The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-12
OLDHAM'S REPORT.
A British Expert Lauds
Our Wines.
OF GENERAL EXCELLENCE.
Intelligence and Care Applied
Throughout.
EVJNENCEC ne THElD DIIRITX
EVIDENCES OF THEIR PURITY.
Critical knowledge Displayed in
Their Classification Styles,
Bottles, Labels, Etc.

Winifred Scott, secretary Of the State
Viticultural Commission. has received
copy of the report of Charles f. Oldham. a
member of the firm OF Gierson. Oldham q
Co. of London, on the California wines
and brandies exhibited at the worries
Fair in Chicago. Sir Henry Trueman
Wood, secretary of the British Royal Com
mission, at whose instigation the report
was made. states that IN sending copy OF
the original report his commission wouid
act officially on the report later in London.
but that it might be published subject TO
this understanding.
Mr.. Oldham examined $40 samples OF
wines and brandies, comprising products
from ffty-three different individuals ana
firms. The classes examined comprised
dry white wines. consisting of samples Oh
the Rhenish, Sauterne and white Bur-
gundy; dry red wines, consisting OF sam
pies of tie Medoc and Burgundy type and
miscell aneous classes; sweet or tortured
wines, consisting of samples OF port ant
sherry types and miscellaneous styies
sparkling " ines described as fermenteo I'D
bottles according to the French method oil
cbampagne-making and samples OF prah-
dies of various mashes and ages.
and brandies are treated under the various
heads upon which Mr.. oldham was re-
auested to report. His report is as fol-
lows:
a. Evidences of purity-From careful ex-
animation feel convinced that all the samples
submitted TO me were perfectly pure juice OF
thr grape, fermented or distilled in legitimate
manner, without the use Of any foreign sub
stance. faVOrs or essences
(2) Indications of intelligent supervision OF
hQ fermentation
disiilation-I was particularly struck with the
excellent manner In which nearly all white
wines seem to have been fermentt6. One or
two. should say, had been left little too long
on their skins. and consequently are somewhat
deeper in color than Is drsira BILE; but with
the exception OF these, the denominations ap-
peared o have been excellent. The majority
of the red wines show also thai they must have
been we'll cared for 10 this particular.
With regard to the brandfes, nearly the whole
of them appear to have been well and care.
fully distilled.
(3.) indications of methods Of maturing and
preparing for botthng-Most OF the white wines
have, undoubtedly, been well and carefully
matured in wood; but few, am led to think.
must have been left 100 long in casks, or Kept
in a hot and CRY cellar, the consequence being
they are OF rather too deep color and have a
slightly sherry taste. Probably nearly all these
wines were good wines when first made and
The defecIs which some of them now show may
be attributed TO faults In maturing while Ia
wood.
Som. OF the white wines had. evidently, an
excess Of albumen when they we're bottled, as
evnced by tile deposit thrown. large num-
Der were, however. brought into excellent con-
diiion for bottling, and have In consequence
kept perfectly brilliant.
The matu ing in wood OF some Of the red
wines does not appear TO me to have been so
satisfactory as 10 the case OF the white.
Many OF be red wines have no doubt been
carefully matured In cool cellars and in small
packages, but others again have the appear
ance OF having been kept in large watts in hot
and uneven temper AZURE. l am inclined to
think that nearly all the red wines must have
been good when young, and probably for year
afterward, and that the defects now evinced by
some OF them are due TO the want OF good, cool,
underground cellarage. where an even temper
alu can be maintained. or TO having been
kept In large watts, as alluded to above. I'm.
doubtedly, also, lew Of the red wines have
been left too long In wood before botting.
With thesr few exceptions, the red wine shows
great merit. aud many OF those classified under
Medoc types are really very excellent.
a. Evidence of skill in bottllng-By far the
greater majority of the samples submitted
showed that great care had bern taken IN this
that the dry red and WIFI wines had not been
filled as close to the corks as. IN my opinion, is
desirable.
| (5) Evidences Of critical knowledge tn the
classification OF wins as shown by the names
adopted 10 describe various types-As a rule,
California wine producers seemed to have
aimed at following the European types as
| closely as possible. and as they grow European
| varieties of graues almost exclusively. they
describe their wines accordingly thai Is to say
wine from sauterne grapes Is described by
| them as being OF sauterne tyre and so on. In
| some instances. however. sufficient care does
| not seem to have been exercised In this matter
| co. Styles OF bottles, labels, etc.-Tbe Euro
pean style OF bottles has most generally DeeD
used for instance. wines described as Of claret
| type have been put into French caret bottles,
| Burgundy into ordinary French Burgundy
| aud Sauterne into he while French bottle.
| Among the port, sherry, brandy and SWEET
wine types this uniformity has not been equally
maintained. In some instances the bottles
have been nicely got up. bearing neat, plain
Labels, capsules being generally used. although
| In a lew cases wax has been tut In their LACE.
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 10 lind favor in the British market.
1t Is quite probable. however, that In the
American markets such criticisms might not at
all Apply.
think 1t right to mention that was to some
extent aided In my examination OF these wines
by the fact that nearly all the wine districts in
California are we'll known to me, aud that
have for some years now been making careful
study of their produce. The wines of CalifOr-
| Mia must not be c0niOunded wi b other Ameri-
can wines, made east OF The Rocky Mountains
where, believe, nothing bu native vines are
grown. In California. owing to the suitable
soil nd beautiful climate, all the finest Euro
pean varieties are grown In great perfection,
ana as they bear there in a very luxuriant man.
Der there is little temptation to make wine Of
anything else bur tn juice of the grape.
The annual quantity made now Is
about twenty million gallons. A very
large amount, however, can be produced when
the demand justities II, as there are still con-
siderable tracts OF land suitable for vine cul-
ture implanted. Owing to the fact that the
soil and climate In the best wine distric of
California resemble closely those of some of
the finest In France, aud also hat tn vines
grown there ar the same, the wines frequently
resemble In many points their well-known
European namesakes Among tn ordinary
and moderat epric- d wines l think there are a
large number that are we'll suited to the
English market.
The report concludes with lengthy list
of the samples submitted for examination,
which, in Mr.. Oldham's opinion, are most
worthy OF remark and commentator.
The list includes all the prominent grow
ers Of the State whose products are we'll
known.