The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-10-10
OUR VINEYARDS.
Commissioner Cos Has
Arrived.
ON A TOUR OF INSPECTION
A Representative of the French Gov
eminent VIII Make Report
on California Vintage.

Francois Cos, French Commissioner of
Viticulture to the United States. and spe-
cial commissioner to inspect the California
vineyards, arrived in the city from Chicago
yesterday morning and will begin his work
to-day Mr. Cos is director of the Vitieul-
tural and Horticultural College at Antilles,
France, and is cOunciloI-general of the
Department of the Var. He is one of
three commissioners appointed by the
French Government and who went TO Chi
cage with instructions to make special
study of American wines. After examin-
ing the display at the exposition and max
ing all the tests which they desired, the
commissioners separated, two of them 60
ing to visit the vineyards in the eastern
portion of the country, while Mr.. Cos was
delegated TO come to California and to
Texas and report on the vines as he found
them growing in the various localities.
The commissioner has a magnificent
physique, standing quite six feet tall and
is not less than 200 pounds in weight. He
is man probably SO years OF age, but with
ruddy complexion that is almost youth
full in its appearance, while nut-brown
beard, trimmed i'll a manner that Is EVIL
IDENTIFY the pride of some artist, sets oil his
goOd-natured face.
The commissioner was found at the
Southern Pacific station last evening, just
as he was takin g the train for Menlo Park.
in company with John L. Doyle, whose
guest he will be, and, though he speaks no
English, through MIR. Doyle he told some
thing of the object of his visit, and what
may be accomplished through it in the in
terest of California wine-growers.
after the investigations which we
made at Chicago" said he, "we wished to
inspect the vines from which those wines
were produced. and to see the vines and
compare them carefully with what we
grow In France, and see il you have here
the same grapes as we grow there.
LAS you know, there are so many vari-
cites, and so many conditions that affect
the quality of the wine, that the only way
we could make report to our Government
was by trip through the vineyards of the
United States, and, if our report be salts
factory, it is possible that negotiations
may DE opened looking to the importation
of large part of your surplus wine.
Our instructions are to observe not
only the vintages after they are ready for
the market, but To examine everything
connected with their production, Begin
ming with the setting out of the vines.
Then we hope TO follow every successive
step in their culture and ali the processes
TO which the juice is subjected until il is
ready for marketing.
. In this way we hope to get as compre-
hensIve knowledge of your viticultural
Interests as the shortness OF our stay will
allow.
France imports and has for years i'm
ported more wine than she produced. This
is drawn from all the Mediterranean re-
giOn. from Dalmatia, Syria, Greece, Al
geria and the other grape-growing coun-
tries. These are taken to Cette on the
Mediterranean, or to Bordeaux, and then
treated by processes known to the French
and naturalized. Then, as French wines,
they are exported to all parts of the globe.
The duty on wines imported into
France varies from three and half francs
the hectOliter-twenty-siX gallons-up TO
fifteen francs, depending upon the country
from which il is imported. This is adj
1usted by Government regulation, and of
course those countries with which France
is upon the best terms commercially and
otherwise get the benefit of the lowest
tariff. Thus Spanish wines pay only the
three and a half francs the hectOliter,
while Italian vintages are subject to the
highest rate.
''At present American wines would have
to pay the maximum. and as a result we
import nothing from the California vine
yards. But the result of our investigations
here may affect the situation very agree
ably. and if we find that your wines are
suitable, and that they would be of the
quality which the French could use, as
they use their other impOrtatiOns. then
steps may be taken looking to such COM
mercial arrangements as will allow them
to be imported.
81 expect to be in the State about two
weeks and during that time will be in the
country almost entirely. AS soon as
have finished my work here | shall 60 to
Texas and from there to the East"
THE Viticultural Commission will pro-
vide every facility to aid the commissioner
in his work." said Mr.. Doyle. I'VE will
send gentleman with him who is CONVEX
SAINT with both languages and who is ac-
quainted among abe vineyardists of the
State, and he will see that every courtesy
is extended to Mr.. Cos.
''We regard this as one Of the important
opportunities for opening up a new mar
ket for California wines, and If a favorab BILE
report can be sent back to France it will
mean large demand from an entirely
new quarter.
Mr.. Cos will go TO work at once and
expects to be at Cupertino tomorrow night
and take observations at the vineyards
and wineries in that vicinity. Thence he
will visit Mission San Jose and Livermore
and other valleys in that part of the State.
When he has seen all that he wishes in the
south the Napa and SOnoma districts will
come next, and in this way he expects to
inspect the wine industry from one end of
the State 10 the other"