The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-02

hand ought - bS from 25oooo ooo to
300. .oo0,0 900 saiiSns. 1T is, in fact, only
about 100000. .QAD gallons.
Trade ExDerts Optimistic.
The situatio1is father grave, but
cheerful view OF It is taken by the
experts in tho trade. In the first
place those who hold the old stock, as
we'll as those Who will have. good new
wine to sell, NM reap very sub
stanttal increase Of profit. The sales
Of wine in bulk which mark the fetes
with which, .th6sayintage, season closes
have already indicated an augmenta-
tion of pricessDver4 last year. The
shortage of something like 137, 900 900
gallons as regan1s French consumers
will, it is expected, be filled by i'm
portations from Algeria. Spain and
Italy. AT the same time, however, it
is recognized; thAt IN those countries
also the production this year is far
below the ayer4sp. The cheerful view
is based on the fact that Spain, Italy
and Algeria Iiqtmally produce, rela-
tive to their cGnsumption, a much
larger surplus 0f wines than France,
American Wine Too Dear.
A leading writef yon wine production
when asked II the shortage in France
would cause a. demand here for
American wineS. answered emphati-
cally in. the negative. The. reason,
he said, was th1t, American wines
could not be sold cheap enough to the
French wholesaler to leave him a
suitable profit on his own subsequent
sales. He admitteds in making this
statement, that large quantities of
American wines are&now brought to
France, matured and treated here in
accordance with h3theApractices Of the
trade, and then put, on the market un-
der labels which do not, distinguish
them from the regular French pro-
duct. But most of these wines, he
said, go back to America. Incidental
ly 1t may be remarked that any one
can note in Paris. and also in London
that whenever American wines are
found on the menus of restaurants
the prices affixedyareSvery much high
er than those Gf the corresponding
grades of EuropAfn, wines.
The vintage ii4es this year have
been as gay as usual. It is pretended
quality of the vintage is above the
aN01 o6S. ouC A4p 10. ny HO uoduS
proved, and Is aoubted by experts. 1t
Is too early yesato know positively
whether 1t is trH1or not. The prices
obtained for thS#dnei wines in Bur-
gundy at the vintage sales are not 80
high as. they watsT In 1904. when the
yield was not only extremely abund-
ant, but the quality, was far better
than that Of ordinary years. +.
Large Imp0rt13On Necessary.
It is evident thAt unless there are
iarse importationA France must be-
gin the next sea4bn with her great
wine cellars virtually empty, and that
for months to coSne her exports OF
wines must be atsa minimum. Just
to what degree this state of things
will increase the prizes of the finer
winestin Great Britain and America
1t is impossible toAay at present. But
what makes the silnAtion less gloomy
IN France shxd. \. .S5 appear to
he. at first sight. 6lsSGe, fact that tie
partial failure 1t The grape crop has
been wholly due to the abnormal sum-
mer and autumn. In every district
the vines are reported,to be strong
and free from disease, and all parts
of France, where wine is produced,
the deficit is proportionately the
same. The low temperature and fire.
quent rains of the summer delayed
the growth of the vines and stunted
the development of the grapes. 1t
was hoped that in the early autumn
the grapes would gain rapidly in size,
but the weather has continued to- be,
for the most part, unreasonable.
There has been hail as we'll as many
chilly rains.