CHAPTER VIII. 



THE wine-makers' CORPORATION. 



THE fathers of the old California Missions made a rough 

 wine from a prolific grape which they introduced from 

 some unknown quarter, and which, in time, became 

 generally diffused through the state, and known as the Mission 

 grape. It is a very pahxtable table grape, but is gradually 

 disappearing from the markets and from cultivation. The 

 similarity of the climate of California to that of some of the 

 great wine-producing countries, the abundant growth of the 

 vine, and its prolific bearing in the virgin soil, led the early 

 horticulturists, and especially those of foreign birtli, to a pro- 

 found belief in the capacity of California to produce good 

 wine, and at an early day cuttings of all desirable grapes 

 from the wine districts of the world were introduced and 

 propagated. Wine and oil have in all ages been symbolical 

 terms, implying a special fertility and charm of climate in the 

 land of their production, and prosperity, and happiness in its 

 inhabitants. The Mission grape had been widely planted and 

 been found unprofitable, no sufficient market for it existing as 

 a table grape, and the wine being of a low grade. Gradually, 

 however, the imported cuttings became propagated, and wine- 

 making began on a large scale by men, usually of European 

 birth, and with adequate capital. There were in addition, 

 however, very large areas of wine grapes planted by those 

 without experience, or much knowledge of the capital required, 

 or who do not expect to make wine, but to sell the grapes to 

 neighboring wine-makers. 



To understand the difficulties in which those in the wine 

 business soon found themselves, some explanation of the 

 processes of wine making is required. The crushed grapes 

 go into large vats for the first fermentation. In that condition 

 the grape juice is known as "Must." For red wine the skins 



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