The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-15
F0RTIFYING WINES.
New Regulations by The Treas
ury Department.
The Wine Manufacturers Only Allowed to
Use Brandy Free Of Tax.
Operations Must Be Carried On at The
Vineyards Where the Grapes
Are Crushed.
freeial to THE MoRNssa CALI

new regulations concerning the fertilization
OF sweet wine are now ready for distribu-
| ton. l have expedited the matter all /
could, realizing how anxiously the wine-
growers throughout California were await
Ing the receipt of the new rules of the de-
partment, " hich concern one of the most
important industries on the Coast, or in the
United States for that matter Commits
sioner Mason was prevailed upon to give
out the new regulations for publication by
the California Associated Press. They will
be found clearly set forth in the following
letter to Internal Revenue Collector Quinn
OF San Francisco
Sir: have to inform you that the reguIa-
tons concerning the fortitication of pure
sweet wines and the fortification of wine
Tor export have been revised, and as re-
vised approved by the Secretary of the
Treasury. These revised regulations and
revised forms will be printed and distrib-
uted as soon as possible. but as it is feared
the distribution may not be completed be-
fore the first prox., it is thought advisable
to give you an outline in this letter of the
changes made in the regulations and to
specify what changes in the said forms al
ready printed are necessary to adapt them
for use under the new regulations.
The changes in the regulations are as fol-
lows: That provision is stricken out of the
bond which requires the use of brandy
within a certain number of hours after the
arrival OF the officer designated to supervise
such use. Under the head of instructions
as TO tile execution Of bonds and the quail
fication of sureties" the Collector is directed
to satisfy himself that the principal is a
person entitled to give a bond aud that he
intends TO fortify; that n still for the pur-
pose has been erected in a place described
in the law and within the Limitations speci-
| fed In the law; also that he has set apart
| fortiiying-room as provided in the regu a
| tions. Such portions OF the law as defn e
| the person, article, purpose and place and
set forth the limitations are quoted or re-
ferred to, and the decisions on these points
| heretofore made have been inserted in the
| regulations.
FoRrlFICATIoN ONLY AT VINEYARDS.
| As a matter OF special interest the follow
ing is quoted from this part of the regula-
| tions: THE place at which fortlfcation is
| to be begun aud completed Is at the vine-
| yard Of the wine-grower whose grapes are
| crushed aud grape juice ferme nted. In or
| der to comply with this section it is not
necessary that all the grapes shall be grown
| at the place where the winery is situated,
but 1t IS absolutely necessary that there
| shall be connected with every winery as
| part OF the premises vineyard, and while
| this office will not attempt in these regua-
| lions TO determine the acreage or number of
! grapevines necessary to constitute yins-
| ward, il will insist that it must be a bona
| fide vineyard.
A wine-maker cannot fortify under bond
| any wine except that expressed from the
grapes at his own winery. As his wine
must be made exclusively from the juice
| only OF the grapes crushed at his vineyard,
he cannot use portion Of wine to be forti-
ned Tree OF tax. the juice of grapes crushed
at another vineyard or place, nor can he so
use any product of such grapes. such as
wine concentrated must or 'condens ed
must He may. however. purchase fresh
grapes from other parties and crush them
at his vineyard"
The limitations require that in every
winery where pure sweet wines are made
and Intended to be fortified with brandy
free OF tax, room to be known as & forti-
Tying room will be set apart. This room
Will be securely built and partitioned, so as
to be entirely separate from every Other
part OF the winery, with all its windows
and doors and other openings to or from
the same so arranged aud built as to be
securely locked, bOlted or barred from the
inside. The entrance door to be locked
with Government seal lock, the key of
which must be at all times iu charge of the
United States Gauger. The Collectors will
make reaulsitions for the necessary locks
and seals, and locks and seals will be sup
Piled, used and accounted for, as in the case
oil dlstillery warehouse The fortifylng
room may be portion Of any building or
an entire building, but must be on the wine
growers premises at the vineyard, where
the grapes are crushed and fermented The
i0rtifying room must be entirely under the
control OF the officer detailed by the Col
lector of Internal Reyenae. This officer
will attend for the purpose of gauging,
taking samples and supervising the fortify-
Ing OF wines, In pursuance OF the requests
OF tie wine-maller.
THE GAUGER's DUTIES.
When wines to be fortified are ready for
fortfcatinn they will be drawn into tanks or
vessels In the room. and the officer will pro-
ceed TO take samples and ascertain the guam
tlty OF saccharine and the alcoholic strength.
IL the wine offered for iortifcaton indicates
zero and less by the saccharometer before
evaporation, also If 1t contains more than 10
per cent, by Saleron test, of alcohol by vol
ume and per cent OF sugar by weight. The
gauger will take samples OF such wines be-
lore forti6eation for analysis before he
allows the wine-maker to add grape brandy.
| Ii the wine offered for foriicatipn contains
not less than four per cent of saceharine
matter and otherwise complies with the
law, officers will allow tins wne-maker to
add grape brandy, but not in excess uf four
teen per cent and twenty-feur per cent, lin
ltatlons fixed by law; the wiue-maker will
thoroughly mix and blend the brandy with the
| with In order that alcoholic and saccharine
strength of wine fortified may be uniform
throughout tank or other vessel The
gauger Will then take quart samples of each
tank IN triplicate as provided. IL it is i'm
practicable tor the wine-maker to add to
the wine at the time Of arrival of the
gauRer. pursuant to his notice, sufficient
quantity IT grape brandy to preserve the sac
charine matter in the wine, he must at some
time during the season notify the gauger of
MS desire to complete the fortifcation at a
second operation.
STAMPS FOR FORTIFIED WINES.
Under the heading, "StampIny packages
fortified in the fortifying-reom. it Is pro-
vided that when the tank or vessel Of wine
Is fortified in the f0rtifying-ro0m the gauger
Will aftix stamp thereto, and such package
when filled will be designated in all reports
by Its serial numbers, aud the serial nuul-
OF one or more packages are transferred to
one or more other packages, in reports
Oh such transfers the serial nun bers of the
original packages and the serial numbers of
the stamps on the original ackages, together
! with the numbers OF the new packages, will
be given, as well as the contents in gallons
oil the new and old packages. Whenever
the wine-maker desires to remove the ves-
SCI Hlleu With I0rtlneu Wlna from the f0rti-
| fying-room to another portion of his winery,
the gauger will remove the stamp from such
vessel. The contents of such vessel NAV
not however, be returned TO the fortifying-
room or be liable for furthur fortifcation
| with brandy free of tax. II, however, the
wine-maker SO desires, the gauger may
leave the stamp upon such packages and
mark the package as hereinafter provided
| SO that the wine-maker may sell or dispose
| OF such wine in a stamped package"
ACCOUNTING FOR TEE SPIRITS.
| All brandy Withdrawn from distillery
| or a warehouse for fortifying wine must be
accounted for by April 3gth of each year
either by use, payment of tax, or, In case of
warehouse Withdrawals, by rewareh0using.
| All fortified wine and brandy must be with
drawn from the fortifying-room on or be-
lore April 30th OF each year. aud the Gov