9 March, 1908.] Yiiicnlture in Europe. 



cheap wines, which are to be consumed young, or for slightly increasing 

 die strength of an old, matured wine, should such prove necessary, silent 

 spirit, highly rectified, is used. 



The merchants of Oporto are most particular in selecting their forti- 

 fying spirit. It is really only second in importance to the grapes from 

 which the wine is made. This spirit is, and has been for many years, 

 exclusively made from wine. Recent Portuguese legislation has rendered 

 this compulsory, but even before the new law came into force wine spirit 

 v/as always used for the best wines since other kinds would not contain 

 those elements which seem to be necessary for the production of the true 

 Port character. 



WJiite Ports. — These are little known in Australia or in England. The 

 chief demand for them is in Russia. They are made from white grapes, 

 and though grown on the same vineyards, and treated in the same way 

 as the red wines they differ very considerably in bouquet and character. 

 We might possibly find a market for this type of wine in Siberia via 

 Vladivostock. 



Vintage Ports and Tawny Ports. — These are the two classes into which 

 Ports may be divided. Though made in the same way at vintage time, 

 they differ radically in their after treatment. Tawny Port is matured 

 in wood, whereas Vintage Ports are bottled early (at two or three years 

 old, as a rule) and matured in bottle. The difference between the two 

 in colour, Lou(]uet and flavour is striking and well known to connoisseurs of 

 Port. A vintage wine, as its name indicates, is always the produce of 

 a single vintage. It is only special vintages when quality is above the 

 average, which are sold as Vintage Po^rt. Tawny Port, o« the other hand, 

 is kept in wood for an exceedingly long time. It is not the produce of 

 one, but of a number of vintages, the blending of which in order to keep 

 up a constant and even quality of any particular proprietary brand, con- 

 stitutes the chief art of the skilful Port Wine merchant. Far from de- 

 teriorating from the addition of younger wine, it is considered that a very 

 old Tawny Port gains by being from time to time "refreshed" in this 

 way. Their treatment is somewhat after the style of the sherry "soleras," 

 though there is a considerable difference between the two. In Tawny 

 Port a slight taste of the oak wood of the casks is noticeable, which is 

 characteristic, in the same way as it is of old French brandy. One re- 

 quires to be very careful, however, that this taste is not too pronounced ; 

 in such a case the wine would be "woody." 



The seasoning of the casks is thus a very important matter. After it 

 comes to Villa Nova, Port is, almost exclusively, handled in pipes. Those 

 made of Baltic oak are preferred. Manv merchants claim that American 

 oak gives a distinct and objectionable flavour to wine and will not use 

 this timber on any account. They say no amount of seasoning will render 

 it fit to hold a fine Port Wine. 



The seasoning of the pipes, even when they are made of Baltic oak. is 

 very thorough. After steaming and water seasoning for a variable time, 

 they are filled with cheap wine which remains in them for some months. 

 It is only casks thus seasoned with common wine that are used for high- 

 class Ports. There is another process of seasoning with ammonia and 

 steam, which is said to remove the taste even from American oak, but the 

 majority of merchants prefer the older method. Many armazens or lodges 

 have their own cooperage attached to them. The coopers are paid by 

 piece work. 



