AND WINE MAKING. 99 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE GRAPE-GKOWING DISTRICT OF CENTRAL NEW YORK. 



D. EAUDBB, SECRBTAKY AND TKEASUREB PLEASANT VALLEY WINE 

 COMPANY. 



This comprises what is locally known as the Lake 

 Keuka district; with about ten thousand acres; Oanan- 

 daigua lake, including Naples, five thousand acres ; and 

 Seneca lake, five thousand acres. The average yield is 

 estimated at one ton of grapes per acre. The disposition 

 for the crop of 1893 was in the aggregate about as fol- 

 lows : Fourteen thousand tons shipped for table use ; 

 two thousand tons to wine makers in other places ; and 

 four thousand tons made into wine by local wine makers. 

 Two hundred thousand gallons of this wine were made 

 into champagne, producing about one million bottles. 

 The largest makers were the Pleasant Valley Wine Com- 

 pany, next the Urbana Wine Company, and a few others 

 of less importance. The champagne is made by the 

 long or French process. 



The varieties grown and in quantity in the order 

 named are Concord, Catawba, Delaware, Isabella, Clin- 

 ton, Ives, Diana, Elvira, lona, Eumelan, Niagara, Nor- 

 ton, Moore's Diamond, and many others in small quan- 

 tities. A large percentage of the finer kinds, such as 

 Delaware, lona, Elvira, Eumelan and Isabella, form the 

 basis for the champagne cuveSj Concord and Catawba 

 are for table, and the balance for still wines. 



Prior to 1889 there had been but two seasons that the 

 crop was materially impaired by any disease or insect. 

 The season of 1889, being very wet, especially in June, 

 developed mildew or brown rot quite generally, and in 

 some places to an alarming extent, with a sprinkling of 



