10 July, 1916.] Portuguese Varieties of Vines. 407 



pedicels long, slender, with a pronounced warty swelling; berries medium, rather 

 on the large side, ellipsoidal, dark, glossy, bluish black, juicy, and delicately 

 perfumed; with short and weak brushi ; skin hard, containing little colouring 

 mutter; juice very sweet and delicate." 



Alvarelliao is very easy to identify, in view of its characteristic 

 foliage, which differentiates it sliarply from most other varieties, so 

 that any one at all familiar with it can readily pick it out. One of its 

 'Host striking characteristics is the peculiar funnel shape of the majority 

 of the leaves ; the midrib is often a continuation of the leaf stalk, the 

 limb being rolled or twisted round; it is scarcely ever flat, nor can it 

 be pressed so without a fold or crinkle. Though difficult to adequatelv 

 portray without a stereoscope, this is fairly well shown in Fig. 2, and 

 perhaps better in Fig. 3; it is also in evidence in the smaller leaf shown 

 on Fig. 1. The ribbed and goffered texture of the substance of the 



Fig. 3— Vine of Alvaiciiiao at Quiiita de Roriz, Alto Dome, Portugal. 

 Photo taken in October, 1007. The curious slate trcllisiufr |)<>sts an- 

 bIiuwii, also tiio ttrraccd arranfrcinont of tlie vine land. 'Iho stairway 

 at the top rifjht hand corner loads to a higher terrace. 



leaf, between the secondary veins, is also characteristic-; tliis is sliown 

 in Fig. 2. Tn colour, the leaves are dark green above and whitish 

 beneath ; the traces of cotton on the upper side and on tlie leaf stalks 

 give a cliancteristic grey look to the wliole vine, as though it had been 

 lightly dusted with ashes, soinewh it after the style of Pinot Meunier 

 (Miller's Burgundy), though not to nearly the same extent. 



From the above, two facts stand out. First — That AlvarelhjV> is 

 in a large measure responsible for the peculiar character of Port wine. 

 AH connoisseurs are familiar with the curious " drv finish " of a true 



' By "brush" is uncl.r-t.MHl ili.- fri»'im>'nt ■<< pulp lullurlim to rli>' i«<tl.-.| wli. n Uio liorry is 

 pulled (iff. 



