The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-03
VINEYARDS OF OLD WASHINGTON.
Something About yittculture in a Pioneer
Section OF Inc State.

Something 4 bout tlttCuituTe IN Pioneer
Section OF the State.
Editor Morning Call: Tho cultivation
of the vine in Washington Township, Ala
media County, dates from the earliest days
of Spanish possession. Tie shrewd Mis-
sion Fathers, with their unerring instinct
for the fairest and most fertile spots in this
wonderful new world TO which they had
come, early saw, and, seeing, fully appre-
ciated the capabilities of this beautiful val
ley. with its sun-WaTmed hilsides and rich
levels.
The fields Of the latter might wave with
grain and grow fruitful with vegetables, de-
creed the fathers, but upon the hills should
be spread a rich mantle of living green, aud
so the good fathers became the pioneer vine
yardists of this section, planting here the
grapeyines they had brought with them
over seas from the hillsides of sunny Spain.
With the maturing OF their first crop came
the need OF winery TO convert the grapes
into wine, and even in the early twenties of
this century the mission wines were famous
for their quality.
The old winery is still standing, and COM
parativeiy young men hereabouts can yet
remember the ancient watts and accessories
thereto that have. of late years, fallen into
luln and disappeared.
L. l. Beard. II. G. Ellsworth and gen.
tleman named Palmer were the first Ameri-
cans TO engage In grape-groTing here, early
in the fftles, commencing with some 10000
vines, from cuttings received from France
and Spain. To-day from Niles to the Santa
Clara County line, the hills are
CLAD WITH VINES,
And, as the season advances. the air is red
olent with the fruity perfume of the grape.
The largest winery in the United States
is situated here at lryington, massive brick
structure, covering large area and con-
trasting strangely enough with the primitive
adobe of the fathers, or the more prctentious
one which, forty odd years ago, Clemente
Colon bet erected, near Warm Springs, and
which was the rst.winery built IN this val
ley BIZ foreigner.
The GallegoS Winery is owned and Oper-
ated' by tie GallegoS Company, at the head
of which Is the well-knOWn YineyaTdist
and wine-maker, Don Juan Gallegos, who
some years ago. came here from Guatemala,
purchased the old Beard residence at the
Mission, and set out his celebrated vine
ward, one Of the most notable in the Stale
This vineyard lies upon a gentle slope.
nearly two miles in length, extending from
the Mission to Irvington, and comprises
about 500 acres Of fine wines. 1t is kept in
the best of order. A considerable portion
of the vines are trelliscd up, and broad
avenues lnteTSect II at convenient intervals.
Through It's entire length runs q magGif-
cent double avenue of olive trees, which
this year are quite heavily loaded with
berries.
A large proportion of the grapes are lin
1dnutlS, Uul lIclc die dloO great many VI
Rieslings, White Mondeaux. Black Pinot,
Tennat. Petit BOucher, Muscat, Cabernet,
Burgundy, Beclau and MerlOt are other
varieties that are largely represented in the
"great grapepatch."
Beyond this vineyard. on the Mission
slope, lies LINDA VISTA" the beautiful
house of C. c. McIyer,
ANOTHER ENTHUSIASTIC vINEYARDIsT
And manufacturer. Mr.. McIver's vineyard
is one of the finest about here and the prod
ucts OF his winery are held in high esteem
among the leading clubmen Of New York
and San Francisco
Toward Warm Springs, proceeding south,
we ind the extensive vineyard of John l..
Beard, son Of tie famous pioneer of this
county. Mr. Beard has a good-sized winery,
but owing to the larger part of his Zinfan-
del crop beng, this year, SO spoiled by the
early rain as to be fit only to manufacture
brandy, the output from it this year will be
small.
Another small but more than usually
good winery hereabouts is that of e. j.
Bond, at Irvington. Mr.. Bond has also a
well-kept vineyard here.
The capacity of the Gallegos Winery is
about 100000 per annum. This establish
ment has heretofore manufactured only dry
wines, but since the Mckinley bill went
into operation, with its celebrated " sweet
wine clause" the manufacture OF sweet
wines has already begun and will be carried
on on large scale. For the purpose OF forti-
flying these they have already manufactured
some q, 1000 gallons of brandy, purchasing for
this purpose whole crops of Zinfandel grapes
that were spoiled by the rain, and which,
but for this measure, would have been a
total loss to the growers. The men who, two
months ago, contemplated their vines laden
with anywhere from twenty to hundred tons
OF apparently worthless grapes, must have
experienced feeling OF relief when the
news was made public that the Gallegos
Company would pay SIS per ton for all these.
Despite the reports to the contrary, the Zin-
fandel crop throughout this entire section
was decidedly damaged by the rain early in
the fall. The Znfandel is the most delicate
of grapes, and in many vineyards is
AN ENTIRE FAILURE THIS YEAR.
The GalIegos Company will this year man.
ufacture Muscat, Angelica and the other
fashionable sweet wines, and is also making
sweet must, a beverage which is made with