The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-20

port ia made by Charles F. Oldham, the
expert appointed by the British Commits
sion to test California wines and brandies
exhibited at the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position. While the British Commission
has not yet officially passed upon this re-
port, it is to all intents and purposes an
official one, and it is the result of earnest
work BY C. A. Wetmore and the State
Viticutural Commission on behalf of Cali
fornia's interests.
The wines and brandes submitted for
examination included $40 samples, CON-
prising products from nfIy-three different
individuals and firms, CLASSIFIED as follows
Dry white Wines-SiXty-four samples
described as of Rhenish type, 4S of Sau-
terne. IL of White Burgundy, INSECT
laneous of various styles.
Dry red wines-Thirty samples of Me-
doc type. "a Of Burgundy, % miscellaneous.
. Clareis OF various styles.
Sweet or fortified wines-Twentv-nin e
samples of Port type, 20 Of Sherry, 30 mis-
cellaneOns of various styles.
Sparkling wines-Five SAMPLES described
as iermeD ed in bottle, according to French
methods of Champagne making.
Observation-Disclosures samples of various
makes and ages.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.
a. Evidences of purity.-From careful
= samples submitted to me were perfectly
pure juice of the crane, fermented or dis
titled in legitimate manner, without the
use of foreign substances, fav0rs or
essences.
(2) Indications of intelligent supervision
OF the primary operations of fermen tstion
and distillation.-I was particularly struck
3. with the excellent manner in which nearly
all the white wines seem TO have been fer
mented. One or two, l should say. had
been left a little two long On their skins,
and consequently are somewhat deeper in
color than is desira bic. but with the excep-
tiou of these, the lamentations appear 10
have been excellent. The majority of the
red wines show, also, that they must have
been well cared for in this particular.
With regard to the braDdes, nearly the
whole of them appear to have been well
: and carefully distilled.
g. Indications of methods of maturing
ana preparing for bottling.-Most of the
white wines have, und oubtedly, been well
and carefully matured in wood, but few,
i am led TO think, must have been left too
long IN eask or kept in a hot and dry
@ cellar. the consequence being that they are
OF rather too deep color and have a
slightly sherry taste.
= Probably nearly all these wines were
good when first made. and the defects
which some of them now show may be
attributed to faults in maturing while In
wood.
Some of the native wines had evidently
an excess of albumen when they were bot
tied, as eVinced by the deposit thrown. A
large mum Der were. however, brought into
excellent condition for battling, and have
in consequence kept perfectly brilliant
The maturing in wood of some of the
red wines does not appear to NE TO have
been so satisfactory as in the case of the
white. Many of the red wines have no
doubt been carefully matured in cool Gel
lars and in small packages, but others again
have the appearance of having been Kept
IN large watts In hot and uneven temper
AZURE. L am Induced to think that nearly
all the rec wines must have Deen good
when young and probably for year after,
and that the defects now eyinced by some
Uf them are due to the want of good, cool,
underground celarage, where an even
temperature can be main tai ed, or to hav-
ing been kept in large watts, as alluded to
above. Undoubtedly, also, a few of the
red wines had been left too long in wood
before bOttling With these few excep-
tions the red wines show great merit. and
many of those classified under Medoc types
are really very excellent.
"a Evidences of skill in bottling.-By far
the greater majority Of the samples sub
mltted showed that great care had been
taken in this important particular. In a
few cases / found that the dry red and
white wines had not been filed up as
sirable.
% Evidences OF critical knowledge in
the classification of wines, as shown by
names adopted to describe various types
AS rule California wine producers seem
TO have aimed at folio wing the European
types as closely as possible, and as they
grew European varieties Of grapes almost
exclusively they describe their wines ac-
cordingly; that is to say, a wine made
from Sauterne grapes is described by them
AT being of Sauterne type, and so on. In
some instances, however. sufficient care
does not seem to have been exercised in
this matter.
(6) Style of bottles, labels, etc.-The En-
ropean style of bottles has most generally
been used. For instance. wines described
as Of Claret type have been put into
French Claret bottles, Burgundy into the
ordinary French Burgundy bottle. Hook
into the German Hook bottle and Sau-
terue into the white French bottle.
Among the Port, Sherry, Brandy and
sweet wine types this uniformity has not
been equally maintained. In most in
stances the bottles have been very nicely
gotten up, bearing neat, plain labels-cap p
sules being generally used, although in a
few cases wax has been put in their places.
l would here remark that it must be
borne in mind that these criticisms are
based upon standards of quality. such as
would, think, be most likely to find favor
in British market. 1t is quite probable,
however. that in the American markets
such criticisms might not at all apply.
think it right to mention that was, to
some extent. aided In my examinat ion Of
these wines by thu fact that nearly all the
wine districts in California are well
known to me and that l have for some
years now been making careful study of
their produce. The wines of California
must not be COMPOUNDED with other Amer
lean wines. made east of the Rocky Noun
tains, where, believe. nothing but native
American vines are grown. In California
owing to the suitable soil and beautiful
climate, all the finest European varieties
are grown in great perfection, and as they
bear there In very luxuriant manner
there Is little temptation to make wine of
anything but the juice of the grape. The
annual quantity made now is about 20. OOO.-
600 gallons. very much larger amount,