The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-17
IRVINGTON.
A Difference of Opinion in Sweet
Wine Circles.

Editor Morning Call: Perhaps no piece
of legislation ever stirred up So much trouble
among California producers as the much
talked-of Sweet wine clause" of the Nc
Kinley bill. When the clause became
law the Gallegos Winery Company Of lrv-
ington, operating the second largest winery
in the country. at once went largely into the
manufacture of sweet wines. Other pro-
ducers in the State did the same, and large
quantity of sweet wine has been made mere
of quality comparing favorably with the
best products of European growers.
hardly had work under the clause begun,
however, before a series of misunderstood
ings in regard to the import of the latter
was inaugurated, and ever since then tue
manufacturers as we'll as their wines have
been in ferment
First were the rulings under the clause by
commissioners, who could not be made to
see why their purely theoretical knowledge
of wine-makiug, based entirely upon
European experiences, should not cover
equally well the governing OF this industry
in California, where entirely different con-
ditions prevail. Their ignorance OF the
subject as here applied at one time threat
ened to render the manufacture OF sweet
wines under the clause, in this State, I'M
possible. No sooner had this difficulty been
adjusted than another arose. Internal
Revenue Commissioner Mason of Washing
ton persuaded himself that an immense
quantity Of the sweet wines contained IN the
California wine les had been Improperly
adulterated with an undue amount of sugar
and alcoho |. His opinion was formed from
deductions based wholly upon eX-
periences gathered from purely European
authorities, without taking into consldera-
hn Il ali, tn ha
tween this State and wine-produclng
countries of Europe, under which our
grapes contain much larger proportion OF
saccharine matter. Commissioner Mason
believed that the highest average Of sugar
yielded by California grapes is not more
than 20 per cent. For this he allowed 10
per cent of alcohol, which, in proportion of
one 10 two, is produced from 20 per cent OF
grape sugar. The fact is that California
grapes yield as high an average as - per
cent of sugar. Hence arose a serious dlsa-
greement between the Commissioner ana
the California wine-makers, which resulted
in the detention of large amount OF wine.
and the ruin Of our sweet wine-manutac-
turers was again threatened. THIS matter,
too, was satisfactorily adjusted, and the
wines released, and now comes another
difficulty.
On Saturday last, Deputy Collector of In
ternal Revenue j. L. Borland of Martinez,
and Ii. Ii. Robinson, U. 5. Gauger of Oak
land, came to Irvlngton to test ana analyZ5
the product of the Gallegos Company.
Senur Ga;legos had secured the best Ger
man instruments obtalnable for testing the
volume Of alcohol in the wines manufac-
tured here, and Winemaster WOerner one
OF the most experienced wiue-makers in the
country, had used it skillfully and carefully
IN determining the percentage 1t was
therefore surprise to all when the test by
the Government officials with the nstru-
ments furnished by the Government showed
a variation from the results obtained by
Mr.. Woerner OF from to per cent. This,
OF course was serious matter. Ii the Gal
legos Company should put upon the market
wine which they claim contains 10 per cent
OF alcohol, while the Government lnspec-
tor declares 1t to be only 10 per cent, the re-
suit would naturally be injurious to the
reputation of the wine, and disastrous to
the GalIegos Company. Mr.. WUerner had
perfect confidence in the accuracy of his
tests, while the officials were equally posi-
tive they had made no error.
In the midst of the difficulty Professor
Hilgard of the State University, who has a
summer house in this vicinity, happened
upon the scene. Learning the trouble, he
volunteered to stay and aid in finding So
luton of the mystery.
BALI day spent in the most careful con-
sideration OF the matter brought no light,
and at Professor Hilgard's invitation Col
lect0r Borlaud and he continued the inquiry
at the laboratory IN Berkeley. Here they
made the discovery, which Professor Hill
gard IS positive Is Il solution OF the problem
that there is a mistake in the tables govern
Ing the ratification OF sweet wines that
were issued at Washington for the use of
the Collectors. The tables as printed show
volume for the basis OF calculation, while
the calculations have evidently been made
with reference to weight. Figuring the re-
suits OF the tests upon this hypothesis, the
two instruments agree within tile merest
fraction upon the percentage of alcohol in
the wines.
The authorities at Washington, however,
claim their tables are correct, and the calcu-
lations based upon volume as shown Pro-
lessor Higard is positive he Is correct in
his assertions, and the Gallegos Company
has so much faith in the great chemist that
an expert upon these matters is to be sent
by them TO Washington to demonstrate the
truth of this claim 10 the Commissioner.
What the result will be is hard to de-
termine now, but the matter is enc OF vital
interest to the wine-grOwers of this State.
a gracious downpOuT of rain visited this
section Saturday night and Sunday, 1.56
inches of the welcome precipitation fell, and
our farmers are once more jubilant over the
assured prospect of good crops.
The Chronicle announces that the storm
was Not needed, but still welcome" The
latter clause is quite true (the Chronicle
need not apologize for that). AS to the
first, however, well, the farmers vino read it
merely Smlled-at the colossal ignorance it
betrayed.
We do not say the rain was needed, only
without it there would have been no crops.
Now. however, as said before, crops are as
Surtd.
==Krud0ton, Feb. &C. 1891, &C.