Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/452

 4:20 AMERICAN WINES good dark heavy claret, if the grapes are well ripened, with rather a pleasant wmtergreen flavor, liked by some. 8p. gr. 90 ; acid, 6. The Franklin, probably a seedling of the fore- going, is very productive and hardy, and pro- duces wine of similar character but inferior to Clinton. Sp. gr. 80; acid, 6. The Marion, belonging to the same class, makes a fair red wine, but is hardly worth cultivating when bet- ter varieties are abundant. Sp. gr. 83 ; acid, 6. 3. Sherry Wines. The Cunningham origi- nated in the garden of Mr. Jacob Cunningham, Prince Edward county, Va., about 1812, and proved so thrifty and hardy that it covered an arbor 50 feet long and 12 feet high. Mr. Sam- uel Venable then cultivated it to a certain ex- tent in his vineyard in Prince Edward, and was probably the first who made wine from it, very much resembling Madeira. It is now largely cultivated at Hermann and Blufiton, Mo. Its wine is brownish yellow, of great body, and fine, sherry-like flavor ; and as the vine is a rampant grower and abundant bearer, it would be a favorite grape were it not some- what tender, and only adapted to dry hillsides. Sp. gr. 100 ; acid, 6. The Hermann originated with Francis LangendSrfer, near Hermann, Mo., and first fruited in 1 865. It is a seedling of Nor- ton's Virginia, exceedingly hardy, healthy, and productive. It may be too late for extreme northern localities, but is certainly one of the most profitable varieties for the west and south. The wine, if properly handled, is of a brownish golden color, with true sherry flavor, very heavy, and exceedingly fragrant and spicy. Con- noisseurs have preferred it to the finest imported sherries. 8p. gr. 105; acid 4. Wines of the Southern Atlantic States. There are two spe- cies of the vine exclusively confined to the southern states, which will not succeed north of the Potomac, and on the value of which for wine authorities still differ. 1. Vitis vulpinia or rotundifolin, (the muscadine or Bullace). To this species may be referred the Scupper- nong, and its seedlings, the Thomas, Flow- ers, and Mish. The vine is entirely different from any other species, the bark being smooth, the leaves round and glossy, and the fruit pro- duced in clusters of from three to twelve ber- ries, which drop from the stem when fully ripe. As wine has generally been made at the south so far by an addition of sugar and even alcohol, it is very difficult to judge of its true merits. One of the best wines is made by Germans at Aiken, 8. C., where there are very extensive vineyards. The white Scuppernong seems to be deficient in sugar, as its must seldom ranges above 60, and to contain so much gluten that it is very sluggish in fermentation. But al- though most of the must, even now, has sugar or alcohol added to it in fermentation, it seems that a good still and also sparkling wine may be made of it; and as the grape produces abundantly, and is very healthy, it may become a great source of profit to the south. Its wine is generally pale yellow, of strong flavor and heavy body, and the vines are said to produce after the 10th year from 750 to 1,500 gallons to the acre. Sp. gr. 60 ; acid, 4. 2. Vitis mustan- gensis, or mustang grape. This is found in great abundance in the woods of Texas, where it climbs to the tops of the highest trees. So far as known, no attempts have been made to cul- tivate it. The berry is large, black or purple, and contains a very acrid juice. It is said to produce a wine resembling claret, and considerable quantities are made from the wild vines every autumn. II. WINES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. " The history of grape culture in California," says Charles Reukl in his work "California," "takes its rise in the southern districts of the state. The vine was introduced in the middle of the last century by the Catho- lic missions. The pious monks had brought their native thirst from the sunny fields of Spain, and longed to quench it in California. They began by sending for large numbers of Spanish and French cuttings, which, however, were found not to thrive when planted. They grew, but bore little fruit, and only at inter- vals. A ship which brought the monks their regular supplies once had some fine raisins on board. One of the missionaries planted the seeds, and the experiment succeeded; the vines flourished to admiration, and bore superb grapes. Large plantations were then made, with the aid of the Indians, at the mission of San Gabriel, in Los Angeles county." The grape originally planted by the missionaries is called Los Angeles, and was the only one cul- tivated in California to the year 1820. At that date a new variety was introduced in the Sonoma valley, believed to have been brought from Madeira. This new variety, and the old one of the missionaries of Los Angeles, are known as mission grapes, or California grapeH, and still constitute two thirds of aD the vines grown in 'the state. New varieties, however, have been introduced, partly from Europe, especially Germany, and partly from the At- lantic states. At the present day some 200 kinds of grapes are raised and tried in Califor- nia, all of which seem to succeed. Those most frequently met with are : of European or Asi- atic origin, the Riessling, Tokay, muscatel, black Hamburg, Chasselas ; of American origin, Catawba, Isabella, Concord, Ives, Herbemont, Delaware, Diana, Salem, and many others. The intelligent and workmanlike culture of the vine, and the management and sale of its prod- ucts, are of recent date. The long experience of other countries is still wanting there, so that many and grave difficulties are encountered. For some time the vine was usually planted in level river bottoms, and even on wide plains, and the vines were supposed to require artifi- cial irrigation. It is now ascertained that the vines planted on the slopes of hills, as is usual in Germany and France, succeed far better than the vineyards on open plains, and produce wine generally heavier and* of finer flavor. The largest vineyard in California is that of the