The morning call., 1890-11-08
WINE AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK

The auction sale of California wines and
brandies viii oh took place in New York on
Thursday was a step in the right direction.
it is always best, when the thing can DE
done, TO bring tile consumer face to face
with the producer; and auction sales have
the advantage of being peremptory, so that
their results furnish the producer with an
accurate gauge OF the value Of his wares at
forced sale.
We are told that known brands" of red
and white wines brought about 40 cents
gallon. Very good wines can be bought in
the wood at that price here, but our ac-
quaintance with s'kn0wn brands" is limited.
The industry is in such an initial stage in
this State that few growers have established
such reputation, for instance, as the late
General Naglee built up Tor his brandy.
wine-grOwer makes very good wine one
year, and next year his product, owing to
some accident, is decidedly inferior. This
will correct itself in time. Meanwhile
it Is always best to buy wine by sam
pie, the name of the grower serving as
guarantee that the lots will correspond with
the samples.
SO far as brandy. port wine and sherry are
concerned. it is not 10 be expected that we
shall conquer the Eastern market at once.
The brandy of commerce is, to certain ex-
tent, an artificial liquor adjusted to the pop
ular taste of the day by the mixture OF va
rety of substances with the distilled spirit
of the grape. Our brandy is pure spirit.
But the public have been educated to con-
slider MaItel or Hennessey the type of what
brandy should be, and they would rather
pay S12 gallon for those liquors than 81
gallon fer our genuine article. We shall
l,a1 Itr ho1ro tn IA,tlhl az 10
changes. As 10 sherry AMI ort, we have
never made in this State good article Of
either, or, to speak more accurately an ar
tce as well suited to the public taste as the
Duff Gordon Sherry and the London Dock
port. In the first place, our sherries and
ports are pure, which some of the foreign
sherries are not; the one being doctored in
Spain, while the other is adulterated in Lon
don to suit the public palate; and as to the
sherry, with few exceptions wine-makers in
this State have not succeeded in imparting
to our wine the oxidized flavor which con-
stitutes the charm of foreign sherry, while,
as to the port, we have made a sweet wine
without richness or fruitineSs. With time
we shall probably make a good grade Of both
wines.
But California will have to depend on her
light wines for the fortune which will flow
from her vineyards. She possesses the soil
and the climate that are adapted to the pro-
duction Of the finest clarets and hooks in the
world. 1t is interesting to note the progress
which has been made in little over ten
years. In the seventies there was more Mis-
sion wine made than any other. 1t was SUI
perseded, over ten years ago, by the Tin
fandel, espectaile Hungarian wine. This
again has Teen superseded IN its turn by
fine class of Burgundies. Some of these
made in Napa and Alameda, compare favor
ably with the French Medoc and common
Beaune.
Our white wines are improving from year
to year. There is now in the market
sauterne from Napa which is as grateful to
the palate as the French sauterne; and
some of our RiesliDgs are capital. Forty
cents is 10 price at all for some of these
wines in the wood.