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The World's Commercial Products 



moisture that irrigation is quite unnecessary. On the other hand, the inland districts possess 

 a calcareous soil which does not retain the water to so great an extent, and it is necessary 

 to irrigate the vineyards two to four times during the season before the grapes will ripen to 

 perfection. The yield, however, of the inland districts is greatly in excess of that of the coast 

 districts, and the quantity of wine produced is on an average more than double. 



With regard to the quality of the wines produced at the Cape it will be sufficient to add 

 that the grapes grown in the colony are of peculiar suitability for the preparation of sweet 

 wines, ports and liqueurs, but that the light wines produced, although steadily improving in 

 quality, are much inferior to those of Europe, and it will be probably long before they obtain 



a footing in the European market. The 

 inferiority of these wines is largely due 

 to the fact that the first fermentation 

 which is carried out at a high tempera- 

 ture is very tumultuous, and is all over 

 in from four to eight days. It will be 

 remembered that in Europe the same 

 process occupies a much longer period, 

 a fact which allows of a much less 

 vigorous action and the consequent 

 retention of the volatile substances to 

 which the bouquet of the wine is due. 

 In the Cape wines the volatile compounds 

 are expelled during the rapid and bois- 

 terous fermentation, and consequently 

 they lack the character which delights 

 the heart of the connoisseur. 

 Australia 

 As will be noticed from the figures 

 already given, the principal wine-pro- 

 ducing States of Australia, in order of 

 their importance, are South Australia, 

 Victoria, and New South Wales. Vines 

 were first planted in South Australia 

 between 1840 and 1850, the stocks being 

 obtained from the Botanic Gardens at 

 Sydney, and later from Spain and other 

 parts of Europe. Historically, the most 

 interesting of, the vineyards of the colony are those at Reynella, planted by John Reynell, 

 for it "was here that, in 1846, the first wine vines were cultivated, and the first wine made. 

 The principal wine-growing districts in the State, at the present day are, with the exception 

 of Stanley, nearly all in the Central Division, chiefly in the counties of Adelaide and Light. 

 The soil, and climate are very suitable for the production of nearly every kind of wine ; the 

 Adelaide plains yield a wine very similar to . those of the south of Spain, and the hilly 

 districts produce clarets and other light- wines of very considerable quality. 



The. methods and apparatus employedin the early days of wine-making in the colony were 

 of a very .primitive character, and "the South Australian vigneron has had to pass through 

 a long and trying course of evolution before he reached the position which at this moment 

 marks him as among the most enlightened wine-makers of the day. The wineries are models 

 of cleanliness, and the fermenting houses - are of the most modem type. Spontaneous 

 fermentation is no longer entirely* relied upon, but artificial cultures of the fermenting organism 

 are introduced into the must with most satisfactory results. South Australians may pride 



MANUFACTURE OF BRANDY 



