New-York tribune., 1891-05-14
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL
CALIFORNIA CHAMPAGNE.
ITS POSSIBILITIES NOT LIKELY TO BE DECIDED
IN TWO OR THREE YEARS.

IN TWO OR THREE YEARS.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: A telegram from San Francisco appears IN Inc
Tribune Of this morning announcing senator otanioru
Intention of engaging in the production OF champasne
at his vineyard In Tehama County. CALIFORNIA. iihs
announcement may or may not be correct puo 'i'e
comments following il are contradictory and msiead
ing in proof of which desire TO call your attention 10
the following points believing that The Tribunes sense
of fairness will permit this correction through ns
columns of the wrong impression created by the eie
gram.
Passing without comment the remark that the cham
payne produced in California for the last thirty years
by Arpad Haraszthy leaves much to be desired "A
statement that will at once be controverted oy nun
drcds OF critical champagne drinkers in New-fork
City, by twenty six medals awarded IL at exhibitions
In various parts OF the world and by its being IN
the place of honor at the recent banquet OF the lar
League-which seems to have come from an uhiriehuS
source an emphatic objection must be made 10 the
statement that under the patronage Of senator s'an
ford even though II be munlhcent and without hhie'
the problem { y whether or not California can MAKE
champagne equal to the best French brands Is 70 10
settled in two three years.
II is such statements as this that bring ridcue down
upon the producers Of California wines, good ana pad,
and unfortunately hurts most the earnest, patent
vigneron who perhaps has devoted lifetime 10 the
study of grapes congenia soils, and climatic condl-
1t required several centuries TO bring the french
champagnes to their present state. With all the ad-
vantages of the Frenchmans experience 1t has taken
thirty years for Haraszthy bring his wine where IL
is and now some one "ushes in where angels fear 10
tread" and In three short years proposes TO decide
once and for all tine question ~ whether California
can produce champagne equal to the best fFe,Sn
brands" or not IL, at the end OF TINS peIlOa, lne
champagne put forth is not equal to me best fIehcm m
brands 1t viii be a confession that California SOIL OF
climate is against the making of this finest OF wines
The idea prepOserous that experiment OF TWO or
three years in making champagne from grapes grown
upon the heavy alluval soil Of vineyard lying deep
down i'm the valley of the Sacramento, and as nat as
Hocr is to decide whether good champagne can De
made in California not, when in other portions Oh
the State there TO be found glowing and rpenng 70
perfection the choicest grape varieties
from the Department of Marne to similar soil IN r .1e
foothills of the bay counties Of California, ana pro
ducng a Brut champagne which English experts pro-
nounce equal to Brut wine of the Pommery cellars.
Those familiar with the subject who have the IN
teres of our native products at heart VIII wish sen,
aor stanford In producing something that VIII
be credit to California but they will not eoncede that
his results at the end of two or three years are TO
decide whether California can or cannot make cham.
payne "equal to the best French brands" or that
California to-day does not produce such an artcie'
Yours truly, EUGENE ). CANIlN'
washington, d. c., May 5, 1891.