20 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



with the idea that the condition of the five preced- 

 ing years would remain the same, that we could never 

 produce enough of good, cheap claret to meet the demand, 

 and have in consequence of it, planted mostly Zinfandel, 

 often in locations not at all suited to that grape, on soil 

 which will never produce it in perfection, find themselves 

 confronted by low prices and slow sales. While it makes a 

 really fine wine in choice localities, and especially on our 

 hillsides, rich in iron and other minerals ; I have still to see 

 the first really superior claret made from it on our rich bottom 

 lands, where it has mostly been planted. Besides, it needs 

 skill and knowledge in gathering and fermenting its grapes, to 

 bring out all its best qualities, which many of our wine 

 makers do not possess, and the time is coming when three- 

 fourths of our Zinfandel and Mataro wines have to be sold as 

 inferior, and only one-fourth will be classed as strictly fine 

 wines, and sold at remunerative prices. 



Another mistake was made in discouraging, or at least not 

 to recommend, the planting of fine white wine varieties, 

 although we may safely claim that we have more first-class 

 white wine grapes than red. We can produce choicer white 

 wines to-day, to suit more different palates, and make a 

 greater quantity to the acre than of red. Yet the cry has 

 been: " Red wines are the universal drink;" therefore plant 

 them, until the public has planted generally about four-fifths 

 of red to one-fifth of white wine grapes. We see the effects 

 of this already in the higher price and greater scarcity of 

 white grapes and wines, which bring one-third more in the 

 market, and are more sought after than the red. What then 

 will it be in the future, when the large quantity of red varie- 

 ties planted will come into bearing? I grant that there is a 

 larger quantity of red wine consumed in the world's markets 

 than of white, but not in the proportion already mentioned; 

 and I think we will do wise to plant more white varieties in 



