall; there is a
long warm GUNNER; there is no dry
rot ; the country is irrigated by canals,
which can submerge the vineyards
and destroy the phylloxera." Our
correspondent thus anticipated
the report on the vintage OF
1887, and in advance showed that
from soil and climate California was
the natural successor of France as the
great wine-growing country OF the
world. The same writer gave statis-
tics of the wonderful fecundity Of the
Californian vines, which produce
quantities OF grapes which surprise
the European grower. Mr.. Baden
Powell confirmed all this, referring to
"the heavy crops yielded by the vol
canic soil of Fresno, far exceeding
anything known in France and
spain" The tendency of Mr.. Baden
Powell's report was to regard the
Californian vineyards more from the
point of view Of magnificent invest
ment than to consider it as a COM
petitor of France. His contention
was that there were GO, 900 900 of GUS
toners at hand to whom wine could be
supplied free of all duties, while
foreign competition in the American
market was weighted with import
duties ranging from 30 to 20 pr cent.
ad caloren,. Tho American Continent
will no doubt always be the principal
customer for the produce of Cali
fornian vineyards; but with the
French output diminishing 80 seri-
ously, even Europe will begin to look
to the West to supply the loss. Mr..
Baden-Powell was struck by the
scientific methods pursued by TIE
Californian wine-growers. which com.
bine all the experience to be gained
in Europe with the youthful energy
and skill of the West" Atm distant
date We shall certainly find the Cali.
forAian vintages taking an important
place in the wine consumption of
Europe. Surely better drink tho
Californian produce of the grape than
gooseberry wine or potato brandy.
The above is from the Mark Lane
Financial ReueW, and coming from
London indicates a movement very
important to California winners. En-
gland is disposed to look to Californis
for her supplies OF wines and BRAN
dies. Despite the little temporary
check of the past two or three years
to this great industry, it will in the
near future overshadow all others in
the State. 1t is well to remember,
too, that England is large consumer
Of "sweet" wines, as we call those
fortified with spirits. These are our
best productions, and will in time
outrank our lighter wines. The Brit.
ish taste for clarets runs after some
thing with more body than those
wines most popular in France, another
point in our favor.