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April 25 2006
From pages 8 - 9 of the Preface of the American Vine-Dresser’s Guide. The first book published in North America on the cultivation of grapes and winemaking—published in 1826 and serialized at Goodgrape.com
… I then made the culture of the grape, ofits natural history, and of all that was connected with it, my most seriousstudy, to be the better able to succeed here. It is that resolution which mademe a vine dresser, although some may think I am not fit for it, being maimed inmy left arm. It was it, which made me lose several chances of getting rich, inmy journeying through America, because it had so completely absorbed all myother thoughts; and it was also that resolution, which made me accept a proposalof an association for the culture of the grape in Kentucky, under the sameprinciples of the one established at Philadelphia, though not knowing,however, which of those societies had been the first; but the KentuckyVineyard Society, may be with great propriety considered as the beginner, thetrue introducer of the cultivation of grape vines into the United States;although it proved to be a ruinous affair, both to the shareholders and theirvine dresser—nevertheless, millions will accrue to the country at large, fromthe school made there. Some of my readers, who may, like me, have been losersin that undertaking, will see here with satisfaction, the reasons why it hasfailed, and how by a different management, it may now be a more profitableestablishment even than the United tates’ Bank. When I first came to Lexington,I was requested and encouraged, to make a trial on the culture of the grape;but I was left with little courage by what I had seen done: They offered tohelp, and the following scheme of an association was agreed to: To subscribe200 shares, at $50 each—40 of the shares were to be mine as my salary toconduct the business, until it would become productive; after that, I was tohave $1000 per year out of the produce, and nothing, if there should benone,—-so that the subscribers put their money, and I my time, at stake. The produce of the 160 shares, was to beappropriated as follows:
| Fund Allocation for Purchase of Shares | |
| For 633 acres of land, | $633 |
| For 5 families of (laborers), | $5000 |
| For tools, victuals, and other support, until the place would be productive | $1000 |
| Expenses of getting vine scions | $800 |
| Incidental expenses, | $567 |
| TOTAL | $8000 |
Theplan was well laid, if we had perfected it; but in 1799 too anxious to begin,we went into business before all the 1160 shares were subscribed for, and whilethere was but very little money collected—five acres were planted with 35different species of the best grapes, a great part was obtained by purchasefrom Mr. Legau, at Spring Mill, near Philadelphia, and others gathered in thegardens of New York, a small part bought at Baltimore from a Germannursery-man, and another small part brought directly from my own vineyards inSwitzerland, when my brothers came over to join me; three years we were in fullexpectation, and worked with great courage—a great many species of vinesshowed fruit the third year; one vine of the sweet water was full of eminentlygood grapes, fully ripened by the first of September. A few bunches that Icarried to Lexington, were admired beyond any thing. But alas, it was the firstand last year that that vine ever bore fruit, a sickness (of which I shall makethe subject of a chapter) took hold of all our vines except the few stocks of Capeand Madeira grapes, from each of which we made the fourth year some wine, whichwas drank by the Shareholders in Lexington in March next. The failure of thefirst plantation caused a relaxation among …
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Business models don’t change. For a recent example of investors in a virtual vineyard/winery operation, check out this story.
April 15 2006
When I started Good Grape, I intended to make this a treatise or manifesto on how I view the world of wine—a view point that is couched in our history and skewed a little different then the connoiseur or foodie viewpoint. In doing so, I also thought to know our future, it would be important to know our past. To that end, I started with one of my first blog post from the American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour—a sort of re-purposing of public domain content that I thought had a high degree of curiosity and relevance.
A short narrative of Dufour can be found here, but in short he is credited with being the spiritual leader for viticulture in the new world and for being the first successful viticulturalist AND winemaker in the states—having success in Vevay, Indiana in 1807. In 1826 he wrote a book, excerpted here in brief page by page snapshots, called The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide.
The first post can be found here and pages 6 and 7 of the preface are below.
The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide
pg. 6 - 7 Preface
If the United States were planted with vine-yards like France, as they will be at some future day, the patent right for it alone, would produce ten fold the income for this book. Another invention of mine,—the best way to graft grape vines, must rot be omitted, and many other experiments and remarks I made, to study their nature and their way of growing: they will be found through the book where I think they will be necessary to illustrate some of my positions.
I might have begun this preface, by the praise and encomium of the grapes and wine, and show the consequence on the health, temperance and cheerfulness of the people generally in any country, where there is a sufficient supply of genuine wine, which is equal to the provision of bread stuff; and as evidences and authority, I shall copy here what Mr. Speechley says in the preface of his treatise on the culture of vines:
"Of all the numerous sorts of fruits, indulgent nature produces for the use of man, that of the grape must be esteemed her noblest gift: For although various others not only afford comforts, but many of them even contribute to the luxury of the human race; yet none of them tend so eminently as does this fruit, to gladden the heart. Hlail then precious vine! Let me modestly presume to treat of thy culture, and to set forth thy virtues—a theme worthy of the immortal gods! 0 may thy superior excellence everlastingly inspire man with duty, and with unfeigned gratitude to the all bounteous Giver."
