The record-union., 1899-09-24


stand the longest drought. The Rupe-
stris seems also adapted to the dryest
soils and locations Of the State, espe-
cially the Rupestris st. George. lately
| introduced from France. where lit is
now one of the favorite stocks. The
growers are satisfied now that many
of the best varieties when grated on
resistant roots in their proper localities
! will produce better crops than they
ever did on their own roots. Such are
a few of the many lessons which have
been learned; and as the trade in Cali
| fornia wines is extending in all direc-
| tions-to England, Belgium, Germany,
the Hawaiian Islands, Central America.
! Japan and China, with the prospect
/ that the newly acquired possessions
may also afford a market for our wines,
brandies and raisins-it is thought that
the better era, which has been hoped
for so long, is dawning at last.
STATISTICS OF THE INDUSTRY.
| A few statistics may help to explain
the present condition of the industry
and the confidence in better times and
prices in the future.
According to the latest returns, gath
cred by the California Wine Makers
Corporation, there are $4,000 acres
planted to grapes, of which about 90,-
600, in round numbers, are wine grapes,
the balance being table and raisin
grapes. The area in table grapes may
be estimated at 1900 acres, which
would leave $4,000 acres in raisins The
trade in wines shows about 5000 600
gallons consumed in California while
the exports are about 10000 gallons
per annum, a total demand of, say, 90
GOO, GOO gallons, in round numbers. The
vintage of 1896 fell somewhat short of
this amount, and prices had advanced
to from Is to Is cents in the fall Of
1896. Then came the unprecedented
crop of 1897, about 27,O00,000 gallons
of dry wines and about 100000 gall
Ions of port, sherry angelica and sweet
muscat, and also the unfortunate wine
war between the two associations, who
underbid each other in the principal
markets for so-called standard wines
that is wines Of low grade-for which
large market had developed among the
French and Italians in New Orleans
and New York. With the cellars full
of wine everywhere, this created a tenn
!
down in price below paying rates But
| the season of 1898 followed, with a
crop variously estimated at from ST.
100000 to 100000 gallons-enough
below the average consumption to alb
sorb the surplus of 1897. New GUS
toners from abroad also entered the
market, SO that the larger wine makers,
who at first offered only Sc to SS per
/ ton for grapes, bid up to SO and $12
| per ton before the season ended and
they are now buying all the young and
older vintages they can obtain at from
| 121a to 15 cents per gallon for clarets
and IA to II cents for white wines
These, of course are figures for round
lots or whole cellars. There is really
no surplus, and all the wines of both
crops will be needed before the crop
of 1899 will be fit for market. 1t would
not be surprising to Gee good, sound
wines go up to a wholesale price of 20
and even % cents per gallon. True, a
number of young vineyards We're plant
ed during 1S96-97, when prices ad-
vanced; but as it will take four years
from the time Of planting for the vines
to come into bearing, the product cam
not yet be counted, while there is a
direct loss of old vineyards, by phyllox-
era and neglect, of at least 1000 to
5000 acres annually. The continued
drought has also injured the vines in
many sections SO that it will be sur
prising, indeed, if the crop of 1899 ex-
ceeds 100000 gallons, even under the
most favorable conditions.
THE MACHINERY
4 oF laa Ind
try, human skill and Inventive genius
did its utmost to construct crushers,
stemmers and presses, which the ex-
perts of the Old World call the best
| they have yet seen. With crushers
and stemmers capable of working up
800 tons of grapes per day, a step fur
| ther has been taken in the invention
Of the must pump, whereby the grapes
are emptied from above into the
| crusher, falling thence into a cylinder
below, whence they are carried through
| a six-inch hose into fermenting tank.
| Such machinery is, Of course, only used
| in large establishments, where many
thousand tons of grapes are worked up
| in a season. There are a number of
tanks in large wineries which have a
capacity of %, 600 to 80, 900, even up to
! 100 600 gallons, and the ItalianSwiss
colony have capped the climax with a
wine cistern holding 100000 gallons.
| When this was empty in the summer
a great fete was given and dance
| performed inside.
| While referring to the subject of ma
chinery and to the magnitude of the
plant devoted to the manufacture of
wine in many establishments, a warn
| ing, which may also serve as some en-
couragement to the smaller producers,
may be timely. It is this: The very
best results as regards quality must
not be expected from these immense
| establishments. The care in every de-
| tail essential to the very best quality
Of wine is difficult to obtain in the con-
duct of a big establishment, where,
moreover, the selection of the grapes
when conducted on a smaller scale.
Wine making is not only an industry,
| it is an art 1t is from the smaller cell
lars, under the constant, watchful SUI
pervision of the proprietor, who must
| himself be an expert connoisseur and
must know just how to handle the
| product at every stage during, as well
as after, it's manufacture, that we may
expect wines Of such flavor and deli
cacy as to command the highest price
and add to the fame of the California
wine product.
VARIETIES OF GRAPES.
A sketch like this would not be COM