WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 371 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY. 



I do not claim to be a prophet, nor the son of one, there- 

 for all predictions of the future must be guess work to a cer- 

 tain extent. But when I look at the incipient beginnings 

 scarcely forty-five years ago, with no knowledge of varieties, 

 mode of treatment and culture, no knowledge of wine making 

 here : and then consider the results already obtained during 

 that short period, I cannot but feel the brighest hopes for the 

 future. We have the finest climate in the world for the 

 growth of grapes, we are sure of their maturing every season ; 

 we know of no total failures, we are gaining in experience every 

 year, our skill and knowledge increases, we have American 

 ingenuity and enterprise, with the industry of the German, 

 French and Portuguese ; in short, the intellects and muscular 

 strength of all nations engaged in the busines ; why should 

 we not make it a grand success, and claim the world for a 

 market, as the French have done for their clarets and cham- 

 pagne, the Germans for their Hock and Moselle, the Spaniards 

 and the Portuguese for their Ports and Sherries ? We can 

 make all these, and as good as they can, if we only apply our- 

 selves to the task. We have an immense territory adapted to 

 the successful growth of the vine ; our raisin makers have 

 proven already that they can produce as good raisins as any 

 country, and we can raise better, more attractive and cheaper 

 shipping grapes, which will keep better with proper treatment 

 than those of any country, and for which we have a market 

 on this continent. What should hinder us from becoming 

 the greatest grape growing nation on earth ? France had 

 reached a production of one billion five hundred million gal- 



