The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-15
CALIFORNIA WINE.

Large capital can proftably be invested
in the mercantile part of the wine industry
of California to-day" said Clarence J..
Wetmore. There is now sec, 200, 900 in
vested in this State in the productive part
of the industry, and only between $7,000000
and IS, 900, 900 in the selling part. Instead
of one firm selling 3,000,O 900 gallons of wine
there ought to be ten firms selling that
same product. About three cents per gal
lon profit is made by wine-sellers, and the
profits have been mainly with the big
dealers"
Mr.. Wetmore stated that there are now
in this State $4,000 acres planted to wine
grapes and $4,000 to raisin grapes. Each
vineyard pays for labor about $15 per acre,
and that affords an idea of the amount
paid out by the vine interests to employees.
There are about 5000 vineyard proprietors
and at least 10000 men making living off
the industry in California. With more
capital put into the selling of the wine
product, and by thus increasing the con-
sumption through the aid of better mer-
camille facilities, the acreage of our vine
yards should double.
Thirty million gallons of wine is pro-
duced annually in the United States, and
OF these California produces IL, 100000 gal
Ions. As there are So 5000 people in this
sumption is not half gallon per capita.
France produces thirty gallons per capita.
In California the consumption of wine is
SIX gallons to every person. The annual
beer consumption of the United States is
twenty gallons per capita. If the wine
consumption could be increased to one gal
lon per capita we could afford to double
our acreage.
1.-The wine business has taken forward
stride this year. This is due partly to last
years short crop and to the formation of a
wine-growers' syndicate to get their wines
into few hands and secure for it uniform
rates. Where wine was from to s cents
per gallon last year, it is from Il to 16 cents
per gallon this year.
wines in the country Mr.. Wetmore brought
some data to show that in 1910 the impor-
tation of French wines to the United States
was 100000 gallons, while in 1894 the
amount imported was very close to the
same figures. There are ten times the
number of restaurants to-day and they use
wine on a larger scale generally, so that the
native product is well in the swim.
THE work OF our commission has been
particularly to have California wines
known and recognized by California labels.
at is not generally known that right
here in San Francisco you can obtain at
supply-houses any kind of label you want
for your bottled wine, together with
branded stoppers-French, German, Ital-
ian or Spanish. Those who order French
wines in restaurants are in nine cases out
of ten simply paying an extra price for the
label.
''In 1882 the importation of French wines
to San Francisco was over 300 900 gallons.
In 1894 it was only $4,000 gallons. The
French people themselves in this country
remain true to their pride in the use OF
French wines.
''The consumption of our California
wines is now increasing at the annual rate
of 100000 gallons. For the past five years
the average production has been II, 000, 600
gallons.
at is truth, fully maintained, that the
ordinary wines of California are superior
to the ordinary wines of France, and they
are moreover cheaper than the French
product. On an average our wines com
pare favorably with those of any country
in the world.
California is not afraid of the opinions
OF the winemen of Europe. As proof of
this 143 cases of wine, representing twenty
nine different growers, have just been
shipped to Bordeaux, France, TO be ex-
ported there in competition with the world
at the wine exposition which begins there
in May"
A letter was received few days since by
Mr.. Wetmore from wine merchant of
Copenhagen soliciting the agency for Cali
fornia wines for Denmark, Norway and
Sweden. The wines of this State are known
all over the world and are attracting atten-
ton. There is fine future in store for the
For the next ten years" concluded Mr..
Wetmore, "the winemen will make money
and the industry will be one of the most
profitable. We have come to a period
where there is really no surplus wine on
hand, and when the consumption is equal
to if not greater than the production