Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30
CALIFORNIA; VINE YIELD.
Thirty Million Gallons Believed to be the Out
put for This Year.

Thirty Million Gallons Believed to be the Out
put for This Year.
The estimate of the wine yield of Cali
fornia for the season of 1888, published
by the State Viticultural Commission, is
believed to be understated, says the san
Francisco Examiner. 1t is difficult to
obtain from growers accurate returns of
their probable output. When asked how
many gallons their county would yield,
the first thing that occurs to them is that
the price will fail as the crop rises, and
1 hence they are averse to giving statistics.
] As a rule, the underestimates of the
growers have been Offset by the 0veresti-
mates of the dealers, who are interested
in creating the impression that the mar
ket is likely 70 be glutted, and between
the two the public is enabled TO form a
guess which probably approXimates to
the truth.
Tie commission figures out Il crop Of
q. $50 GOO gallons, OF which 4 900 900 to
8 900 Geo gallons will be distilled, leav-
ing from Is $50 600 70 II $3.50 200 to be
sold rs wine. But to arrive ut this re-
suit some curious statements are made Z
The yield Of Napa is put down at 5 500,
coo; we should consider 3 600 900 gallons
nearer the mark. This was the estimate
for Napa two years ago, since when the
acreage in vines has been increased. No
account of serious injury to the grapes
has been reported. Only 800 Geo gal
Ions are allowed fer Alameda. Vine
growers in that county report largely in
creased acreage, which ought to bring
Athe yield up to 2 500 900 gallons. Esti-
bates of 25O 900 gallons for Contra
COSTA, 300 600 for Santa Cruz and 400 900
for San Joaquin are obviou-,v below the
mark.
Comparing the records of former years
with the reports of well-informed wine
makers in the several counties, we are
inclined to believe that the vintage of
1888 will approximate more. closely 10
80 900 900 gallons than 10 20 600 200. If
8, 900 900 gallons are distilled into
brandy, this would leave % 900 ,000 for
wine. Assuming that 8 900 900 gallons
are consumed on this coast, which is, we
believe, an underestimate, though it is
accepted in the trade, California would
have this year 20 900 200 gallons avail
able for export. The value of this pro-
duct will depend on the length of time
Il is kept before it is marketed.
Growers whose want of capital re-
uuires them TO realize upon their crop
as soon rs the grapes are pressed will
have to be satisfied with what the dealers
are willing to allow. But those who can
hold for a year, and who know the arts
of the trade by which the ripening of
VINE is aided, win realize IS cents, and
If they can wait another year or two they
ought to get from so to rs cents or more.
SOME zinfandel of the vintage OF 1882 was
lately served at a dinner i'll this city to
party which included some connolsseurs.
They pronounced il as delicate and as full
of boquet as some fine champertin. As
Napoleon said of the lntter, It was like
bottled velvet tipped over the lips.
Grape growers in this state cannot too
often be reminded that their objective
point should be quality, not quantity. 1t
Is plain enough that California is going to
produce so much win ordinaire that it
viii sell at quite moderate prices, but the
increase of really fine wines promises to
be slow. Yet there is more profit in cnl-
tiyating FIVE acres of wiae to sell at So
gallon than in cropping fifty acres OF
wines whose yield will not sell for over
25 cents. And the effect of producing
fine wine on the price of real estate IN
the section where it is grown need not be
pojnted out There are many vineyards
In France which command $1,000 an acre.
The Californian who produces zinfandel
worth SO bottle, ut four or five years OF
age. would not have TO wait long If he
wanted to sell his property at q similar
figure