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August 25 2006

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide, 1826, Chapter 2 pages 30 - 33.

Here, the author, John James Dufour, comments on the Cape grape a native grape to North America that, here, is speculated to have been imported from Africa. Dufour continues to comment on its suitability to drink and the ongoing struggle to introduce European vine cuttings. Interestingly, and amusingly, he notes the bias many had at the time for French wines versus domestic wines.

Considering all I have said above and that it may bepossible that in Pennsylvania some of theCape grapes may be now growing wild in the woods, having been sowed there by the birds, which have takenthem from where they were cultivated; for it is past30 years sinceMr. Legaux got it at Spring Mill, Ithink to be sufficiently authorized tobelieve, that the Cape is the only one we have in the United States to saycompletely successful; is an imported grape; and Mr. Legaux having asserted that it came from Africa, it ought to bebelieved until proven of the contrary, and Mr. M’Mahon, in his gardening, speaks of it as afact beyond doubt. The question nowremains to know from what place grapes cameto the Cape of Good Hope; for theDutch, who planted the vines there, could carry none from their own country: Portugal, Teneriffe, and the Canary Islands are probably the place from whence the Cape of Good Hope has been provided with that precious plant; and I have read somewhere, that they had much troubleat first to make their vines flourish; it requiring all the phlegmatic patienceof a Dutchman, to bring it to a successful end.

Chaptal tellsus in the Dictionary of agriculture, that the Burgundy grapewas planted there, for the purpose of having the same wine, but that ina few years, the grapes grew quite different, being large in the bunchand in the berries, and the juice so extraordinary rich, that it could not flow from the press without theaddition of water. I was told also, when at Bordeaux, thatthe same Burgundy grape, planted in the vicinity of that town, underwent a total change, andmade a quite different wine. Although this Cape grape, is a coarse fruit, or,as it is said, a wild one, it is nevertheless a very precious plant to the United States, and well worth theattention of all good citizens; if I had not met with thatgrape, the cultivation of the Vine would be in these western countries, and, perhaps, in the United States, very near asit was before; for I would myself give up the job as impracticable; but we mayanticipate the hope that theclimate of ourcountry will gradually change and become more congenial to good grapes. I have seen with great pleasure, in the AmericanFarmer, that in York County, in Pennsylvania, someof the European vines that I tried in vain,are now doing very well there.

The additional trouble andexpense attending the culture of the grape and the making of the wine; as wellas the time the vine dresserhas to wait for its produce; the large preliminary expenses, for cellar, press,and vessels to the makingand storing the wine, the patience to await itsmaturity, are sufficient to be dreaded by beginners in the world, and in thewoods, too, are of themselves sufficient, without the addition of the fear; that such a coarse grape would at last not be fit for to make palatable wine: tothat may beadded another obstacle, that the first vine dressers of a country have toencounter; it isthe prejudice against home-made, of a people who areused to imported wines only, which are or ought tobe of the best sort, and of the strongest,naturally or by mixture, with spirits, to supportthe transportation; the home grown winewhich is toappear first among such a people must resemble exactly the one he is used to, to engage him to pay for it: Such was our case at first, but we gradually found a market for all we made; I saw a greatmany, who would at first not taste the Swiss wine, because it was not as strongas the imported Madeira, which is about one-third of brandy, or as sweet asMalaga wine, nor as mild as it would be, if kept only one half the age of theimported one, but having drank of it a few times for company’s sake, they havebecome great lovers of it; so that, by the by, the consumption having prettywell kept pace with the product, old American wine has always been scarce.

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August 14 2006

The Center of the Wine Universe Circa 1807 Pt 1 of 2

Over the course of the last couple of months I’ve been running excerpts from a book in the public domain titled The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour. Published in 1826 the book is the first published North American book on viticulture.

Dufouris also credited in many circles as being the Father of the AmericanWine Industry having the first successful grape-growing AND winemakingoperation in the U.S. around 1807.

Because this first successfulundertaking took place in Vevay, IN and because I live in the Midwest,I find this notable. And, it helps that the book is charming, as well.

I do, however, want to provide a bit of context to the book so the following post is a Cliffs Notes version of the story.

Theunlikely hero who would eventually lead the revolution in American viticulturewas John James Dufour. He arrived aloneand unnoticed on the shores of North America. Had somebody been waiting for his arrival, looking for a vinedresser whocould develop American viticulture, he probably would have passed overDufour.

Dufourdid not fit the stereotypical English view of a vinedresser.

Thoughhe was from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, he was not French. And even though Switzerland was awine-producing country, it was unimportant compared to France in bothproduction and reputation. Second,Dufour was maimed in his left arm. Becauseof his handicap, some people thought him unfit for his chosen profession. Yet, despite these vagaries, which seemed todisqualify him on the first glance, Dufour had qualities of character thatenabled him to be successful where many before him had failed.

