The San Francisco call., 1897-02-15
Says Chicago Has Been Selfshly
Dickering With France and
Germany.
One of the Leading Questions to Come
Up at the Wine Con vention on
Tuesday.

AmOA StuCSC dic tuc
brandies in bond and the possible reci-
procity of France and Germany as to wines
and brandes.
Speaking of the latter point Charles E.
Bowen, practical vineyardist, said yes
terday:
"The question of reciprocity with France
and Germany as TO wines and possibly
brandies is one Of the most important that
has been brought to the attention of viii
culturists and wine merchants since the
California wine industry assumed any
commercial proportions. A careful can
vass among the wine merchants of San
Francisco and of those wine makers of the
interior of the State who have visited the
City within the past ten days convinces
me that an organized effort should be
made at once to stave off any movement
looking toward reciprocity with the coun-
tries named. Many of the m erchants and
growers evince genuine alarm at the
situation which has recently developed,
and justly so. it seems to me.
The present movement looking toward
reciprocity has its origin with the leading
packers and meat shippers of Chicago.
For number of years it has been their
aim to ship their meats and provisions 10
Germany in particular, and to less de-
gree 20 France, under more favorable trade
conditions than now exist. With this
end in view they are working TO have re-
clprocal inducements offered to the Ger
man and French governments, and have
selected wine as one of the articles which
those countries can ship 10 the United
States at reduced rates of duty or none at
all. These meat men have an enormous
influence both i'll Washington and out,
and as the trade of Germany and France
in their lines can be built up to millions
of dollars annually In value, they will
naturally exert all their influence to at
tain their ends.
Il do not believe that the majority of
California wlne-growers realize what reci-
procity with Germany and France would
mean to them. For many years they
have made little or not ing from the
products of their vineyards. 1t is ouly
within the last two years that vineyard
property has become OF any commercial
value as an investment, and now il is pro-
posed to open our American wine mar
kets to French and German products for
The benefit of few Chicago millionaire
butchers and pork-packers.
''Some years ago when new wines were
selling at the vineyards of this State at
from seven to eight cents per gallon and
there was general over-supply of wines,
an experimental shipment of ten carloads
of wine was made TO Cette in France The
wine was Selecteo soieiy because 1t was
high in alcohol and big bodied and was to
be used in blending with the lighter French
growths. Even a the low price of seven
or eight cents per gallon to the producer
it was found that the trade could not be
made to pay the shipper, as cheap Spanish
and Algerian wines (red wines Tor blend
ing) could be bought at less figure than
the California wines laid down IN France.
This condition still exists in France to-
day. l quote from LIE Moniteur Vinicole
of January %, 1897. giving the following
market report of blending wines at Bercy,
the great entrepot for wine OF Paris.
This market report is as follows:
Buyers are few. Some spectators are offer
ing at this time Algerian wines at 81 francs
and even 20 francs per hectoliter without
much success. However, stocks are low, and
IL will soon become necessary to replenish
them. AT this moment wines may be quo led
as follows:
Aramon. to 29 francs per hecto.iter
Minervois. TO 80 francs per hectoliter
Montague ......27 to 81 francs per he toliter
Algerian. 20 to "a francs per hectoiiter
Basse Bourgogne.-. 10 50 francs per hectoliter
Touraine. .........25t to so francs per hectoIite er
Cner. .--.,.27 to 81 francs per hecioli er
California wines if sold in France
would come in direct competition with
the heavy Algerian and Spanish wines.
Estimalin the franc at 1812 cents and the
hectoliter at 26H American gallons, we
WOulQ III US get nearly Ia cents per amer
lean gallon Tor our Wines laid down in
Bercy, this being the same price as now
quoted for Algerian wines. Practically
the same price would rule at Cette, Mar
settles, Bordeaux and other wine blending
centers of France.
ITO arrive at proper estimate of the
price which would be realized at the Cal
1ornia vineyards, we would have to deduct
at least cents per gallon for cooperage, 3
cents at a low estimate for fre light, and
other charges for insurance, commissions
etc. ALI things considered, we would be
lucky if under the blessings of reciprocity
we obtained ceLts per gallon for our new
wines, and all to suit the wishes of CLIQUE
of Chicago millionaires. Our vineyardists
and wInemakers are now holding out for
20 cents per gallon. How do they like the
prospects under reciprocity?
''Thls is but half of the story. Our wine
shipments 10 the Eastern States in 1896
were al bout 100000 gallons. The total
value of our wine and brandy shipments
was close 10 ($S.OoOOOO In the same year
the imp ports OF French and German wines
in bulk at New York were as follows, ac.
cording to Bonfort's Wine and Spirit
Circular:
Bordeaux and Burgundy.......... 274, 4! so gallons
Sern SeIIe sna nngaria ss 5so salons
"This takes no account of the wines i'm
ported IL cases.
'If French and German wines were ad-
mitted into the United States without the
payment of duty (for this is what reci-
procity neansl, we would at once lose our
large markets in New York and New Or
leans, to say nothing of other cities on
account of the cheap price at which
French and German wines could be sold
and on account of the existing prejudice
against domestic wines and in favor of
the imported. We would become reduced
to the necessity of competing in the
foreign markets for the sale of our wines
as blending material, exactly as the Span
iards and Algerians are doing to-day. In
other words, our industry instead of being
fairly profitable, as 1t is to-day, would be
simply ruined.
"This. then. Is the situation confront
ing US.
what is to be done?
"That will be discussed at the conven-
ton to be held Tuesday. In past years