186 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



for. Each of these qualities is consistent with purity; but naturally, 

 according to the kind of grape, the soil, height, and aspect of the vine- 

 yard where it is grown, will the wine have one or more of these qual- 

 ities, in a greater or less degree, as the season is good or bad. One 

 would imagine, that, from among these varieties, the most fastidious 

 might select a pure wine to suit his palate, and so no doubt he would 

 if he were fairly treated ; but unfortunately, for a considerable time 

 past, the practice of the wine-merchants has been to disregard all the 

 circumstances just mentioned, and to try to produce in all seasons, wet 

 or dry, cold or hot, from grapes in every variety of situation, and of all 

 qualities, wines of one and the same kind only, viz., what is called by 

 some, " full, high-colored, and fruity," but by others, more properly, 

 " black, strong, and sweet." The taste which has gradually led to this 

 state of things probably was good, and occasioned by an extraordinarily 

 fine vintage, such as that of 1820, when all the vines were naturally 

 unusually full, sweet, and high-flavored. The merchants, finding these 

 wines much sought for, insisted upon having the like at all times ; and 

 as such wines could seldom be obtained pure, seasons so fine being 

 extremely rare, recourse was had to adulteration to produce something 

 like it, and the struggle among many of the exporters was to send wine, 

 each fuller, sweeter, and higher-colored than that of his neighbour. In 

 this practice they were encouraged by petty innkeepers, retail dealers, 

 and others, who found it answered their purpose admirably. A portion 

 of such wine mixed with Benecarlo, or other harsh inferior red wine, 

 enabled the whole to be passed off as port. In negus, it is plain the 

 use of it would cause a saving of all the ingredients except water ; 

 and to palates hardened by the use of strong or coarse liquors, it would 

 probably be more acceptable than wine of the highest flavor. Persons 

 of these kinds, therefore, continued to call for black, strong, and sweet, 

 until, at length, the attempt to imitate a really fine wine has degenerated 

 into such a system, that, of the " port " sent to England, a very 

 large portion hardly deserves to be called wine, at all, and still less 

 port wine. 



Mr. Forrester then gives the following description of the process of 

 manufacturing the Mack draught which has for some time past receiv- 

 ed in England the name of port wine. To produce black, strong, and 

 sweet wine, the following are the expedients resorted to. The 

 grapes, being flung into the open stone vat indiscriminately, on the 

 stalks, sound and unsound, are trodden by men till they are complete- 

 ly mashed, and then left to ferment. When the wine is about half 

 fermented, it is transferred from the vat to tonels, and brandy (several 

 degrees above proof) is thrown in, in the proportion of twelve to 

 twenty-four gallons to the pipe of must, by which the fermentation is 

 greatly checked. About two months afterwards, this mixture is col- 

 ored thus: a quantity of dried elderberries is put into coarse bags; 

 these are placed in vats, and a part of the wine to be colored being 

 thrown over them, they are trodden by men, till the whole of the 

 coloring matter is expressed, when the husks are thrown away. The 

 dye thus formed is applied according to the fancy of the owner; 