Thespirit of the New World captured Dufour at an early age. Near the end of his life, he wrote aboutwhat had influenced him to come to America and attempt grape-growing.

WhenI took the resolution to come to America, to try the cultivation of the grape,I was but fourteen [1777]; and I came to this determination by reading thenewspapers, which were full of the American Revolutionary War, and containedmany letters from the officers of the French army aiding the Republicans, whichcomplained of the scarcity of the wine among them, in the midst of the greatestabundance of every thing else; and by inspection of the maps, I saw thatAmerica was in the parallel of the best wine countries in the world—like Spain,South of France, Italy and Greece. Ithen made the culture of the grape, of its natural history, and all that wasconnected with it, my most serious study, to be better able to succeed here.

Dufourspent the first of many years traveling the settled New World inspecting vinesand making attempts at wine-making, all were largely unsuccessful.

Inthe midst of some early success in Kentucky, Dufour wrote to his relatives andfriends in Switzerland requesting them to join him in the New World. On April 30, 1800, “relations and friends”formed a covenant that was signed by a number of heads of households. The covenant was a contract of thirty-onearticles outlining the relationship the members of the group were to have inAmerica. The group planned to leave forAmerica in November of 1800.

Afterthe election of Thomas Jefferson and the land sale by the government in theNorthwest Territory, Dufour lobbied Kentucky Senator Gallatin and subsequentlyThomas Jefferson for land on the northern banks of the Ohio, on credit.

ThomasJefferson, a celebrated Francophile, was one of the most noted American wineconnoisseurs of his day. Hisrelationship to wine and grape-growing lasted throughout his long life. When he was ambassador to France, he touredthe French vineyards; as president he encouraged the vinedressers andwinemakers with whom he corresponded; and in retirement, he continued to extolthe benefits to be gained from a domestic wine industry.

Dufour had everyconfidence that his latest venture would succeed and he saw the Ohio River asthe heart of his successful future. Inhis lobbying, he was quoted as having written, “The time is not far off whenour seaports instead of receiving wines and liquors, will send some abroad,”and he added, “I forsee the time when the Ohio will compete with the Rhine orthe Rhone for the quantity of vineyards, and the quality of wine.”

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August 14 2006

The Center of The Wine Universe Circa 1807 Pt. 2 of 2

Over the course of the last couple of months I’ve been running excerpts from a book in the public domain titled The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour. Published in 1826 the book is the first published North American book on viticulture.

Dufour is also credited in many circles as being the Father of the American Wine Industry having the first successful grape-growing AND winemaking operation in the U.S. around 1807.

Because this first successful undertaking took place in Vevay, IN and because I live in the Midwest, I find this notable. And, it helps that the book is charming, as well.

I do, however, want to provide a bit of context to the book so the following post is a Cliffs Notes version of the story.

PartII

InDecember of 1804, Dufour decided to have a sample of his Firstvineyard winesent to President Jefferson in Washington. However, the colonists did not have enough money to finance the trip ontheir own. Henry Clay, famousKentuckian and subscriber to the Kentucky Vineyard Society, collected a fund of$60 to help finance the journey. JohnFrancis Dufour, newly settled, was chosen to make the trip. After a long overland journey ofapproximately 600 miles, on packhorse with kegs of five gallons each of wine,John Francis arrived in Washington in late February. John Francis met with Jefferson two days later. Jefferson wrote a letter to Senator JohnBrown of Kentucky describing the meeting between himself and John FrancisDufour. Jefferson wrote that heinformed John Francis of the wine’s potential, but he needed to let it furtherage. Jefferson sampled both wines atdinner with his family noting, “They appear to possess a body capable ofbecoming good.”

Atthe settlement on the banks of the Ohio, the settlers had their firstsubstantial wheat crop in 1805. Shortlythereafter, in 1806 or 1807, they enjoyed their first grape crop. In 1808, grape production increased enoughto allow the colonists to make 800 gallons of wine.

Meanwhile,at Firstvineyard, the founding establishment was folding unsuccessfully in1809. In the spring of 1809, a frosttook the whole crop. As John JamesDufour later described it:

“My two brothers, who tried to keep the place, foundthemselves too weak to support it; and one frosty spring having took all theircrop; and knowing that those of the colony, who had begun in 1802 on theborders of the Ohio, were successful and had suffered nothing by the frost,they abandoned the place to an American tenant.”

