1140 WINE 



Spain produces an enormous quantity of wine which is not suitable for the English 

 market. Mr. Porter estimated that, good, passable, and bad, it amounted to 

 120,000,000 gallons ; but (says Sir E. Tennent) the testimony is concurrent that, 

 except in Andalusia and a few other minor localities, its manufacture is so imperfect, 

 its qualities so peculiar, and its flavour so extraordinary, from carelessness, dirt, and 

 other causes, that it is not presentable in the English market. Dr. Gorman, in his 

 evidence before the House of Commons Committee, says : ' No natural Sherry 

 comes to this country ; no wine house will send it ; the article you get is a mixed 

 article ; if they gave you the natural produce of Xeres it would not suit you ; in all 

 probability you would say it was an inferior wine ; our taste is artificial, because we 

 are not a wine-drinking people.' 



Brande gives the alcohol in Sherry 18 - 37 the maximum, and 17'00 the minimum, 

 while Dr. Christison gives the following result from his examination : Weak, 17 in 

 volume ; average of 13 old wines, 18 ; strong, 20 ; Madre de Xeres, 21. 



The Montittado of Spain is a wine which appears to depend for its character on the 

 soil, which is a white soil called albariza, containing 70 per cent, of carbonate of 

 lime, with alumina, silica, and a little magnesia. The Manzanilla is the produce of 

 the barros, or red earths, somewhat sandy. 



SICILY, as producing the celebrated Sicilian Marsala, is perhaps next in importance. 

 Marsala resembles ordinary sherry in many respects ; it is, when good, a wholesome, 

 and, as it is technically described in the trade, a clean wine. Of Marsala, Sicily pro- 

 duces not less than 2,143,370 gallons. Sicily also produces red wine, but of a very 

 coarse quality. 



MADEIRA and the CANARIES produce a wine, the former under the name of the 

 place of its production, being well known. Its consumption has never, however, been 

 very large. The produce of the island has rarely exceeded 25,000 pipes. In 1854 

 we imported 42,874 gallons. 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Cape wine has never found much favour in this country. 

 In 1854 we imported 275,382 gallons, whereas in 1825 we obtained 670,000 gallons. 

 This wine is used to some extent in the manufacture of ' British wines.' 



South African Port and Sherry were at one time sent to the English market ; and, 

 as the price was remarkably low as compared with the Portuguese and Spanish 

 nines, a large demand was created ; but on the abolition of the differential duties in 

 their favour on the conclusion of the Treaty of Commerce with France, they were 

 unable to compete with the better qualities of wine produced in Europe. 



The only Cape wine of any reputation is Constantia, a red liqueur wine produced 

 on the farm of J. P. Kloete. 



AUSTRALIA. Vine-growing and the manufacture of wine is practised in each of the 

 three southern colonies of Australia, New South Wale.s, Victoria, and South Australia. 

 The total produce being about 1,500,000 gallons annually. The wines are of different 

 qualities, mainly red, and resemble Burgundy or the fuller wines of the South of 

 France. The white wines resemble Sauternes or Muscatel, but all are more or less 

 disguised by the addition of alcohol. Lately, however, this practice has been to a 

 great extent discontinued. 



Before we proceed to the more important wines of France and Germany, we must 

 say a few words on 



UNITED STATES. Catawba Wine. About the year 1826, 'the Catawba,' a native 

 American grape, was first brought into notice by Major Adlum, who had found it 

 growing in a garden at Georgetown, near Washington. This vine, which is derived 

 from the wild fox grape, has gradually supplanted all others, and is now adopted, 

 almost universally, throughout the United States for making wine. It imparts a very 

 peculiar musty flavour to the wine, displeasing when first tasted to many palates ; but 

 this dislike is easily removed by habit, and the wine is much relished in Ohio and 

 Missouri, where it sells readily at good prices. 



About 3,000 acres are cultivated as vineyards in the state of Ohio ; 500 in Kentucky ; 

 1,000 in Indiana; 500 in Missouri; 500 in Illinois: 100 in Georgia; 300 in North 

 Carolina ; and 200 in South Carolina. It is calculated that at least 2,000,000 gallons of 

 wine are now raised in the United States, the value of which may be taken at a dollar 

 and half the gallon. This is in addition to a large amount produced in California. 



In the United States the wine-press is constructed much on the same principle as 

 the ordinary screw cider-press. It has an iron screw 3 or 4 inches in diameter, in a 

 strong, upright frame. A box platform, 6 or 7 feet square, of 3-inch plank, is wedged 

 into heavy timbers, and in this a box to contain the mashed grapes is placed, the box 

 being perforated with holes. Bands to fit loosely inside the box, and pieces of -scantling 

 to receive the pressure, complete the implement. The power is applied by a strong 

 lever, and the juice runs out through a hole in the floor, and is led into the cellar 

 beneath by means of india-rubber pipes. Before being subjected to pressure, the 



