WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 859 



dred and fifty gallons last year. Of this crop all will not be 

 merchantable wine, on account of defective fermentation, and 

 about 12,000,000 gallons may be taken as a fair estimate of 

 sound wines ; the balance will have to be made into port and 

 sweet wines, or into brandy. Of course, it is too early yet to 

 make a correct estimate, but this may be taken as the ap- 

 proximate result. 



Besides, the decrease will be mostly in the counties which 

 produce the finest light table wines, Sonoma, Napa and 

 Solano. Napa, which produced something like 4,000.000 

 gallons last year, will not produce much more than 2,000,000 

 this year, so that those who produce choice wines, will find 

 a readv sale for it, and, from present appearances, at re- 

 munerative prices. The reports during the last three years, 

 in the six months ending June 30th, will also throw some 

 light upon the increasing consumption of California wines. 

 They are by sea and rail, as follows : 1885, 2,181,996 gal- 

 lons; 1886, 3,227,354 gallons; 1887, 3,624,390 gallons, 

 showing an increase of about 1,500,000 gallons since 1885. 

 As it stands now, according to the nearest estimates that can 

 be made at random, the home consumption is about 5,000,- 

 ooo gallons; export trade, 4,500,000 gallons; for brandy, 

 1,500,000 gallons; total, 11,000,000 gallons, which would 

 not leave much in first hands, perhaps not more than is not 

 fit at present to ship, but should have more age to make it 

 really saleable. 



