Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-12-12
WINES BY SHIPLOAD.
SCENES AT A WHARF WHERE
CALIFORNIA SHIPS COME In.
100000 Gallons a Month - iW0
Profits Made at the Ships Side


A great ship casts anchor in the Eas'
River near the foot of Grand street,
New York city, and unloads a cargo u
California wines every month. lhere
are eighteen ships engaged in .hiS
trade, and each brings at every trlP
from four to nine thousand barrels OF
wine. besides copper ore, logwood ana
the canned products of the PACING
coast. Each cargo is worth from
$3.50 900 to 100000. In all about
fifteen thousand barrels of California
wines are brought to this port by sea
every month. Some of it is reshipped
m Enrope, some is distributed TO
various other cities in the East, but
the greater part is consumed IN anu anu
about New York. The whole lo,ooo
barrels contain about 100000 gallons
of wine. The trip from California Is
made around Cape Horn in from
ninety to one hundred and ten days.
A week is occupied in loading at the
California port and from eight 10
twenty DAVIS in unloading here.
This trade, which has reached its
greatest magnitude within the past
five wears, is controlled by less than
half a dozen houses. One of these has
cellars in Elm street with capacity OF
5000 barrels and storage capacity Ior
8 200. 900 gallons in California. The
wines are brought around the Horn at
from two to five years old. Younger
wines come in small quantities, but
are seldom satisfactory, because they
have not been properly fermented.
The older wines are improved by the
sea voyage.
The most important California wines
brought to New York are the red
wines, including the cheap Zinfandel,
Macon, Burgundy and others nearly
corresponding to various grades OF
foreign wines; white wines, including
sauternes and angelica, and various
sweet wines classed as ports ana
sherries. Brandies are also brought
i'm. The expectations to Europe are
chiefly of the red wines, the sherries
and the brandies. 1t is denied that
any considerable quantity of Cali
fornia red wines is shipped TO France
to be blended with the Bordeaux
wines. California port cannot be sold
in Europe in competition with the
better European products.
In some instances wholesale wine
dealers here order their wines di-
rectlv from California, but for the
most part they buy through the local
agencies of the great wine houses OF
the Pacific coast. Wholesalers buy in
lots of from 25 TO 1000 barrels. Some
have standing orders with wine mer-
chants for from so to $50 barrels per
month. The wines are cheapest at the
ships side, because the agents do not
care 10 cart, stow and recart the goods.
Here is the way the selling is done /:
When a ship laden with wines comes
in, the dealers come down TO the
wharf and bargain for the quantity
they desire. Often a specially low
offer from the wine agent will cause a
large speculative purchase. OF course,
the wine reaches the wharf shaken up
and cloudy, but nevertheless there is
vast deal of tasting on the part of
the purchasers. The seller has bung-
starter, thin wooden mallet with an
elastic wooden handle. With this he
hammers quickly on each side of the
bung, and presently out it pops. A
glass tube inclosed in metal is then
dipped into the barrel, and small
quantity of wine is taken out for tast-
ing cor sampling."
1t is easy to see whence came Rich
ard Grant Whites pet abomination, the
euphemism of ''sample ROOM for
drinking saloon. When the wine is
sold he wholesaler has the privilege OF
keeping it a week at the wharf and re-
selling it there to the retailers. Much
of it never leaves the wharf until it is
carted off to the cellar of the last
named dealer. Thus two sales take
place at the ships side, and two profits
are made after il reaches this city and
before it is ready TO be sold to con-
sumers. OF course, the third profit
comes in when the retailer sells it, and
those who think they get cheap Cali
fornia claret at sixty and seventy-five
cents q gallon would be little shocked
to know for how much less il is sold in
bulk. In rare instances clubs and
other large consumers buy at first hand
from the agents of the great wine
houses, but this practice is not liked by
the wholesalers.
When the wine agent is forced to
store the wine he clarifies it by one
process or another familiar TO wine
dealers, and in two or three days gets
it into such condition that it may be
served to persons not over fastidious.
The processes of carting, storing and
clarifying add considerably to the value
of the wine, but the agents prefer to
forego the profit and sell at the ship:
side. The return cargo of the wine
ships is made up of various articles,
including skins and flour and other
manufactured products. With GOOD