*^ On the Cultivation of the Vhie, 



climate, bccaufe the foil, expofure, and cultivation, madify 

 and mafk the immediate aftion of that grand agent. 



On the other hand, there are fome vine plants which do 

 not leave us the choice of cultivating them indifcriminately 

 in any latitude at plcafure. Soil, climate, expofure, cultiva- 

 tion, all ought to be appropriated to their inflexible nature; 

 and the Icafl violation of this natural charader eflentially 

 alters the produ61:. Thus, the vines of Greece tranfported 

 to Italy no longer produced the fame wine ; and thofe of Fa- 

 lernum, cultivated at the bottom of Vefuvius, have changed 

 their nature. It is confirmed by daily experience that the 

 plants of Burgundy tranfported to the fouth no longer pro- 

 duce wines fo agreeable and delicate. 



It is therefore proved that the charaiSlers by which certain 

 vines are diftinguiflied cannot be reproduced indifferent fites; 

 for this purpofe the conftant influence of the fame caufes is 

 neceflary, and, as it is impoffible to unite them all, the con- 

 fequence mull be changes and modifications. 



We may therefore conclude that warm climates, by favour- 

 ing the formation of the faccharine principle, muft produce 

 wines highly fpirituous, as fugar is neceflary to their forma- 

 tion. But the fermentation mafl. be condu6lcd in fuch a 

 manner as to decompofe all the fugar of the graj^es, othevwifc 

 the refult v^'ill be whines exceedingly lufcious and fweef, as has 

 been obfcrved in fome of the fouthern countries, and in all- 

 cafes where the faccharine juice of the grapes is too much 

 concentrated to experience a complete decompofition. 



The cold climates can give birth only to weak and exceed* 

 ingly aqueous wines, which have fometimes an agreeable 

 flavour; the grapes, in which fcarcely any faccharine prin- 

 ciple cxifts, cannot contribute towards the produ6lion of 

 alcohol, which forms the whole llrength of vyines. But, on 

 the other hand, as the heat ariling from the fermentation of 

 thefe grapes is very moderate, the aromatic principle is pre- 

 ferved in its full force, and contributes to render thefe liquors^ 

 exceedingly agreeable, though weak. 



2. Soil. — The vine grows every where, and, if we could 



judge of the quality of it by the vigour of its vegetation, it i^ 



^) ,^ in 



