Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-30
A MAMMOTH WINERY.
A Specimen of Southern CaltfOrnia's
Leading Industry.

A Specimen of Southern Caltfornia's
Leading Industry.
The Anaheim Gazette of this week gives
an interesting description of visit to the
great Dreyfus winery. The following are
extracts: The main building is 200xSf
feet and is massively built. Two large
grape elevators receive the product OF the
vine by wagonloads. After being weighed
the wagons are driven to the elevators
and ra apidly unloaded. The grapes are
conveyed to steam crushers on the third
story, where they are subjected to the
steaming and reducing process. The
elevators work upon pulleys, being an
endless succession of receptacle
which convey their freight to
the crushers and return to the
wagons to be loaded again. The
capacity of the winery is 120 tons OF
grapes per day. As there are in one ton
of grapes nearly $50 gallons of must, it
will be seen that the winery is capable
of reducing grapes to the extent of Is, 900
gallons per day. Twelve hundred tons
of grapes have thus far been crushed
this season.
On the first floor, the first thought to
strike one is that some of the large wine
casks with which the building is stored
have sustained serious leak and that
the precious juice of the grape is escap-
ing in streams sufficient to form a we'll.
sized irrigating district. Visitors are at
once assured that the noisy torrents are
nothing less than the juice of the grape
descending in streams from the crushers
into mammoth wine casks upon the Sec
ond floor. Vending the way to the third
story, grapes were seen rising in continu-
GUS elevators. Here they 60 through
their first process upon their way to be-
come part of the product of the State.
The winery contains at present over
100000 gallons, and it is possible that
before the end of the season this amount
will be doubled. Grapes are purchased
from many vineyards in the southern
end of the county, and in few days
grapes will he shipped here from Los
Angeles. The winery has side track
from the Southern Pacific, where all con-
signments are placed, when they are at
once conveyed to the elevators. The
wines manufactured here have world
wide reputation, and grace the tables of
famous connoisseurs. Mr.. Weglein is an
expert vigneron and superintends the
wine-making in person. The winery and
its contents are valued in the neighbor-
hood of 100000, it gives employment to
large number OF people, and is truly
one of the establishments of which our
people are justly proud.
With regard to the blight prevailing
among vineyards in this portion of the
State, Mr.. Weglein is of the opinion that
it is caused by climatic influences, is
purely temporary and will die out in
short order, when vineyards will again
resume their favored place. With regard
to the statement made by certain mi
croscopist that he had discovered animal
cula feeding upou the heart of the vine,
both Mr.. Weglein and Mr.. Krebs pro-
nounce the same as erroneous. The for
mer gentleman has subjected diseased
vines to the minutest examination dur
ing the past three years, as have un-
doubtedly many of our vineyardist. No
wormy pest has been discovered and no
traces left of its ravages. The expert
ment OF the State Viticulturist, to inaug-
urate an experimental plat of grapevines
in this section, will undoubtedly result
in scientific observation which will GER
tainly rebound to the welfare of all. The
thought is prevalent, however, that So
luton of the difficulty will soon be forth
coming. and that the grape blight will
result withal in being kindred to like
climatic influences which ravage fruit
and cereals the world over.
California has not yet discovered the
sacret of the French in regard to blend
ing grand wines. This is only from
connoisseur's point Of view, aid prob
ably not one in hundred wine drinkers
are able to distinguish between the quail
tiles of the two products. Moreover, the
wines produced in European countries,
and which to limited extent attain to
the name of grand wines, are consumed
principally by the crowned heads through
out the old world. These families have
unquestionably acquired taste for their
favorite grade of wines. which are I'M
doubtedly of rare excellence, and this
cannot be eradicated so long as their fa-
vorite vintages are at hand. However, it
is the opinion of many wine-makers that
our wines will one day outrank all
others.
George Rice, Commissioner for the Los
Angeles District, acting for L. ]. Rose,
reports as follows: Notwithstanding the
tendency throughout Southern California
to subdivide large tracts into smaller
ones and some larger ones into
lots, 1 find that the vine in
terest has not been neglected. The
planting of cuttings last season has been
about II per cent. of all planted lost be.
fore. The planting has been of the
choicest varieties that experience has
shown to be the best. Better arrange
ments for making grapes into wines and
brandy have been made and more atten-
ton given to details. The grape and
wine growers are alive to the Importance
of the subject, and many expect to con-
tinue to make wine and make it most
profitable. The prospect for this year is
exceedingly good with every assurance
of full crop.
A Sign of the Times.
The New York Herald says: Here is
sign of the times, and it comes from
NoW Tarspu IT. 10 cfrow hI1t nI1ita