244 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



175. Varieties. The vine was brought to California by 

 the Spanish missionaries, about the year 1770. So far as i 

 known, only one variety that now known as the Los Angeles 

 grape was brought by them in the last century. It is the 

 vine found in all the old vineyards, and in most of the new 

 ones south of the bay of San Francisco. The berry is round, 

 reddish-brown while ripening, and nearly black when fully 

 ripe, about three-fourths of an inch in diameter at its largest 

 size, covered by a strong skin, possessing an abundance of 

 thick and very sweet juice, with little meat, but with no fruit- 

 iness of flavor. It has been asserted that this grape is of the 

 Malaga variety ; but if so, it has changed so much perhaps 

 while under cultivation in Mexico, whence the first cuttings 

 that came to California were probably obtained that it no 

 longer resembles its parent stock. 



About 1820, when the missions were established north of 

 the bay of San Francisco, a new variety, now called the So- 

 noma grape, and said by General Vallejo to be of the Madeira 

 stock, was introduced. It is now extensively cultivated in 

 Sonoma and Napa Counties and in the Sacramento Valley ; it 

 is also found in a few vineyards south of the bay of San Fran- 

 cisco. The berry is bluish-black in color ; is covered, when 

 ripe, with a grayish dust, which brushes off, leaving a glossy, 

 smooth skin ; is about half an inch in diameter at its largest 

 size ; has a thin, sweet juice, with more meat and a little fruiti- 

 ness of flavor. 



The Sonoma grape makes a light wine, resembling claret ; 

 the Los Angeles grape makes a strong wine, resembling port 

 and sherry. The two grapes are classed together as the " Mis- 

 sion," " Native," or " Californian " grapes, and were the only 

 varieties cultivated here previous to 1853. In that year the 

 importation of foreign grapes commenced, and now about two 

 hundred varieties are cultivated. The Mission grapes are 

 hardy, healthy, long-lived, productive, and early in coming 

 into bearing ; but they are surpassed in flavor, hardiness, pro- 



