UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. BULLETIN NO. 21. [In order to render the results of investigations and experiments conducted by the Agricultural De- partment of the University of California more quick- ly and more generally available than has heretofore been done through the annual or biennial reports, it is proposed to embody hereafter, in the form of "Bulletins," to be issued as often as may seem de- sirable, reports of results, as well as such other discus- sions, information or answers to questions as may be of general interest. It is intended to make these bulletins, as a rule, short enough for insertion in the daily or weekly papers of the State, and proof-slips of the same will be regularly mailed to papers apply- ing therefor. The substance ot these bulletins will ultimately be embodied in a more complete and con- nected form, in the annual reports of the College of Agriculture.] Examination of Red Wines from noma and Napa Counties. So- We owe to the courtesy of Messrs. J. H. Drummond, of Glen Ellen, and H. A. Pellet, of St. Helena, the opportunity of comparing with each other, as well as with similar ones hereto fore examined (see Bulletin No. 13), the wines of some of the more important and promising claret grapes of late introduction. Some of these wines were made in small quantities only, from the crop of 1883, an ! may therefore not represent in every respect the probable out- come of large-scale production hereafter; yet as to the main points they are doubtless repre- sentative, in so far as a single vintage can be. It should be kept in mind that in Sonoma, as well as elsewhere in the country north of the bay, the grape crop of 1883 was seriously af- fected by the hot June winds, not only shorten- ing the total product, but also affecting, more or less, its general quality, especially as regards color, which was deficient throughout as com pared with good years. In the table below, data previously obtained and reported are placed alongside of those now communicated. The wines were all sound and in good condition when received. 2.2.r = £ a S.S S.B 2.B ~ ~ o oc oc tip go oc go oc J [O w tc tc to hC M t-C tc I rf*c:vicc:cbcce© * K <- C ~ ■ »IP *. cc e£ | -nidg .Cq 3,pi«»'H oooococococcc mck J- z ;c wi k a 4^ w-itn > H* C I-i ti IC C W m WCriC effio a u "ji k Q «c y * oumio^ ,fg CO © r o a K s *■ h c c -i ' UIUUTJJ Of the varieties given in the table, the two first— Tannat and Cabernet Sauvign.on-a.re es pecially noted as producing wines' of high qual- ity, the former being the grape entering mainly into the wines of Madirau and other localities of the Pyreneean region; while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives its high qualities to the Chat- eau Lafitte and related wines. It is curious to note the constant difference caused in both wines here analyzed by the respective localities all the figures except those for . lc id being hiuher for Oakville than for Glen Ellen Thit recalls the difference in the respective soils, that of Mr. Crabb's vineyard being (as hereto- fore noted) valley land with a gray loam soil largely intermixed with slaty rock fragments; while Mr. Drummond's vineyard lies on rolling or undulating land, immediately adjacent to the Red bills at outlet of a canyon; the soil itself of a reddish tinge, and rather heavier than the Oak- ville soil. Mr. Pellet's soil seems practically identical with Mr. Crabb's. As regards the figures for Carignane,it mustbe remembered that while Mr. Pellet's vines are of considerable age, those from which the Livermore and Fresno wines were made were only in their third year, and were therefore liable to differ materially from the older grapes, while agreeing closely among themselves. Considering first the matter of 'Body," Or solid contents, w.e find in the Cabernet and Tannat a difference approaching to 50 per ceut in the excess in the Oakville wine over that from Glen Ellen, the latter approaching more nearly to the figures for "clarets," the former to the Burgundies. In the Teinturier the differ- ence is materially less, which is the more re- markable, as there is a difference of about two per cent in the aleoholh contents, the valley wine agdin bdng the stronger. They are, how- ever, of different vintages. Tne Sirah from Glen Ellen also shows a lighter body than is commonly supposed to beloug to that grape. The Grosse Blaue from Oakville, shows a re- markable excess of body over that from Pellet's, although iu other respects the two wines agree closely, and neither offers a suspicion of imper- fect fermentation. "Heavy body" would there- fore seem to be a prominent, characteristic of Mr. Crabb's location. Pellet's Carignane also has a rather light body. Alcoholic Contents. Crabb's wines have throughout a higher alcohol-percentage than either Drummond's or Pellet's. Some of this may hi due to parsonal practice in respect to the ripeness of the grapes when picked. Yet it is presumable that in 1883, a year of a more or less defective vintage, all allowed their grapes to acquire all the sugar they could. Probably the youth of Drummond's vines as compared with Crabb's has here also exerted its influence. Still, it cannot but be noticed that all the noble grapes on this list I (counting out the Teinturier and Grosse Blaue) ; have given rather a low average of alcohol. This is a pregnant fact in reference to the pre- vailing lamentable practice of wine merchants, in gauging the price of wines purchased sensi- bly in proportion to their alcoholic strength. So long as this is tolerated by producers, and strengthened by the addition of sugar to must having less than the arbittarily prescribed mini- mum of 22 of sugar, we shall vainly strive to im- prove the quality and reputation of California wines by the introduction and culture of the best grape varieties. The wines grown at the rate of teu or twelve tons per acre in the hot valleys will carry the day, so long as this vicious prac- tice is adhered to. In the matter of Tannin, The table is very instructive. The high value of the Tannat and (irosse Blaue as furnishers of tannin is strikingly shown in the closely con- cordant results of the two pairs of analyses, the average of the Tannat being nearly 1.80 promille, that of the Grosse Blaue nearly 2.45; the Tannat is followed closely, however, by Pellet's Carignane (1.62), showing one good reason why the Carignane blends so well with the Zinfandels of Napa, and the comparison of Pellet's products of older vines with those from three-year old vines of both Fresno and Liver- more, shows very well one of the defects of these firstlings of our young vineyards, which should be kept well in mind by those blending for the market. Acid. In regard to acid, the Tannat and Cab. Sau- vignon show a striking and concordant differ- ence for the two localities, Oakville showing in each case nearly 1 promille less than Glen Ellen, and the latter approaching more nearly to the accepted average for clarets, and rather remarkably nea ly alike for the four wines — Tannat, Cabernet, Teinturier and Sirah. Ttie acid percentage for the Grosse Blaue is almost identical for Crabb and Pellet, and is rather low, pointing, as heretofore remarked, to its adaptation to blends with the rather acid i Zinfandels with low tannin. The Carignane shows a rather high acid, and with its high tannin and low body, stands quite near the Tannat as grown by Crabb. The marked differences in flavor between the two wines determine, of course, a difference of adap- tation as to blends; but of the two the Carignane seems to come nearest to "standing on its own feet" as a claret grape acceptable to the general market. Altogether, Glen Ellen appears in these com- parisons, as a locality adapted to the lighter and more acid (and therefore possibly high bouquet) clarets, while the two valley -slope localities of Napa yield heavier-bodied and also more alco- holic and astringent wines. In the latter re- spect the slaty soils of the Oakville region seem to differ quite materially from the properly al- luvial soils of St. Helena, and approach those of the hills in the latter locality.