The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-08

to yield all Of the pure juice that could be
squeezed out of them the skins were placed
In watts OF water with very cheap article
Of sugar, and there the stuff fCrmcntS and
Is turned into barrels. This proccssis re
peated four or five times, or as long as
there is any strength or coloring matter
In the grape skim rs a soup bone is boiled
over at cheap boarding house Sugar
being cheaper now than i'm the early days.
the adulteration pays. This stuff was and
Is sold for wine in the east and in Europe
This Is harmless adultcration so far as
unhealthfulncss is concerned. Owing TO
the great percentage of sugar in the Cali
fornia grape, the wines naturally contain
q great per cent of alcohol, and instead of
adding the usual adulteration (about 3
per cent Of alcohol) il is obviated by pick
ing the grape earlier i'm the season, W hen
10 contains less of saccharne substance
and thereby reducing the percentage Of
alcohol This class of wine must be al
lowed to age in order to acquire body and
character. Another method of producing
light wine" is to plant in separate
vineyard only that variety of grapes that
does not contain large percentage of sug-
ar But winemakcrs who grow for the
market do not make this distinction
'Jnly tut TinCntT VINO BfbNs lOf Holilt con
sumption makes an art of viticulture by
planting n certain kind OF grape in light
or heavy soil, for experience has demon
strated that the grape gives quality to the
wine, while the soil only modillcs that
quality,
Atmospheric Disturbances.
The climate of California being differ
ent from that In any other part of the
world in win ulg
only reached by experiment There are
no summer rains to spoil the grape. Mil
dew is found only in low, wet places,
where vineyards are not planted, and there
are no atmospheric disturbances TO sour
the grape Even the slightest influence is
felt by the very sensitive grape Tho eli
mate and soil both have "a marked infu-
cnce upon the grape, and each variety
makes u distinct kind of wine. This Is
what often puzzles the vintncr, for com
petition has become SO close that he must
survey the field and determine what quail
ity Of wine will likely bo i'm demand. Yet
the yintncr here has the advantage Of
warm sunshine continually from the time
the blossoms come out until they develop
into the luscious grape in October. The
crop Is sure because IL never rains before
December at the earliest. The vines are
unstakcd, for thcro Is no frost or mildcw,
and the punches are left to grow sweeter.
The Mission san Gabriel, "a few miles
| from Los Angeles had the first vineyard
in California Its early history is lost in
the mists of tradition, as well as the ma.
tivity of its vines One theory" Is that
the vines were taken from some Of the
wild varieties that grew In this section he
fore the friars came and another Is that
the missionaries planted the seeds from
raisins imported from Spain. This lattor
Is more likely 90 be correct, for the friars
attempted to make wine from the wild
grape which they found 10 he more din
cult Of DEMONSTRATING than the Indians
We're. However, aftCreNperimenting they
propagated two varietics-one known as
| the "Bluo Mission" grape, the other the
white Mission" grape, the latter having
q ulusky flavor This variety is also found
| IN New Mexico, where missions had been
established also by Spain. The "blue
grape" wine, In its purity, Is similar tn
the red wine" Of Old CASTLE and was
the prevailing table wine OF the Spaniard,
and MexiCans. As labor was no object
thera being plenty Of Indians In the coun
try, the greatest care and attention wer
given To viticulturc. Each mission had
from 10 To 90 acres in vines, which pro
| duced from 500 10 / 900 gallons of win,
per acre.
Crude Methods.
The principal ranchers had their owl
distllleries-csudo and ourious--hut they
turned out better wine than we get today