Whenthis event is compared to the 1,200 gallons of wine produced at New Switzerlandin the same year, one can see that the project at Firstvineyard had run itscourse

Anotherview of the expanding Swiss settlement and its increasingly famous wine wasprovided by a traveler named John Mellish. He wrote on September 16, 1811:

Wewere now in sight of a Swiss settlement on the other side of the river, towhich, on account of the head wine, we moved with difficulty; but on ourarrival we were very much gratified by the appearance of this thriving colony. We were told that they immigrated to Americaabout ten years ago, and first attempted vine-dressing on the Kentucky River,but not succeeding to their wish, they moved to this place, which they found toanswer very well. We found the vineyardsin very good order, and the grapes, which were at full maturity, hung in mostluxuriant clusters. They were of twokinds, claret and Madeira, both reputed to be of the best quality, and thesample which we tasted had an excellent flavor. The wine consisted of two kinds of course, claret andMadeira. The claret was rich inquality, but too acid. It was, however,very palatable and pleasant beverage when diluted with water. The Madeira wine we found very unpalatable,but we were informed that it wanted age. Last year {1810} they sold 2400 gallons at one dollar and a half pergallon; this year they will sell 3000; and they are very sanguine that theywill be able to bring the business to full maturity. Their markets are Cincinnati, Frankfort, Lexington, and St.Louis.

In1813, an ad was run the Niles’ Weekly Register of Cincinnati for Vevaywine. It read:

“Forward.”—DanielDebeltaz, at the Cincinnati, Ohio, advises tavern keepers and others, that hehad received a supply of good red wine, superior to the common Bordeaux claret,which he offers at 2 dollars per gallon. He further says that he will be supplied with the “white and Madeirawines.” This wine is produced at NewSwitzerland, Indiana Territory, where the vine-yards are in the most prosperousstate. The cultivation is rapidlyexpanding on the shores of the Ohio, and has every prospect of soon reachingthe demand. How delightful it is tobehold the opening resources of our country; and contemplate the time when allthat may satisfy our wants or gratify our appetites, shall be found in thegrowth and produce of the republic!

Indianawine and the American wine industry were born.

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July 4 2006

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide, 1826, by John James Dufour pg 26 -28

In this passage Dufour speaks in a loping narrative style about the Cape grape and his exploration of various grape varieties and their success--drawing a parrallel to varietals he has experience with in his native Switzerland and in the Bordeaux region.

… toodelicate to make strong and durable wine,the same case happens in cider countries. Among the apples, it is wellknown, that in Normandy thebest cider is made with ill flavored apples:and here the Hughes’ crab, which makes thebest cider, cannot be eaten.

TheCape grape is, besides, not a very productive sort, yieldingonly from 100 to 250 gallons per acre; while the best are cultivatedin the Canton de Vaud,in Switzerland, produces from 500to 2800 gallonsper acre in one year, and ten pounds of grapes makes a large gallon of clear wine, and is, at the same time, one of the best tablegrapes. As to strength, it will depend on the climate, and on the sort of soilwhich produces it. It would be a good deal better and stronger if raisedon the pine hills about Fort Stoddert, in the Alabama states,or the sand hills of East Florida. Hereit gives from one-eighth to one-sixth in brandy by the distillation. The strongestwine known in the South of France, gives one third; and the weakest one, in the north of Europe, about the twelfth or fifteenth. The good cider in the State of NewJersey one tenth however, there is a great difference between the wine of one year to that of another, although produced from the same vines: An early and warm summer will make wine two-fold stronger thana late and cold one.

If only the enemies of American wine had said that theCape grapes are wild or indigenous, Iwould make no observation here on it: but it is the opinion of oneof my particular friends, whom I hold in the highest estimation, of whom I claimhis indulgence if I differ inopinion, and doubt of the assertion, until I see it in itsoriginal state: for if it existed in the United States,particularly in the State ofPennsylvania, where they said it is to befound wild now, I ought to have met with it in my travelsthrough so many of the States of the Union, undertaken and performedwith the only purpose to studyall that had, or that may have, any relation to the cultivation of the grapes in the UnitedStates.

How could it be, then, that the best of the wild orindigenous grapes, if this isone of them, shouldhave alone escapedmy sight? Beside all theindigenous grapes I have metwith, are what Botanists are classing in the dioicia family, or male and female on differentplants, like hemp, hops, persimmons, one species of the laurel andseveral other plants—while allthe cultivated sort that I am acquainted with are hermaphrodites, or with the faculty, if fecundation initself, the male andfemale organsbeing together in the same blossom, like theapple tree, the peach being of the Latendria monogenia class ofSinuous.

I made that discovery first atFrankfort in Kentucky, in the garden of a gentleman, who had procured some vines of the sand grapes, from the Islands of theOhio; but happening that he had got only male plants his vines neverbore, but large branches of blossoms Ipruned and dressed those vines once myself, with no better success that raisedsuspicion in my breast, of what itwas, awl at the next succeeding blooming time, I plainly saw all the indigenousgrapes that have fallen since under myinspection were of the diociae family. The famous botanist, Michaux, in a Latin flora of South Carolina, tells it also positively,and since, I have found that same plant,which is a different one from the viniferousvines in different parts of Europe, particularly in the vicinity of the river Rhone, beforeits entering the lake ofGeneva; and is the hedges of a farm in the neighborhood of Bordeaux, calledLaguira, belonging in 1806 to Mr. Galay the Swiss Consul at Bordeaux. It is in favor of my readers, who may havethe chance and wish to ascertain that fact by themselves,that I have been so particular.

