THE NEW YORK WINE INDUSTRY 1249 



During the past ten years, it is estimated that the manufacture 

 of still wines in New York State has increased about 25 per cent, 

 and that of champagnes about 50 per cent. In 1904, the output 

 was about 2,600,000 gallons of dry and sweet wines, and about 

 1,250,000 bottles of champagne. The yield of 1914 was about 

 3,250,000 gallons of dry and sweet wines, and about 1,750,000 

 bottles of champagne. Of course the vintage, or output of wine, 

 depending as it does upon the grape yield, will vary greatly from 

 year to year. This year (1915) the production of wines in New 

 York will be below the average, owing to the decrease in the size 

 of the grape crop in the state. 



FOl'K \VK\K-MAKI.\ (I DISTRICTS 



The New York wine industry is distributed in four large grape- 

 growing sections, as follows: (1) the Hudson River district, (2) 

 the Central Lakes region, (3) the Chautauqua district, and (4) 

 the Niagara district. 



The Hudson lliver district includes the counties of Orange, 

 Ulster and Dutchess as well as the southern part of Columbia, 

 with a total of about 5,000 acres of vineyard. There are several 

 wine cellars in this district, among the largest and most important 

 being that of the Brotherhood Wine Company at Washington- 

 ville, Orange County. Here, as far back as 1837-38, a French 

 vintner, John Jacques, set out a small vineyard, in which some! 

 of the original vines are still growing. A few years later wine was 

 made, and the old Jacques cellar forms a small part of the large 

 establishment of the present wine company. 



The Central Lakes region comprises some 17,000 acres of vine- 

 yards about Keuka, Canandaigua and Seneca lakes in wes- 

 tern New York. The headquarters of the wine industry are 

 about Hammondsport at the head of Lake Keuka, Here, within 

 a radius of half a dozen miles, are located a number of the largest 

 wineries in the state. The win industry in this district dates 

 from 1860, when the Pleasant Valley Wine Company was formed, 

 and its cellars were established at Eheims, a few miles from Ham- 

 mondsport. Five years later the Urbana Wine Company was 

 organized and a cellar built at Urbana, four miles below Ham- 

 mondsport, on the banks of Lake Keuka. 



