The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
LIGHT ON WINE LABELS.
SOME CUSTOMS OF THE TRADE
TOLD TO MAJOR STRONG.
How Four rinrrcnt brands or vino May
Come Out Of the Same ~Cnsk-ThIngs tho
Public Is Expected 10 Look out for when
II Buys NSInc--Trndc Views ON In brIs,

hhu" EouT hiiIpTVht FHuu VI VIM NhUN
Come Out OF tho Same Cnsk-ThlnES tho
Public u Expected 10 Look Out for when
II Bnys Winc--Trndo Views ON Labels.
The details of the recent trial b core Mayor
Strong of William Poggi, an nuctioncer, whose
license the Wine and Spirit Traders Society
sought e. have revoked on the ground that he
sold goods under false Labels, VIII DO interest
ing TO those who think they know what good
wine IL. Tho testimony also goes far to prove
the truth of the assertion made n short tine
ago by n conspicuous wine dealer to II party Of
friends.that the brand under which vino is
sold In this country bears little or no relation
to its quality. Before the trial was finished
the main issue was almost entirely lost sight
Of. and the specilc charges against PoGgi were
buried in u mass OF testimony about the manner
In. (which imported wines and liquors are bought,
bottled, labelled. and sold. The trial was really
n battle between the Wine and Spirit Traders
Society, mado mp of importers, and the M
tional Wine Association OF 81 Water street,
for which PoRgi sold goods at auction. Briefly.
the Traders Society asked for tho revocation
OF Poggl's license uDon tho grounds that he
had sold at various times In February and July.
1906. by mca rs of false md imitation labels.
wines and liquors Of domestic manufacture as
imported goods, and that tho labels oil the
bottles contained the names of firms that did
hob Me 4 oEEl ut-clN' wac liib NJ q III
liccr &c In February, 1895. and that in July he
was merely employed as crier alta weekly salary
by the National Wine Association. Most OF the
alleged spurious goods. which consisted OF
bottles labelled "vcrmouth." st. Julien"
"Iiochhelmcr." and "Kummel." we're pur-
chased by Henry Seymour at the instance of
tho Traders Society In order to make a crse
agalns; PoggI. The matter w5s first laid be-
fore the Grand Jury, and the auctioneer vas
indicted. but later the Indictment was dis
missed upon the recommendation of Assistant
District Attorneys Osborne and Carpenter.
William A. Taylor of w. A. Taylor & Co..
importers OF wine. testified his firm was agent
OF Rouyer. Outlet d Co., of Snrne. France.
They are manufacturers of brandy" asked
benjamin Einstein. counsel for PoGgi.
They are distillcrs of brandy
Q.-That is the same thing. isn't IT. A.
No: n distiller of brandy gets his product from
the grape Juice. A manufactures can make
| cognac ont Of roasted almond shells or es-
sential oils.
The witness said that the name of n dis
tillery was virtually n trade mark, and as
such.it was OF great value. Often n trade mark
was used long after the firm that originated 1t
had passed out Of existence.
Q.-lsn't It a common thing in buying liquors
abroad to have them bottled and shipped In
49, w. - WAN Va A"h1 ne - 40 - N'AA
mon practice to ship under private brands.
Q.-And what do these brands indicate? A.
Well. they Indicate that they are So-and-So's
goods. a private brand is simply to give q
man protection against competition in price.
1t Is done all over the world.
Q.-What do the words casks bearing buy
er's brands and marks mean in n whiskey
makers advertisement? A.-They mean that
II a buyer goes to that dealer and and asks
him to ship certain goods In bulk, casks. or
bottles with the buyers brand on them. the
dealer is allowed to do so. The buyers brand
IL registered and It belongs to him.
Q.-Suppose the same buyer went to another
house and bought wh!skey. wouldn't lie cut
the same brands and marks on the casxs? A.
II he registers his brands he can take them any
where in the market and apply them to the
goods he buys.
Q.-Are not these brands and marks n guar
antee TO- the public of the quality of the goods
O.. Do | understand tina, this Is dono by q
very large number OF reputable houses? A
Most houses in the trade have. rs u rule. their
Q.,,And they Pit thom on the LIQUORS which
they thsy G buy on AND M, ssli' f h;es1 ma a'wn sre on m1 I,SI s"s:
orally nut on sherrles, ports. Madeiras. and
Tarragonas.
OF casks in this country.
O. But It is done very largely In England by
! feputaDle houses, Is IL not: A.. houses there
buy goods in bulk. They buy claret, for IT.
stance. Bottle *. and sell II under their own
names. without indicating where the goods
o. is it in your opinion wrong and improper
for n merchant in this city to sell n hoCshcsd of
st. Julien and bottle It for the luyers under
the brands and labels ."pontet Camel and
''Medoc"? A. The merchant will put the wine
up Just as the buy cr requests. He simply car
J.. Is tina a common thing in New York?
A.. That J. do not know. l am not n largo
bother of claret.
O. suppose i went into your place of bust
ness and DOUGH, from you a cask Of St Julien:
the bottles into as many labels and brands ms
askedI Al wouldn't supply YOU Mitn my
you might have gotten un for yourself.
Q Wouldn't you label the wine ,,ipontet
l have done II. and | am doing it. still.
O.. And that is done largely, in this city
no 0.- i5ot YOU NJ think link iIsG'"s you II rs out a Pom.
tet Canet label on a bottle OF 81. Julien you
ssS seo of sSa. Bottle, IL 'hG S. eoTIThmgn IS no on snc sGmI
quality of wine nut up under those labels. The
names are a gene al .crm.
q. What labels describe no particular wipcf
Well. Medoc, 81. Julien, and Pontct 'anet.
The latter Is a chateau. Since th"y have
rontct Canet thtr is raised. Three or four
dimes over.
o When three or four mon 90 into n res,
one says. Il Sill take pontet Canet." and AN.
octhsr: "st; Julien for mel ana the third;
lllho - Nto ''Nt So go thN ThhfN
ching. are they not? A.-That depends largely
on the restaurant.
MIR. Einstein-l am speaking Of n Restaurant
that buys from n house which will nut any
number of different labels on wine taken from
the same cask,
Mr.. Taylor or course. the guests ere fooled.
O. Don't YOU think that n house which puts
wine IN In this manner is assisting In foulinE
the public very largely? A.-Of course. there
IL IL certain amount OF fooling by certain men
In the wine trade. hut, am glad 10 say. IL is
not II genera. practice.
At Inc request OF MIR. Dourns. counsel for
tho Traders society. Mr.. Taylor explained
more FULLY the custom 0t the trade witt regard
to %lahrilnG wine imported in bulk and bottled
in This country. When n man buys a cnsk OF
imported wine in this country. no sail. he
has the "iGht TO attach us many different kinds
OF labels 10 the stun Ms he please wien IL Is
bottled. II he wants to call II tn'Awha. or
Mus"ntcl. he can do so. luz the firm selling
would not allow its name. or the nam" of the
shipper. to appear on the label. Mr.. Taylor adj
mittrd that he had bottled II cnsk Of wine for ~
hotel. ana nj the request OF the buyer had put
1t NJ under two different labels.
q. DO you think T. would be wrong for n
California drnler. or disiiller. 10 label some Of
his bottles "Mcdoc' and Others st. JulieIE"
An he nut the labels on with the intention
of conveying tho iGon thnt it wns n foreign wine
| should strongly object to il,