The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-22
AMERICAN WINE THE BEST.
Blue Bloods of Europe Prefer 1t TO
Their Own Production.

Among the arrivals at the Rainier hotel yes
tcrday were Mr.. ". r. HartsAorn and Dr. W. A.
Oliver, Of Penn Yam, y. Y, and DR.. c. Z. Darrin,
OF Portland. They are members of syndicate
OF residents of Penn Van aud vicinity who pro-
pose investing In Washington property Penn
Yam is in the center of the wine producing dis
triet OF Western New York, and Dir. Hartshorn is
largely interested in vineyards there. Speaking
OF the progress OF wine making in that section to
PosT-lSTELLI6ENcER reporter, he said:
"Ihe kanka lake district produces as good
wine any in the world, in fact impartial
judges have pronounced our wines superior to
those OF Europe. OF course, prejudice exists
in favor of the imported wines, but quality will
tell in the end, and 1t is already telling. coed
evidence OF the superiority of New York cham
payne was furnished lately in Rochester club
house A member, who is recognized as a con-
noisseur, declared that wine could not be pro-
duced in America equal to Mumm's. Another
member offered TO bet that IL he tasted each
wine, not knowing which bottle IL came from,
he would pronounce the domestic wine superior.
He took the bet, at once declared his preference,
and found that the wine was domestic
DT. Darrin, who also comes from Penn Yam,
here remarked: at is fact that the rich peo-
pie OF Europe prefer American wine, although
1t IS more expensive than the wines of Europe,
owing to the higher duties in France and
England. The wines used by the poor people of
Europe are the production of France, Germany,
Spain and Italy, and they are almost all adulter-
ated. The consumption OF wine in France is
double the production, and the pure wine is
stretched by adulteration and mixture with the
wines OF Germany and Spain, that it is safe
to say that there Is no pure wine on the market.
Really good, pure wine can hardly be procured,
except in the cellars OF the old nobility, where
II has been lying for generations. The cham
payne of Europe comes largely from America,
for it is imported, has French
labels put on it, and is then
II by producing fermentation and causing GER
tain chemical changes in it, which often artifi-
claly add ten years to its age. This wine is then
rcshipped to America and sold at a higher price
as imported champagne. | don't believe there
is any genuine Mumm champagne ON the mar
ket, for the whole production of Mumm's is
bought up by the crowned heads OF Europe -
Mr., Hartshorn then went on to tell of the ex-
tent Of the New York wine growing district 1t
centers around Cayuga lake, which has Penn
Van at one end and Hammondsport at the other
and Seneca lake, and covers territory about 100
miles long between Elmira and Rochester. Mr..
Hartshorn said:
''Three-fourths of the grapes consumed in New
Yorlscity are produced in our district the others
coming from Ohio and California We shin 100
tons day for thirty days in succession, and for
to sixty tons"
"Do you think that the prejudice in favor of
imported wines VIII ever be SO far overcome
that domestic wines will have the preference in
America"
'Yes, because quality is bound to tell in the
end, and because the increased duty under the
Mckinley bill SO raises the price of imported
wines that they viii be out of reach of any but
the rich. Already the wine producers of our
district are unable TO meet the demand and they
are letting contracts to double their plant"
Mr.. HaTtsh0rn and DR.. Oliver made inquiries
about old residents at their homo who are now
In seattle, among them being Stewart Smith and
Judge Eben smith. Or. parrin is also an old
Penn an man, having been a college churn of
Dr. Oliver He has recently organized the elias
gov Coaland Lumber Company, with a capital
stock OF $l,5o0,00, which proposes to mine
seyen-foot vein OF high grade Ignite coal on
Coos bay.