The herald., 1898-03-08
WINE AT NINE CENTS A GALLON
DRAWS ATTENTION TO STATE
OF THE MARKET
In Expert Wetmore's Opinion the
Supply Is Short and Prices Are
Bound to Improve

SAN FRANCISCO, March IA wide
spread interest in the present condition Of
the wine industry ip California has been
developed through the announcement by
the Associated Press of the sale of large,
quantity of wine at cents per gallon.
In an interview with Charles A.Wetmore,
one of the most prominent of the California
viticulturists, whose reputation as an ex-
pert wine man is well known and whose
products have received the highest awards
both in this country and in Europe Mr..
Wetmore said: ''The sale of 10000 gallons
at from to cents per gallon to the Cali
fornia Wine association, a syndicate of
wholesale dealers, was only forced sale
of property sold under execution to bank
and does not indicate that the market is
permanently broken. This sale has been
made use of by brokers of wholesale wine
spectators to break the prices of large
lots of wines of the last vintage some of
which by reason of the financial distresses
of producers have to be sold before they
are fit for consumption. A union of the
country wine makers has been formed to
prevent any long continued depression, and
1t is safe to say that not more than 10 per
cent OF the last vintage Will be suffered to
go OFT at sacrifice of cost of production.
Nearly all the choice wines of the state are
IN country cellars and will not be sold until
remunerative prices are restored. Efforts
are now being made to bring distant con-
sumers and dealers into direct communion
| tlon with country producers, who are
also distributors, and with city merchants
| who deal in straight goods. The old style
or mixing the products of all wine districts
| in San Francisco cellars and cheapening
compounds by utilizing in such mixtures
material which is only fit for Installations
Will continue only SO long as the trade en-
coufages ruinous competition in prices
ana consumers fail to demand better
grades which can always be supplied at
talr prices If they insist upon being sup
| plled with better goods. Quotations Of
| prices Tor large cellars of new wines are
misleading to the public, if it is not under
stood that only the cheapest common wines
are so quoted and that before they are Of
Tered for distribution considerable ad-
dltional expenses of removal storage.
treatment and cooperage must be in
CURED. Such prices are available only TO n
| rev spectators who have large storage
facilities, capital and expensive distribute
| ing agencies. Fine wines are never quoted
IN large bulk but are subject to private ne
gotiations, according to quality, age and
condition. The wine districts vary in quail
lty and style of products as they do in
Europe, and their distinctive qualities Will
not be generally known until the trade is
supplied directly from the distributors in
the districts which have peculiar charac G.
| teristics. The bes Illustration of the pres
ent confusion in handling the new wines
| Whlch can now be bought is the present
loading of ship with wines for Hamburg.
Ihe agent who came here for this purpose
is paying for new wines without cooper-
age from II to 1919 cents per gallon. while
city spectators are refusing to take them
at cents.
The impression that there is an over
| production or unmanageable supply is
| proved to the contrary by months hard
work of careful investigation. There is an
actual deficit in wine supply. The annual
| consumption of California wines is now
about 22,OOO,O0 gallons There is not more
than 100000 gallons of wines one year old
IN the hands of the wholesale dealers and
not more than 100000 gallons in the hands
OF the producers. The last vintage was a
large one, but when ready for market i
will have been reduced by distillaticn O.
poor Material and evaporation so that i
VIII scarcely supply one years demand ans
the next vintage will, without the slightes
doubt, be far short of the demand. Il is re-
ported that some wholesale dealers ars
even already shipping east the new wines
which are unwholesome, rather than pur.
chase the older wines at fair prices If /,
in the power of consumers to prevent this
Kind of warfare for cheap prices by de-
manding better qualities and showing then
Willingness to pay fair prices"