The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

all familiar with the subject that at one
time some years past phs steal methods
were recommended to take the place of
chemical methods in the preservation OF
wines. 1t was shown that all the ills that
wine is heir to are caused by minute micro
organisms; that In order to have a wine
keep" these micro-organlsms must be
gotten rid Of, not merely paraiyzed tenn
porarily by some poison more or less
dangerous to the human system. This
idea was secuted, and he who proposed it
was held up to the scorn of the public.
Yet as the years passed II was found physi-
cal methods we're the only safe ones-safe
as regards the keeping qualities of the
wine as we'll as being safe for the con-
sumner.
When it was found that by simply heat.
ing wine to 60 degrees centisrade it
was practically sterilized, and that no
further changes for the worse could take
place unless the whole was renoculated
with the disease germs, the problem OF
keeping wine from spelling was solved.
Still the self-styiea practical men" re.
sisted; but to-day there is as much wine
''pasteurized" in a single year in city
like Cette or Bordeaux as the entire State
of California produces, and moreover this
pasteurized wine completes successfully in
our own markets with the non-pasteurized
product of this State. Approaching this
many of our best winemakers are now
equipping their cellars with heating appa-
ratus, so that we can safely say that the
reign of unsound wine is approaching an
end.
1t was natural that at first little atten-
ton should have been paid to the scientific
side of viticulture. yet from the first the
State and the United States, throug the
College of Agriculture and the experiment
station of the University of California,
turned their attention to systematic
scientific investigation. 1t is pleasing to
note that the results Of our experiments
published eight years ago (ridiculed by the
practical men at the time) have been sub
sequently fully confirmed by the scientific
institutions OF the old world. From a
small beginning, and in spite of bitter OPP
position, the university has built up a VIII
cultural department that is unique in that
it makes the State University the only
institution of of learning in America pos
sessing such department.
Our results are accepted abroad, and
what is more pleasing to contemplate, the
vineyardists and wine-makers of the State
have come to regard it as sure guide on
all problems of a practical or scientific
nature. Aside from this outside teaching,
the university is fully equipped to do in
the future as it has done in the past
namely, to give instruction to students
fitting them to occupy any sort of posi-
ton on vineyard or in a wine cellar.
The increased facilities consequent to the
abolishing of the late Viticultural Com
mission gives US the finest viticulturaI
library in America, and some splendid ap-
paratus, thus bringing the department up
to the standard of the finest institutions of
the kind in the world.
For labor-saving machinery and meth
DDS of culture and cellar equipment Cali
| fornia easily passes the rest OF the world
This has been acknowledged by experts
sent out by foreign Governments for the
purpose OF investigation. There is, how
ever, in many cases. q lamentable failing
| az regards methods. While we have little
to learn in the way Of machinery and such
like, we have great deal to learn about
the care and handling of wine, and in this
respect we are behind the other wine
making countries of the world, though it
is doubtful if any other country is So gen.
orally and rapidly improving and pro-
crossing as we are. Perhaps one of The
gravest faults is want OF care in attend
ing to the small d.tails, such as cleanli-
ness of vessels, ventilation, cellar manipu-
lation, etc. While these may seem to the
go-ahead American OF little Importance.