288 Recreations of a Sportsman 



miles long, the private property of wine men 

 who seriously object to visitors, but he who gains 

 entrance finds one of the most attractive and 

 interesting vineyards in California. I found it 

 one September day, and landing at the little 

 wharf, one of the owners of the island escorted 

 us up the one entrance the arroyo to the 

 ranch. The road crossed it time and time again, 

 passed beneath great oaks and other trees, and 

 finally came out into a small valley hemmed in 

 by the island mountains. Here the vineyard 

 stretched away in every direction, the vines 

 trellised up in the European fashion. 



These vineyardists are Italian-Swiss, and have 

 brought over their own wine makers, who live 

 here out to sea and out of the world. Here was 

 a typical French mansion with its iron balconies, 

 so common in New Orleans, and beneath the 

 broad veranda hung a large French horn that 

 was blown to bring the pickers from the vine- 

 yards. A long building was the mess hall, and 

 near at hand was an artistic chapel, and a large 

 sun-dial of interesting design. The great brick 

 winery and its enormous tuns and casks finished 

 the picture. 



One might sail by Santa Cruz a thousand 

 times, even skirt its shores, and never suspect 

 that over the hills and down deep in the valley, 

 hidden away, was one of the famous vineyards 

 of California. The vineyard is known for its 



