10 Nov., 1916.] Notes on Portufiuese Vine Varieties. 675 



equal quantity of light-coloured wine, which became as dark as the first. I 

 repeated the operation with a like quantity of wine, which also took a dark 

 colour. Noting this, 1 ordered that all the wine be racked, together with the 

 skins, into one cask holding about nine pipes (over 900 gallons), filling up with 

 wine of very light colour, which was still fermenting. After it became clear, tlie 

 wine of this cask was the darkest I had that year, with a very bright colour. 



Antonio Gvrao writes at considerable length concerning Souzao : — 



Its berries have a very particular structure, because in reality each berry is com- 

 posed of two concentric layers — an exterior one, c-oiisisting of a hard skin, pulpy 

 within, and much charged with colouring matter; and an interior one, composed 

 of white insipid matter, and contained in a fine network. If a berry of Souzao be 

 squeezed between the fingers, this interior zone, which I call second berry, is 

 squeezed out, and from it can be obtained a perfectly white wine. 



It yields much wine, but is bad in cold situations; on warm hillsides, in valleys 

 with strong soils, it is good, and highly coloured; on hills and poor soils it yields 

 scarcely anything. ... It is anneiro, only bearing well every second year. 

 It has the singular property of climbing up trees; there are three varieties, that 

 with red stalks is best; it rarely sets badly, and the flowers are protected by a 

 cap, which preserves the anthers from wasps and dampness. This variety wa.s 

 long unknown on the Douro, and it is stated tliat it was brought from the banks 

 of the Liima. 



Gyrao further states how a special colouring matter "^ ay be extracted 

 for the purpose of deepening the colour of winet> which are too pale. 

 The method, which is not in accordance with molem pure wine legisla- 

 tion, consists in making a sort of jam with the skins, to which sugar 

 and unfermented juice are added, the whole leing boiled over a water 

 bath. He recommends that the mixture, of about tiie consistency of 

 honey, should be added to the grapes in the vat at the rate of two 

 cantaros per pipe. 



Rubiao (1884) states that it yields good wine in some localities and 



bad in others As it is anneira (bearing only every second 



year) it is well to note the year it yields wine, so as to prune accordingly. 



Villa Maior (1886) mentions it — 



as one of the sorts grown at Quinta* do Vesuivo, and one of the most estimable 

 for the special wine there produced. It is planted separately and vintaged apart, 

 as is done with Bastirdo, to which it is not inferior( !). 



It is ciiiefly esteemed on the Douro and in Minho for the great abundance and 

 brilliancy of its colouring matter, which even serves to give to other wines which 

 are too pale, a splendid colour, simply by infusion of the skins and its berries.. 



. . . The best variety of Souzao is the one with a red stalk, and which has 

 leaves washed with scarlet. The interior pulp of the berry does not furnish 

 coloured must; the colour resides in the skin, wiiich is verj' thick. A test made 

 on 2401 August, 1866, gave me 64 per cent, of must with a gravity of 1.09!) (12joB.). 

 It comes into leaf very late. 



Figueiredo (1875) states that it is -— 



remarkable by tiie colour with which it is very heavily cliarged (Summamcntc 

 rarre'Kida); it is customary to cut it separately, racking the juice into a vat and 

 leaving the skins to dry, so as to hetter extract their colour, mixing them later ii» 

 the lagar (fermenting vat) or distributing them in tlu' casks 



Henry Vizetellyf says of it: — 



Souziio was l)r<)iit;ht from the banks of the liima at the lieginning of 



the last century (IHth). It is round and thick skinned, and Wie must, which is 

 sub-acidulf)us in taste, is remarkable for tiie al)undance and brniiaiicv of its 

 colouring matter. A splendid purple shade is communicated to wines of a liyht 

 tint by merely having tlie skins of the Souzao grape steeped in them. 'I'his 

 grape yields 64 per ((lit. of must in proportion t^) its weight, and contains, on 

 an average, Bome 12 per cent, of sugar. 



• Q liiita slRniflcs fiirm or vincvard. 



t KiicN lilHiiit T'orl anil Mudcini. 



