Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-01
The wines OF California.

The wines Of this State are very dif-
ferent kind of article from what they
were twenty years ago. At that time
they had little or no standing amongst
and were but in little favor
by general consumers. Although tor
years before, or as early as 1868,
Perkins K Sterns had gone ex-
tensively into the business and
started cellars and salesrooms in New
York, the market for them in the East
was very limited. In 1864 it was useless
to ask for California wines at any OF the
first class hotels, and many otherwise
well.informed landlords were utterly
ignorant that wine was a production OF
our State. About ten years afterwards
the late Don Mateo Keller spent a
great deal of time in the East,
and succeeded in making a very
favorable impression with his samples Of
Los Angeles wines. Mr.. L. j. Rose.
also, about or prior to that time, had
established Eastern agencies, and the
wines OF Sunny Slope Vineyard were in
demand. When Mr.. Keller returned
here, the wine interest took on healthy
condition, and from that time on the
market for our vintages has increased
not only at the East but in Europe.
The reason that California wines have
been 80 slow in gaining recognition is
simple. At first all our vineyards were
planted with a single variety of grape
the Mission. The trouble with the wine
produced from that grape was two-fold /:
First, it was too potent; and, second, it
had repelling earthly flavor. Perhaps
this was not so much the fault of the
grape as of the inexperience of the
wine-makers and the crude methods pur-
sued in its manufacture. However that
may be, the era Of improvement in our
wines dates from the time when new
varieties of grapes were added to our
vineyards and the process of blending
congenial juices came to be better under
stood. 1t is now admitted on all
hands that the wines produced in Cal
ifornia, especially those adapted to the
table and common use, are sbetter than
the foreign decoctions, which are sophis-
ticated without stint. The phylloxera
has very materially reduced the volume
of production in France, whilst there has
been no diminution in the expectation OF
compounds labeled with the familiar
French brands.
But the California wines have another
very serious difficulty to contend with.
and we fear that this is one which only
time and correct judgment, if not home
pride, can cure; and that is the cupidity
of the dealers, who find that they can
make quicker sales, at higher prices,
of our own wines when falsely labeled as
Chateau Margaux or some other we'll
known French brand. Thus, whilst
California wines are really extending
their market and being more widely con-
sumed, they are doing so under false COL
ors, and adding no prestige to our own
vintages. When we shall have succeeded
in making California wines popular
as such, and not as foreign
brand, then the interest will become one
of mammoth proportions. That they
are gradually asserting Themselves no
body can deny. In ali the best hotels in
the country they are found on the wine
cards, and the family store, which was
formally confined to French brands, is
now largely composed of vintages from
our State.
No part of California can produce a
better or more acceptable quality of wine
than Los Angeles county. Our capacity
for production is increasing annually, and
our table wines, especially, are becoming
more sought after every year. 1t is we'll
known that some of our vines have been
visited by a kind of sickness latterly
which has baffied the vignerons and
caused considerable trouble. But not
withstanding this trouble, the wine crop
this year will be larger than any previons
season. In the meantime new vineyards
are being constantly set out, and the time
is not far distant when our wines will
form factor in our industries far more
valuable than any other article produced.
Ii our temperance reformers would try
to induce the people to substitute our
mild wines as beverage in place of the
fiery liquids which steal away the
BRAIN" they would accomplish a great
purpose for the principle they advocate,
and materially add to the value of one
our most important and promising in
dustries.
The proof of the pudding is in the