336 Journal of the Department of AoRicuLTaRE. 



wine in a special form of bottle with a screw-stopper, which is quite 

 practical for the naturally higher strength Australian wines, but 

 unsuitable to light French wines, and he advertised to the millions, 

 caring not a button about the French-wine drinkers. The result is 

 that he created a taste for wine amongst the great middle and lower 

 middle classes, who had not been wine consumers previously. 



But every class is conservative in its likes and dislikes and has 

 strange prejudices, so it was uphill work throughout the years, 

 educating the flagon-wine consumer to the excellent article that was 

 grown in Australia, yet in 1915 one bottle in every fifteen bottles of 

 wine drunk in the United King'dom was Australian. That is success, 

 but it is not enough. Australia and South Africa should aspire to 

 supply more than half the requirements of the Empire markets 

 throughout the world. Since the war we have been overwhelmed 

 with demands for Australian wines and South African wines also, 

 for it has become known, tlirough the media of a few advertisements, 

 that we had small stocks of your productions in London. 



But do not lose sight of the fact that a production has no value 

 in a market until a demand has been created in that market. The 

 producer supplies the article, the merchant the market, and one is 

 absolutely useless without the other. 



Distribution in England is through wine and spirit merchants, 

 who probably also retail beer, mineral waters, and tobacco, and 

 through grocers who can obtain wine and spirit licences. There are 

 also the market distributing houses, which supply any requirements 

 to the licence-holder at wholesale terms, and receive a commission 

 from the brand owner. The value of our market houses is very great 

 indeed, and through their agency we have centres of operation 

 throughout the United Kingdom. Practically every one of the many 

 thousands of licence-holders in Britain stocks Australian wines, and 

 advertising is done in many forms. 



South African wines would clash in no way with the Australian 

 business, which stands alone with its own media of consumption, 

 whereas South African wines will find their markets in direct com- 

 petition with the lighter productions of Europe. 



The few hundred hogsheads we have had in London during the 

 last three years have been very carefully tended until fit for bottling, 

 and then bottled with scrupulous care and offered for sale as a South 

 African production upon its great merits. They have been sold — 

 if you will — in direct competition with foreign productions; they are 

 another class of wine of equal merit. It is for the British public to 

 decide which they prefer, and they are biased in favoui' of your 

 wines on patriotic grounds. 



Requirements of the English Mabket. 



On this point I do not lay down any hard and fast rule or express 

 any definite opinion, but I think my personal taste has been educated 

 by trying to keep in intimate touch with the wants of the British 

 consumer. 



I have seen many delightful white wines in South Africa. I 

 am inclined to the opinion that Hermitage and Cabernet Sauvignon 

 would, together, produce a wine very acceptable to the people of the 

 United Kingdom, and I am personally enthusiastic about a good 

 Pontac. Your sweet wines will never make your reputation in the 



