10 July, 1916.] Portuguese Varieties of Viiies. 



405 



He then gives the arapelographical description which was drawn up 

 by the Trasmontana (N. Portugal) Agricultural Station, which agrees 

 on most points with that given in Ampelograpliie'^ , which is reproduced. 



RebeOo da Fonseca, so long ago as 1791, states — " With the grapes 

 known as Alvarelhao, Pe agudo preto, Tinta cao, and Sou zao is made 

 a strong wine of good colour and body, and with fine flavour. With 

 Bastardo and Donzelinho, mixed with the foregoing in small proportion, 

 the roughness of the Alvarelhao and Souza > is softened and sweetened, 

 and the fragrance of the bouquet is increased. 



Fig. 2- Leaf of Alvarelhao -44 (approximately half) natural size, 

 riioto taken at tlio l\utlicrjrl<-ii \it iciiltuial Station, .Xpril, l!ii;j. 



He proceeds to discuss, at considerable length, the l:)enefit to tlio 

 Portuguese wine industry of the substitution of choice for common 

 vines, and quaintlv describes the curious flavour of Alvarelhao already 

 referred to, explaining that " its juice is sweet, with a suggestion of 

 roughness" {pica azrdo) "similar to well-sweetened lemonade." This 

 variety then formed the basis of the wines of the Alto Douro to such an 

 extent " that with respect to all otlu-r red varieties together, Alvarelhao 

 constituted three parts out of four." 



* AmpelogrnphU, published undor the dirrrtion "f P. Vliilii uiid V. ViTiuorel. A full drscrip- 

 tion is Kivcn of .'i,-j()0 distinct vini' viirictic», articles bi-linj ruiitrlbuted by Iciullni; nuthoritioM In all the 

 impottuiit wini'-produ(-iii({ cuiititrii's. 



