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hills, in the neighbourhood of the (own of Tokay. The 

 district extends over a space of about 20 English miles. 

 Throughout the whole of this country, it is the custom to 

 collect the grapes which have become dry and sweet, like 

 raisins, whilst hanging on the trees. They are gathered one 

 by one ; and it is from them alone that the prime Tokay, or, 

 as it is termed, Tokay Ausbruch, is prepaied, which, in 

 1807, sold for 100 florins the cask of 180 halbes,onthe spot. 

 They are first put together in a cask, in the bottom of which 

 holes are bored to let that portion of the juice escape which 

 \vill run from them without any pressure. This, which is 

 called Tokay essence, is generally in small quantities, and 

 very highly prized. The grapes are then put into a vat, and 

 trampled with the bare feet, no greater pressure being per- 

 muted. To the squeezed mass is added an equal quantity 

 of good wine, which is allowed to stand for 24 hours, and is 

 then strained. This juice, except in Tokay, is difficult to be 

 obtained, and sells in Vienna at the rate of ,12 sterling per 

 dozen. The greater part of these vineyards is the property 

 of the emperor; several, however, are in the hands of the 

 nobles. 



Another species of Hungarian wine, called Mineser, is 

 said to equal Tokay ; next to that in value comes the wines 

 of Edinburgh, Rush, St. Gyorgy, and Ofen, followed by a 

 great variety, whose names are as various as the hills which 

 produce them. The grapes which are preferred for making 

 the Tokay, and the other Hungarian wines of that charac- 

 ter, are the White Tokay, or Tokai Gris, and the Blue and 

 Black Tokay ; the Blue is figured and described by Sickler, 

 in his Garten Magazine of 1804, as the Hungarian Blue. 



181. Verdiltiio. This is well known to be the grape which 

 gives strength and body to the wines of Madeira, and is ge- 

 nerally considered the best wine grape of that island. It may 

 rather, in point of ripening, be considered an early fruit. I 

 received this, the Nigrinho, the Tinto, and the Violet, from 

 a wine house of high repute in Madeira, arid they stated to 

 me, that these were the finest grapes known there for the 

 making of wines. 



Black Madeira. This grape I received direct from Ma- 

 deira ; it produces abundantly, and is one of those that agree 

 best with our climate; the fruit is very juicy, and of a plea- 

 sant flavour, and seems well calculated both for wine and 

 the table; it ripens in August. This grape I have found to 

 be so nearly allied to the Meunier, thatj in my last Cata- 



