340 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



But the finest brandies are made from the grapes themselves 

 distilled in their fresh or partly fermented state, and it has 

 been the special study of some of our best brandy makers, to 

 find varieties, which would produce the mildest and finest 

 flavored brandy. Mr. Geo. W. West, of Stockton, has pro- 

 duced a very fine brandy from a grape called Wests White 

 Prolific, probably a Spanish variety, but which has not as yet 

 been identified. As it is also an immense bearer, and makes 

 a very delicate white wine, it is a desirable variety to plant, 

 for those who have in view the manufacture of brandy. Gen.. 

 Naglee, of San Jose, has made some very fine brandies, which 

 connoissuers contend owed their high quality partly to the 

 selection of varieties, partly to careful handling and ageing. 



It may yet be advisable in certain of the southern districts, 

 where grapes ripen early, and develop a large amount of sugar 

 to use the product mostly for liqueur wines and the manufac- 

 ture of fine brandy. The sale of 60,000 gallons in a single 

 year by Mr. Rose, who has always made a very fine type of 

 brandy, will show that there is a large market for a really- 

 good article. In this direction, planters should pay more at- 

 tention to the heavy bearing white varieties, such as Burger 

 and Folle Blanche. The latter is used to a large extent in 

 France for the production of fine Cognacs. 



But the smaller producers can use their pomace, or at least 

 a part of it, for vinegar. This needs no costly buildings in 

 this State, nor expensive fixings. A shed outside of the cellar, 

 but on the sunny side, and a few tanks are all that is needed. 

 As the pomace contains generally sugar enough, if fermented 

 over, all it needs is to fill them with pomace and water, and 

 leave them exposed to the air, when acetic fermentation will 

 set in in a short time, and convert the water into fine vinegar. 

 They should however, not put on more than about one-third 

 of the quantity of water, than the must which was pressed 

 from the grapes. When fermentation is over, the cj^ear liquid 



