The morning call., 1893-06-23
THE FRENCH VINTAGE OF 1892.

The returns of the wine crop of France
for 1892 have come to hand, and it appears
that it foots up 670,094.S $50 gallons. as
against 663. 05S,000 gallons in 1891. Ten
years ago the crop amounted to nearly
100000, 600 gallons: from that figure it de-
clined to 535,573. 900 gallons in 1887. AT
that time it looked as though France was
going to pass out of the list of wine
producing countries, after the example of
the island of Madeira. In 1888 there was a
sudden recovery to 662, 100000 gallons, and
In the following year a sudden drop to
5l1,GO0,0O0 Since then the tendency has
been toward improvement. The huctua-
tons in the crop are not uniform. One
department will show an increase, while
another shows a decrease. Last year
forty eight departments showed de-
creased yield as compared with 1891
while twenty-eight showed an increase
The Medoe district, with which we are so
familiar in this State. produced $4,000, 600
gallons less in 1892 than In 1891, while the
Herault district, on the Gulf Of Lyons,
showed an increase of 100000. The
phylloXera seem to be abandoning the
mouth of the Garonne.
The French vine-grOwers had to contend
in 1892 against series of atmospheric
disasters. In April, when the budding o !.
the vines was far advanced, they were
nipped by frost. which proved serious
setback. and in August, as the grapes were
rpened, succession of excessively hot
days dried Up the grapes in immense
quantities. As usually happens under
these circumstances what the grapes have
lost IN quantity they have gained in
quality. The vintage of 1892 appears to
be exceptional in strength, favor, color
and aroma.
The French acreage in grapes in 1892
was 4, 4O4, 0l0 acres and the average yield
per acre is 145 gallons, as against 152 gal
Ions in 1891. In parts of this State we
should consider this yield small. but in
the counties where the best wine of Cali
fornia is produced it would not be regarded
as unsatisfactory. The wine-dealers are
now paying something like fifteen cents
for wine, which, after they have manipu-
lated and blended it, they invoice for ship
ment to the East at about fifty cents.
Thus the grower gets about SO an acre
for the product of his land. which barely
pays him for the cultivation vine-gro wing
requires. The French grower gets about
twenty-seven cents on the average for his
wine, which gives him about $50 per acre.
money enough TO enable him to devote to
his vineyard the close attention and fine
skill which successful vlne-growing re-
quires.
1t is with vine-growiug as it was with
fruit-raising. Many who have gone into
the business in this State have done so
without knowledge of the industry. Their
education has of course proved expensive.
In the Medoc district of the Gironde wine
grapes have been grown for at least two
centuries, and every grower has the bene-
fit of the experience of many generations
Of predecessors. The Gironde yigneron
has learned that which we have yet to
learn. to wit, that the quality of the pro-
duct is in inverse proportion to the size o
the vineyard. Few vineyards on the Ga.
rome exceed six acres in extent. They
are consequently titled with a care and
ihoroughness which the holder of 2OO-acre
vineyard rannot possibly bestow. Again,
wne-growers in California are at the
mercy of an organized combine of wine
scalers. They are like motley mob going
to battle with a compact disciplined army.
The fruit-gT0weTs found themselves in the
same position when they began to ship
green fruit TO the East. One firm dictated
prices. and the orchard;sts had to take them
or let their fruit rot in the orchards. They
organized themselves into fruit associa-
tiuns. made rates with the railroad, ap-
pointed their own agents in the East and
now they have planted the industry on
basis which will some day make the fruit
growers rich instead of the mddlemen.
l.
ample they. tco, will make instead of lose
money, and the wine industry of the
State will become one Of its most valuable
rksnurnps