Page:The Tourist's California by Wood, Ruth Kedzie.djvu/81

 HOTELS RESTAURANTS CUISINE 59 bottle in the restaurants, or for 60 to 80 cents a gallon in bulk. The Italian-Swiss vineyards of Asti, Sonoma County are best known for wines of the Chianti type. Recently this colony has produced an ex- cellent champagne. From the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys come Sancho Panza's Valde- penas and the heavier wines whose cultivation these valleys share with the South. A million gallons of sweet wines were pressed in the State's wineries in 1891. A recent year's rec- ords show a yield of more than 22,000,000 gal- lons, of which the greater part was Port, Sherry, Muscatel and Angelica. Of all varieties Califor- nia produces annually about 50,000,000 gallons. The quality now compares favourably with similar grades of European vineyards, though California prices are much higher. It is one of the blemishes of California that potable water is scarce in many sections of the State. San Francisco and Los Angeles have re- cently undertaken to correct this deficiency in their respective communities, but in many towns it is wisest to make inquiry concerning the hydrant water before imbibing. There are a number of mineral springs whose owners export agreeable bottled waters. Ordinary spring water may be bought for 10 cents per 5-gallon jug.