WHAT CALIFORNIA OFFERS— E. H. TWIGHT 



In the interior valleys of the Sacramento, San Joaquin and tributaries the 

 natural choice would be towards the planting of early table grapes, raisin 

 grapes and those Spanish and Portuguese varieties best suited to the manu- 

 facture of sweet wines such as Port, Sherry, Maderas, Moscatels. 



It is to be noticed that when the planting of vineyards was in its in- 

 fancy in California, little was known about the newly imported varieties 

 or about the soil and climate where they were planted, as a result a very 

 arbitrary distribution is found in the older vineyards. This is being remedied 

 in the newer plantations. This indifferent plantation of the early days 

 brought out, however, some valuable information showing that a change in 

 climatic conditions greatly affected the chemical composition* of the 

 grapes so that a fair quality of sweet wine could be made from varieties 

 that had always been transformed into dry wines and vice versa. With 

 the introduction of modern methods of wine-making, the use of cooling 

 devises during fermentation, the use of pure yeast, of more competent 

 wine-makers, many districts of California that to-day manufacture only 

 sweet wines or raisins, will be able to produce some dry wines of very good 

 value for blending and even direct consumption. 



In the care of the vineyards we find that California is really leading 

 most countries as their improved implements greatly reduce the cost of 

 cultivation. 



Again the concentration of the manufacture of wine in large plants 

 has had the advantage of improving the machinery for the handling of 

 the grapes, pomace and wine, this has brought a cleanliness in the winer- 

 ies that is seldom found in small plants where most of the work is done by 

 hand or rather crude machinery. Few wineries in the old world can boast 

 of the improved crushers, must pumps, conveyers of grapes and pomace, 

 presses, steam and electric pumps, electric lights that are in daily use in our 

 California wineries. 



However, in our methods of fermentation, in our handling of wines 

 after fermentation, we do not find the skill of the old world's "Maitre de 

 Chai." The wine man, the vineyard man, whatever may be their practical 

 knowledge, seldom has the scientific training that we find in the same 

 class of men abroad. The reason is mainly that we have no practical 

 training school of viticulture and wine-making. The College of Agriculture 

 of the University of California, has for years offered courses in those 

 branches, but the location of the college, and no doubt also, the lack of 

 funds, have prevented the giving of practical courses, that are so needed 

 in this line of study, to complete a theoretical training. Here the teaching 

 of these branches has been part of a general agricultural education; in 

 France and Italy, where we find the best schools of viticulture and enology, 

 the general agricultural education is part of the training in "viticulture and 

 enology." With the foundation of a university farm, provided by the last 

 Legislature, we have a bright prospect for the creation of new courses of 

 practical value to the vineyardists and wine-makers. It is to be hoped that 

 special degrees will be offered along those lines so as to encourage gradu- 

 ates with a practical and scientific training such as the colleges of Mont- 

 pellier, Grignon, Conegliano have sent out all over the world. 



Another point on which California enjoys special privileges is in the 

 cheapness of the redwood cooperage. Whereas in other countries they have 

 had to resort to concrete, armed cement, glass, to make fermenting tanks, 

 in California the redwood tank has been found to be just as good as oak 

 to make fermenting tanks, and much cheaper than all oak substitutes. 

 The many advantages set forward by the manufacturers of armed cement 

 and glass tanks, will not always withstand a careful examination, and the 

 redwood tank will hold the lead for a long time to come. The modern 

 methods for the preservation of water will favor the stay of the wooden 

 tank; one of the objections against these being that if they were kept full 

 of water between seasons, the water would spoil and contaminate the 

 tanks, while if they were left empty they would fall to pieces. 



