25 



and probably as useful, if not more so, as the 

 other American wild stocks for defense 

 against the phylloxera. 



ADDENDA. 



Since the above was put in type : 



I have had an opportunity to obtain scienti- 

 fic examination of the samples of wine of the 

 wild grape which were fermented last Fall by 

 Mr. C. Mattier at Harbins Springs. 



Unfortunately Mr. Mattier had no facilities 

 to ferment more than very small quantities, 

 and in keeping them he was obliged to mix 

 the best claret-like sample with the brownish 

 wine. 



Professor Federico Pohndorff, of this city, 

 and Monsieur A. de Lacretelle, of the French 

 Society of Agriculturists, examined the wine 

 together. Subsequently it was also examined 

 by Dr. John I. Bleasdale, Secretary of the 

 Board of State Viticultural Commissioners. 



Prof. Pohndorff and Monsieur de Lacre- 

 telle agreed that it was important to experi- 

 ment with the seedlings of this vine, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining its value for grafting 

 stock. 



Prof. Pohndorff was decidedly of the opin- 

 ion that the wine of the wild vine would be 

 ound to be a useful addition to our wine 

 product. He has given me the following re- 

 port: 



"Samples of red wine made from the wild 

 grape (vitis Calif arnica) . 



"Oolor brownish hue, lively and tinting 

 power; not a correct color for a red wine. 

 The mode of making the wine not having 

 been stated, it is difficult to guess the reason 

 of the brownish color, but the sample grapes 

 seen will allow me to infer that green, unripe 

 grapes joined to the mature ones in the press 

 have caused it in part; the coloring matter in 

 the ripe grapes may in the sylvan state of the 

 grape be of a composition which has not the 

 effect of communicating a more perfect tinge 

 of wine-red to the juice. A surplus tannin in 

 the seeds may likewise have affected the color, 

 turning it. The soil it grew in finally may 

 have influenced it. 



"Taste Of a dry wine, well fermented 

 astringent, of a fruity nondescript but vinous, 

 liquid, very acid, but certainly not in any 

 way acetic, hence sound; nearest fruit analogy 

 in taste to currants. 



"Aroma Vinous, resembling the flavor of 

 raspberries, being for the comparative want of 

 character as a wine in its taste, rather pro- 

 nounced alcoholic. Strength test of one tested 

 example, 10.9 per cent. 



"Acids Free acids of one of the samples 

 9.7 per thousand. Fruit acids predominant. 

 Tannin still united considerably. 



"Is it probable that by cultivating the vine 

 these wines were made of, a more perfect 

 wine would result? Certainly. 

 ^ "Will the improved wine be of the nature of 

 light wines? No; the amount of alcohol 

 would show a proportion of about 22 per 

 cent of saccharine; the acids are considerable. 



Thus the result of cultivation would probably 

 be a wine of similar parts as the ordinary 

 grape vines of the state contain, and the wine 

 be then one between cold and hot wines. The 

 flavor of a fruit like raspberry, with proper 

 proportioning of acids, would indicate a form 

 which might come near to that of an ordinary 

 Bordeaux; but a good deal of cultivation 

 would be required for this object. 



"Would it be right to advise the propagation 

 and cultivation of the wild grape? Undoubt- 

 edly it Would be, for the reason that a sound 

 wine, however ordinary, can be made from 

 it that from the standpoint of protecting 

 nobler vines from the inroads of the phyllox- 

 era, it is useful, hence advisable that no 

 harm but only good can result from planting 

 even larger tracts of land with it, as there is 

 value rendered, for the wine, if by itself de- 

 fective, can be employed anyhow, either for 

 blending or by being blended into a well- 

 tasting wine that it will present an object 

 for practically studying how ito make in the 

 press a good wine, rightly proportioned of 

 it that even if no wine of any quality will 

 be rendered by the grape, it yields its rich 

 content of alcohol, which for distilling it in- 

 to Brandy or Spirit, will always pay the in- 

 vestment in wild vines in a plantation and 

 lastly that the brandy distilled from it, having, 

 as shown by a test distillate, both the taste 

 and flavor of fruit of grape, will form prob- 

 ably a good type of brandy. 



F. POHNDOKFF. 



San Francisco, June 18, 1880. 

 p. s. 



"The alcoholic strength surprised me; such 

 an amount of sugar the wild grape has, would 

 indicate that by ennobling it through cultiva- 

 tion it might be brought to a level with the 

 sweetest grapes in the state. 



"Mr. de Lacretelle supposed phenic acid to 

 overrule the acids of one of the examples. 

 An analysis of that part of the composition 

 of the acids of the wine, which can be found 

 by reagents, will show if this supposition 

 is right. My test of the free acids with caus- 

 tic alkali was a hasty superficial one. The 

 wine is certainly susceptible of being rightly 

 trained and after a few years of cultivation 

 showing us a distinct form, perfected and 

 valuable. Soil and situation of the vineyard 

 will influence this greatly. 



June 19th. F. POHNDOBFF. 



"Dr. Bleasdale has completed a partial anal- 

 ysis of one sample with the following result: 



"Vitis Calif ornica; produced at Harbins 

 Springs, Lake county, Cal.; specific gravity 

 of wine, 1.0840; temperature, 60 F.; specific 

 grayity of distillate, .98495; percentage of B 

 proof spirit, 20.003; alcohol, 11.428; tannin, 

 per cent, 0;812; extractive matters, 0.2134. 



"N. B. Tannic acid was determined ac- 

 cording to Wittstein's formula. J. J. B." 



CHAS. A. WETMOEE. 

 Ill Leidesdorff street, San Francisco, June 9, 



1880. 



