The record-union., 1893-11-02
WINE INDUSTRY.
THE VINTAGE THIS SEASON WILL
BE OF GOOD QUALITY.
Grape Crop Much Larger Than Last
Year-The Ravages of Phyl-
loXera Still Continues.
Special to the REcoRp-uN1oN.

Special to the RECORD-UNIoN.
SAN Francisco, Nov. 1.-Clarence ].
Wetmore, Chief Viticultural Officer of
the State, has recently visited most of the
principal wine districts in the discharge
of his official duties. He finds that in
general the vintage of the present season
viii be of good quality, and that the
quantity is likely to exceed that of the
last years vintage. 1t is too soon, how
ever, he says, to make a close estimate of
the output, as the gathering and pressing
of the grapes is still in progress, and will
not be finished for some weeks to come.
In Alameda County the grape crop is
double that of last year and the quality of
the wine will be good.
In Santa Clara the crop is larger than
that of last season, and the grapes are Of
good quality. There have been no dam
aging rains in that locality. The vintage
is estimated there to be about 1900, 900
gallons.
The vintage of Napa and Sonoma will
be about the same as last year. The local
estimate is about 100000 gallons for the
two counties. The hill crop is of excel
lent quality, but on the valley lands rains
have injured the grapes to serious eX-
tent. Thousands of tons are affected, and
much of the fruit will be total loss.
The must factory at Healdsburg will
use 5000 or 1000 tons of grapes this sea-
son. The other must factory, at Clover
dale, is also in operation. The manu-
tacture of must in California is an entire
success. The product sells rapidly
abroad. Some of it is used locally as
substitute tor ordinary syrup, and is by
some persons preferred to syrup.
From all sources of information it may
be q safe estimate that the vintage of 1898
will be about Is, 900, 900 gallons, an increase
of 100000 over that OF last year.
Some OF those best informed say that
the California vintage will probably show
Il decrease rather than an increase during
the next ten years. The wiae industry is
in rather a languishing condition. Few
or no vineyards of vine grapes have been
planted within the past year or two, and
the prospect IS not encouraging. Phyl-
loXera continues to reduce the acreage of
bearing vines. Napa County, it is said,
will lose from l,00O to 1000 acres this year
from the pest. The same destructive in
sect is at work in other localities. 1t has
appeared in the Santa Clara Valley and at
Mission San Jose; also, in San Joaquin,
Placer and Solano Counties.
There has been no attempt to conceal
the facts, the grape-growers recognizing
the truth that the best safeguard against
the spread of the pest lies in full public
ity, so that where danger exists the
proper remedies or precautions may be
taken. The use OF resistant stock gives
security, but only about 10 per cent. of
the vineyards in Napa and Sonoma are
as yet protected. AS old vines have died,
many OF them have been replaced with
resistant types.
The phylloxera has been found in a
small vineyard of Orange County, South
ern California, but owing to the isolated
situation of the vineyard there is thought
10 be no danger of the spread of the pest,
especially as vigorous measures are being
taken to stamp it out
Mr.. Wetmore thinks that the check to
tue planting OF wine vineyards will re-
suit in benefit to the industry, which will
gradually recover from its present de-
pressed state as new markets are opened
and the demand for our wine improves.
The growth of the industry in the past
was too rapid, SO that the production out
stripped the demand. In one year the
California wine output rose from 9,00O,-
900 to 100000 gallons.