6yo Journal of Agriculture. [lo Oct., 1910. 



wines of distinctly porty cliaracter wliicli mature rapitUy. For tlie pro- 

 duction of ordinary sweet wii-ies, whether white or red, this variety should 

 have a great future before it, whilst in special situations, such as stony 

 schistose hillsides, tawny wines of extra quality will doubtless be obtained 

 as thev are in North-eastern Spain and the adjacent Roussillon district of 

 France, where the geological formation is so similar to large areas here. 



Strange to say, though it has long been present in some of our vine- 

 yards, it has not yet been properly tried — odd vines are to be frequently 

 found mixed with other sorts, so that a thorough test of its value under 

 Victorian conditions is not possible. The utmost confusion has long 

 existed in connexion with this and several other varieties in the past, so 

 much so that in several vineyards the owners have pointed out to me as 

 being planted with Grenache, blocks in which not a single vine of this 

 variety was present. 



Grenache is a very distinct vine of erect habit with closely jointed 

 yellow wood. Its leaves are very distinct from the other smithern French 

 varieties and very similar, as regards texture especially, with those of he 

 Waltham Cross. 



Clairette, Syn. Blmuiucitc. — The choicer white varieties of Herault 

 must now be dealt with. Foremost amongst these we have Clarette, a 

 sort which would appear to havQ a great future before it in northern Vic- 

 toria, more especially for the production of full bodied dry, as well as for 

 sweet white wines, whilst as a table grape it is in great favour in the 

 country of its origin, in spite of the small size of its berries. It ripens 

 very late and possesses remarkable keeping power, enabling it to be stored 

 well on into the winter. 



This vigorous growing long-lived vine is easily recognised by its erect 

 canes and dark-green leaves the under side of which is covered with a 

 thick white felt. It is, in fact, one of the most cottony varieties in gene- 

 ral u.se in France. The berries are oval, loosely set on the bunch and very 

 agreeable to eat. 



This variety is, like the Shiraz, an "excellent scion," possessing great 

 affinity for almost all resistant stocks. 



Mataro, which is better known in Herault unrler the name of Espar, 

 in Provence as Mourvedre, and in Cognac, where it is largely grown for 

 distillation, as Balzac, is a vine too well known to us in northern Victoria 

 to need description. It is more esteemed in France than it is with us, where 

 it has proved rather disappointing. Possibly, absence of lime in the 

 majority of our .soils is responsible for lack of quality. In Provence 

 (France), where it is one of the varieties most extensively grown, it enters 

 into the composition of several w'ines of good quality. 



Morrastei is very similar to Mataro — in fact, it is probal)ly often 

 mixed with it in our vineyards. Its wine is rather better than that yielded 

 by Mataro. though it usually bears rather less. 



Piquepoul— Syn. Picpoid.^T\\o\xg\\ black Piquepoul has, as we 

 have seen, been abandoned on account of its poor yields, the red or brown 

 form, Piquepoul gris, as it is known, is an excellent variety whicli is 

 looked upon as one of the best sorts for white wine of Herault. 



It thrives remarkably well in sandy soils, and is largely grown on its 

 own roots in the .sea sand vineyards where ungrafted viniferas are still 

 grown in spite of Phylloxera. Foex states its yield to be from 176 to 352 

 gallons per acre. 