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June 26 2006

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide

At the beginning of Chapter II, Dufour wraps up his chapter I narrative that detailed his travels in the states and review of vines and winemaking operations--all of them had largely met with failure. Chapter II begins with his review of his failed operation in Kentucky, before moving to Indiana to again try to create a grape-growing and winemaking operation.

The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide
John James Dufour
Pages 22-25

Chapter II

Divers attempts at vineyards in the United States, viz.--at Monticello--Spring Mill near Philadelphia--at Carol Manor near Baltimore—near the Susquehannah, in the vicinity of Middletown -Fate of them all with the exceptions--.Cape grapes,the only one reared near Vevay; prejudice against those grapes, and description—Coarse grapes and bad apples often make the best Wine or Cider—Spirituous quality of Wine—Sexes of Vine--Wild being of the Dioeciae family and the Tame Hermaphrodite of the Potendria Monogenia family of Lineus.--Wild American vines, found also in Europe—Description of the blossoms of both sorts—Burgundy grapes planted at the Cape of Good Hope, underwent a great change—Expectation of an amelioration of our climate--Obstacles met by the first vine-dressers in Indiana—Home-made wine, will in time stop the distillation of grain.—Vineyard Association at Philadelphia—New Mexico vineyards—Madeira grapes.

The various attempts at vineyards that I heard of, which I went to see, at Monticello, President Jefferson’s place; which, in 1799, I perceived had been abandoned, or left without any care for three or four years before which proved evidently, that it had not been profitable: At Spring Mill, on the Schuylkill, near Philadelphia, planted by Mr. Legaux, a French gentleman, and afterwards supported by a wealthy Society formed by subscription, at that City, for the express purpose of trying to extend the culture of the grape. I saw that Vineyard in 1796, 1799 and 1808.

On the estate of Mr.Caroll, of Carollton, below Baltimore, in Maryland; whither I went on purpose from Philadelphia in 1796, there was a small vineyard kept by a French vinedresser, and where they had tried a few sorts of the indigenous grapes.

At the Southern Liberties of Philadelphia, I saw in 1806, a plantation of a large assortment of the best species of French grapes which a French vinedresser had brought over the Atlantic. They were at their 2nd or 3d years: they had not been attacked by the sickness: their nursery was yet full of hope.—In 1796, I saw also, near the Susquehannah river, not far from Middletown, a vineyard that had- been planted by a German; but who having died some time before, the vineyard had been wholly neglected. I. was told, it had produced some wine but it had suffered so much dilapidation, that I could not recognize the species of grapes. And at last the trial we made in Kentucky, in 1799, under the auspices of an Association made similar, and for the same purpose as that of Philadelphia, before stated, with 35 different species of best grapes, procured from different parts of the world, but principally from the gardens of New York and Philadelphia.

M. Legaux’s vineyard, and a nursery lately established near Baltimore by Mr. Kewster; all shared the same fate; being destroyed by the sickness above spoken of except about one hundred plants that I got from the few that were prosperous at Spring mill vineyard, that we have called Cape grapes, because Mr. Legaux certified having received them from the Cape of Good Hope, and with which we the Swissers have made our subsequent and prosperous plantation near Vevay, on the borders of the Ohio, in Switzerland County, State of Indiana, and which must have now spread much through the country: for we have sent, and have to send abroad a great quantity of the scions every year.

I have drank some good wine made from these Cape grapes, near Glasgow, in the barrens of Kentucky: and I have no doubt but the same grape is the one which succeeds best with the Harmonites, near the Wabash in the State of Indiana: and I doubt if any other sort will do well with the French at Demopolis, in the State of Alabama; but they will meet with the same fate as all those I have yet seen on any other. As no things in this world,—be it good and useful as it may—but has met with enemies when first introduced: The cape grape has been slandered and cryed down to a mere wild grape. It is true, that it is a very coarse grape, unfit for table use, for those who have eaten the best sort in Europe, or who can get a better one. It has a very thick skin and pulp, but the juice is very sweet, when perfectly ripe and has the taste of the strawberry, which gives a fine perfume to the wine; such as made the President Jefferson say, that there was no other such tasted wine within his knowledge in the world.---It requires, about twelve pounds of grapes to produce a gallon of clear wine, they are similar, as to roughness and thickness of skin, with the grapes from which wine is made in the warm countries of Europe, where they distinguish the fruit by the respective appellations of wine grapes, and table grapes; the former being commonly too coarse to be pleasing at a dessert, and the other …

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