What Mr. apeechley says here, is highly corroborated bv what we read in Ecclesiastucus, ch. 31, v. 27 & 28,—"Wine is as good as life to man, if it be drank moderately: what is life then to a man that is without wine, for it was made to make man glad? Wine measurably drank, and in season, bring(eth) gladness of the heart and cheerfulness of the mind."
It is, to contribute all in my power, that I undertook to write this treatise, to engage and enable the people of this vast continent, to procure for themselves and their children the blessing intended by the Almighty; that they should enjoy, and not by trade from foreign countries, but by the produce of their own labor, out of the very ground they tread, from a corner of each one’s farm, wine thus obtained, first handed from the grand Giver of of all good, pure, genuine and unmixed by avarice, that it may have the effect on his heart and family intended by the Creator: Then in the cheerfulness of his heart, he will bless and thank him, who thus so bounteously provideth; than that offspring of fire-distilled liquor-so corosive and acerb as its parent, which crisps the heart and maketh man mad, will be left for the poor inhabitants of frozen countries, to whom both grapes and apples have been refused : and if this my humble performance, should contribute to bring such blessing in the country, I could rejoice to have quitted my first home to come here.When I took the resolution to come to America, to try the cultivation of the grape, I was but fourteen; and I came to this determination by reading the newspaper, which were full of the American Revolutionary War, and contained many letters from the officers of the French army aiding the Republicans, which complained of the scarcity of the wine among them, in the midst of the greatest abundance of every thing else; and inspection of the maps; I saw that America was in the parallel of the best wine countries in the world—like Spain, South of France, Italy and Greece: I then made the culture of the grape ...
To be continued ...
February 1 2006
The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour
Preface—Pages 1 - 3
It will be found something like presumption in me, to write a book in a language, to which I am a stranger. All that is to be published now a days, ought to be stamped with perfection: But as I had, and yet have to answer often, verbally and by writing, queries about my avocation, I have attempted to write down, and give to the public at large, the answers to any questions which may be made about the CULTIVATION OF GRAPE-VINES, in the UNITED STATES at once; and have thought I should be better understood, than by letters, often written in a hurry.. The importance of the subject, and the great feel of such a work, will plead for the indulgence of the readers, who I expect will be able to understand it—for pains shall be spared to render it intelligible, especially where it is intended to give the practical or manual part of vine dressing. A little of the history of the in introduction of that precious plant into Europe from Asia, translated from the dictionary of Agriculture of LACE and particularly, in the United States, by our colony cannot be thought improper: Likewise, an outline of the different modes of culture, and of preparatory to establish Vine-yards, followed in different parts of the world, and seen by the author, who, in his repeated travels between Switzerland and the United States avoided purposely to follow the same route, that he might see more vineyard countries, and find out the mode of training and cultivating the vines, that would suit best this country. And would offer the largest produce with the least work and attendance, without regard to the quantity of ground employed, being so plentiful, that: the main object ought not to be, to get a rent for the land, but to obtain the most wine from the least labour; nevertheless:, our vine-yards, by the mode of training adopted, have proved to be as productive by the acre, as the generality of the vine yards in France—as Chaptal says. To obtain what was intended. I found it to be necessary to lay aside the mode of cultivation I had been accustomed to as not suitable for a country where there is too much land, and a lack of people, and invent a new way-for none of those I had seen would suit a new country; it will be found, however in the sequel of the book , where I have seen something nearly similar. As this country, like Lombardy, may and ought to entwine the grape-vine with the mulberry tree and make good silk with our own indigenous mulberries.
I think I shall not intrude on my subject by trying to encourage that branch of rural economy. When I last came from Europe, I purposely travelled through silk countries, to obtain information about it, from the farmers themselves; and what knowledge I have acquired, will make the subject of a good part of a chapter, and I expect it will be an acceptable addition to the work: Likewise, I shall notice briefly something of the quadrennial rotation of culture, adopted as the best by our intelligent agriculturists, and followed in Lombardy among their mulberries and vines, since time immemorial; to show the possibility making good and rich farms out of the poorest land of he Southern States, by imitating Lombardy. That way of cultivation being very little known, hints of its practicalness and enriching character, on both the land and its owner, can never too often be given; besides, it will suit very well any farm on which there is a vine-yard, by the abundant production of manure, so much wanted by vines, On manure I shall go somewhat into detail—for it is the main pillar in good husbandry, especially in vine-yards, about the use of which, I shall differ in opinion with many book-makers, but not with a single practical vine-dresser that I know. I will also try to save the character of our Cape grapes from being made merely wild grapes, because some are now found in the woods; and, to put any one in the way to distinguish wild from tame grapes, I will give the description of the botanical characters of the blossom of both sorts. I shall try also to encourage those who can do it conveniently, to keep sowing grape seeds, to procure some new variety of grapes, which would perhaps answer better than any we have. Raising vines from seed, is the best means we have to obtain varieties. Particulars about that sickness of vines through the United States, which prevent the European grapes from growing welt here, shall be noticed, to excite the attention of the people to it; that the cause may be found, and of course the (remedy) preventive. The history of a curious discovery to make brandy out of water, found out the last year I was in Switzerland, of which I have great reason to believe I was the cause, will, I expect, be acceptable: but more so, of another discovery of my own, in the marketing of wine, of which I can attest, that it is a very valuable thing to any man who has to make wine; and I expect it will prove the same for cider. If the United States …
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