The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-10
CALIFORNIA Wines
GROWING Tn FAVOR.
BETTER PRICES REWARD THE AC-
TON OF WINE-MAKERS
AND DEALERS.
NO ATTEMPT AT A CORNER.
GREATER CONSUMPTION AND DE-
CREASED PRODUCTION STRONG
FACTORS.

In a recent editorial Editor Dana of the
New York Sun took occasion to state that
the prices of California wines and fruits
were unduly and largely advanced by the
wine and fruit syndcates, as he termed
them, and added: THE wine people be-
lieve California claret has become so popu-
lar in this part of the country that they
can hold the market, though they put up
the price of their product in the face of the
French article They had better be eau
tious. The popularity OF the California
claret is largely due to its exceeding cheap
ness.
'In like manner, the fruit people, while
raising the price of oranges, are so bold as
to say that the Eastern markets cannot get
along without California fruit. They think
that, as the Florida crop has been injured
this year, we are at their mercy. 1t is a
mistake. New York is not dependent upon
either Florida or California for its oranges"
When Ferdinand Frohman, a represen-
tative of the California Wine Association,
composed OF seven of the largest local
dealers IN wine, was spoken to regarding
Editor Dana's ebullition, he smiled and in
a confident tone remarked: editor Dana
will probably soon be able to write some
more editorials on the rise in the price of
California wines. If he had taken the
trouble to inform himself of the conditions
OF this industry in the past and present he
would know that the advance recently
made was based upon natural causes and
was not the work of a combine nor the
result of corner.
up to last summer, owing to the bitter
competition waged between the San Fran
CISCO dealers Tor the control of the New
Orleans market, everybody in the wine in
dustry, from the grape-grower to the wine
dealer, had been losing money for at least
three years. This will be readily seen when
the fact Is stated that the price for dry
wines, that is, hook and claret, have
steadily declined during the past ten years
from 40 cents gallon to 12% cents.
when number of grapegrowers began
tearing up their vines, the winemakers
and winedealers began to realize that the
industry in which they had their capital
invested was in danger of being annihilat-
ed by reason OF the war being waged among
themselves, and which, among other
things, forced the price of grapes down to
where there was absolutely no chance for
the viticulturlst to realize even the cost of
production for his crop.
This led to the organization of the Wine
makers Corporation, composed of grape
growers and wlnemakerS throughout the
State, and also to the creation of the Cali
fornia Wine Association, com uprising seven
OF the Leading San Francisco winedealers.
The object OF each organization was the
same-to hold out announcement to the
grape grower by enhancing the value of
his crop. After the Winemaker's Corpora
ton was well under way oyertures were
made to it by the dealers. who agreed to
work in harmony with them if they sue
ceeded in securing the control of 10 600, 900
gallons of wine annually. On this basis
combination was effected and the result
has been that the dealers are now paving
from five to ten cents more a gallon for
wine than they did last year, and the
grapegrowers are receiving q proportionate
increase for their CROPS 1t is these cir
cumstances that have led to the increase in
price of California wines, for we are now
paying to the wlnemakers the price for
which we formerly sold.
Another potent factor is the curtailed
product during the past season. So you
see the advance that Mr.. Dana takes ex-
ception to is both natural and fully iusti-
fed. There is not a wine-house in this
city that has not lost money and heavily
during the past three years.
AT the esta bllshment of j. Gundlach &c
Co., which hrm is not a member of the
association, but does business independ-
emily, the views of Editor Dana were
also characterized as being based on lack
of information. Mr.. Gundlach said that
there is no attempt at corner in wine
and that the rise in price was brought out
naturally and legitimately. There was an
increase in consumption and a diminution
in product during 1894.
A circular just issued by them has this !:
After an abundant vintage in 1898, last
years yield fell considerably below fair aver
age. The vines evidently needed rest and
they took 1t. The progress of the ravages of
phylloxera in northern counties, unprece-
dented frosts during the month of MAY in So
mona and Napa counties, neglected vineyards,