250 VINES AND VINEYARDS. 



ance many of the neighbouring hills on both sides of the Rhone present 

 situations equally favourable, although the wine produced even upon the 

 best of them never rises to above half the value of. the former, and in general 

 not to the fourth of their value. A good deal may also be attributable to 

 the selection of plants. The best red wines of Hermitage are made exclu- 

 sively from one variety, and the white wines from two varieties ; but in 

 the district generally a much greater number of varieties are cultivated. 

 The Red Grape is named the Ciras. The white varieties are the Rousscttc 

 Marsan. The former yields by itself a dry and spirituous wine, which 

 easily affects the head the plant produces indifferently the latter yields 

 a sweeter wine they are mixed together to produce the best white Her- 

 mitage." 



Before taking leave of his host, M. Richard, our author acknow- 

 ledges the attention he had every where received from the French 

 proprietors, which was the more gratifying, he having been led to 

 expect considerable jealousy. M. Richard expressed a hope that if 

 he published an account of his journey, honourable mention would be 

 made of this fact. After quitting the vineyards of Hermitage, the 

 author proceeds to those of Burgundy, and visits Chambertin and 

 Clos Vougeot. 



" After quitting the vineyard of Chambertin, J rejoined the cabriolet? 

 and after recovering the main road, proceeded to Clos Vougeot. This 

 vineyard formerly belonged to a convent, and the buildings are therefore 

 rather extensive. What was the old vineyard is enclosed by a high stone 

 wall, but M. Ouvrard, the present proprietor, has also acquired a consi- 

 derable portion of the land without the wall, and the present extent of the 

 Clos Vougeot is therefore 48 hectares, 112J English acres. 



" I mentioned to the steward of M. Ouvrard my disappointment regard- 

 ing my letters of introduction, and my having resolved in consequence to 

 trust to the good nature of the proprietor of Clos Vougeot for a friendly 

 reception. He replied, very heartily, that I had done well. He conducted 

 me over the cellars where the wines are made, and subsequently over those 

 where they are kept, explaining the whole process pursued in making the 

 wine, and answering all my questions with great exactness." 



Then follows an account of the method of fermentation ; after 

 which he says 



" They commence selling it when three and four years old; but the wine 

 of very favourable seasons is retained by the proprietor till it is ten or a 

 dozen years old, when it is bottled, and sold at the rate of six francs a 

 bottle. The price of the wine of ordinary vintages, from three to four 

 old, is from 500 to 600 francs the hogshead, but seasons occasionally occur 

 when the wine is not better than the Fin Ordinaire of the country. The 

 wine of 1824 was given to the labourers as their ordinary drink, that of 

 1825 is now ripening in the large vats, and will be worth, in three or four 

 years more, six francs a bottle. The wine has been found by experience 

 to be of better quality, and to preserve its perfume better, in these large 

 vats than in casks." 



The last-mentioned are the wines of Champagne, the method of 

 preparing which is curious. Messrs. Herries' notes are again a pass- 

 port to the wine-cellar : 



" The very eminent wine house of Messrs. Ruinart and Son, of Rheims, 

 are agents for Herries, Farquhar, and Co/s notes. Having called upon 

 them to cash one of these, M. Ruinart, junior, conducted me over their 



