THE CHEMISTRY OF COOKERY. 373 



value of rich wine in its raw state, in countries where the grape grows 

 luxuriantly, and where, in consequence, the average quality of the wine 

 is the best, does not exceed sixpence per gallon, or one penny per bot- 

 tle. I speak now of the newly made wine. Allowing another sixpence 

 per gallon for barreling and storage, the value of the commodity in 

 portable form becomes twopence per bottle, I am not speaking of 

 thin, poor wines, produced by a second or third pressing of the grapes, 

 but of the best and richest quality, and, of course, I do not include the 

 fancy wines, those produced in certain vineyards of celebrated chateaux, 

 that are superstitiously venerated by those easily deluded people who 

 suppose themselves to be connoisseurs of choice wines. I refer to the 

 ninety-nine and nine tenths per cent of the rich wines that actually 

 come into the market. Wines made from grapes grown in unfavorable 

 climates naturally cost more in proportion to the poorness of the yield. 



As some of my readers may be inclined to question this estimate 

 of average cost, a few illustrative facts may be named. In Sicily and 

 Calabria I usually paid, at the road-side or village " osterias," an equiva- 

 lent to one halfpenny for a glass or tumbler holding nearly half a pint 

 of common wine, thin, but genuine. This was at the rate of less than 

 one shilling per gallon, or twopence per bottle, and included the cost 

 of barreling, storage, and inn-keeper's profit on retailing. In the luxu- 

 riant wine-growing regions of Spain, a traveler, halting at a railway 

 refreshment station and buying one of the sausage sandwiches that 

 there prevail, is allowed to help himself to wine to drink on the spot 

 without charge, but, if he fills his flask to carry away, he is subjected 

 to an extra charge of one halfpenny. It is well known to all concerned 

 that at vintage-time of fairly good seasons, in all countries where the 

 grape grows freely, a good cask is worth more than the new wine it 

 contains when filled ; that much wine is wasted from lack of vessels, 

 and anybody sending two good empty casks to a vigneron can have 

 one of them filled in exchange for the other. Those who desire fur- 

 ther illustrations and verification should ask their friends — outside of 

 the trade — who have traveled in southern wine countries, and know 

 the language and something more of the country than is to be learned 

 by being simply transferred from one hotel to another under the guid- 

 ance of couriers, cicerone, valets de place, and other flunkies. Wine- 

 merchants are " men of business." 



Thus the five shillings paid for a bottle of rich port is made up of 

 one penny for the original wine, one penny more for cost of storage, 

 etc., about sixpence for duty and carriage to this country, and two- 

 pence for bottling, making tenpence altogether ; the remaining four 

 shillings and twopence is paid for cookery and wine-merchant's profits. 



Under cookery I include those changes which may be obtained by 

 simply exposing the wine to the action of the temperature of an ordi- 

 nary cellar, or the higher temperature of " Pasteuring," to be presently 

 described. 



