THE XEW YORK WIXE INDUSTRY 1247 



fact. This state produces about two-thirds of all the champagne 

 made in tho United States. Only one state, California, exceeds 

 Xew York in the production of dry, or still, wines. 



According to the most recent estimates, there are some 62,000 

 vineyards in New York State. The average yield is from one 

 and one-half to two tons of grapes per acre. Of this yield about 

 one-half, or from (10,000 to 65,000 tons, is used for the making of 

 wines and grape juice. 



Few, if any, states are better located or better adapted for grape 

 growing and wine making than New York. In the matter of 

 location alone, the Xew York grape and wine producers have a 

 distinct advantage. For one thing, they have rather near at 

 hand all the large eastern cities the largest and best markets 

 in the United States. Thus the Xew York wine makers are 

 3,000 miles nearer to the greatest consuming centers of the coun- 

 try than the California producers, their largest competitors. 



As to adaptation for viticulture, Xew York has such a diversity 

 of climatic conditions and soils that grape culture has been suc- 

 ;essfully carried on for the past fifty years over a large area of 

 the state. In certain sections, the climate conditions and soil 

 impare most favorably with some of the renowned vineyard dis- 

 rricts of Kurope, such as are found in France, (jermany, and 

 Northern Italy. Indeed, the Keuka Lake region is known as 

 " the American champagne district." It is on the same isother- 

 lal line as the champagne district of France, and the natural 

 mditions, together with the character and quality of certain 

 irieties of grapes, are just right for producing sparkling wine of 

 le champagne type. 



More champagne is made in this district than in all of the 

 ith er sections of the United States. Xew York champagnes have 

 ia<le the state famous, for they are known and sold over the 

 rhole country from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast. The lead- 

 ing brands of Xew York champagne now rival in the open market 

 lose from the French district. Although the Xew York wine 

 industry is comparatively young, our wine makers have been 

 making steady progress, and their wines and champagnes are 

 equal in purity and quality to the foreign wines of similar type 

 ind character. 



